What Direct Bore does

Direct Bore Inc. is a privately held utility infrastructure services contractor based in Ontario, Canada, founded around 2004 and operating from headquarters in Ottawa with a regional office in Bowmanville. The company specializes in trenchless underground construction, with Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and hydrovac excavation as its anchor offerings, supplemented by cable plowing, aerial construction, manhole rebuilds, fiber splicing, cable jetting, design-build services, cabling, and trenching. Its HDD equipment can span up to 300 meters and install pipes ranging from 10mm to 508mm in diameter, including through rock formations and environmentally sensitive terrain, using Measurement While Drilling (MWD) for precision. The company claims projects are completed 3-5 times faster than traditional trenching methods through experienced two-person crews.

The business serves enterprise and government customers across four primary segments: telecommunications providers (Bell, Telus), electric utilities (Hydro Ottawa, Hydro One), natural gas utilities (Enbridge), and municipal governments (City of Ottawa, City of Toronto). Direct Bore runs an enterprise B2B field sales motion with project-based custom quoting, and management is highlighted as having combined 100+ years of construction and drilling experience. The company is registered on major contractor compliance platforms (ISNetworld, Avetta, Contractor Compliance, Cognibox), which function as pre-qualification gatekeepers for utility and municipal work in Ontario.

The revenue model is professional services on a project-by-project bid basis; no public pricing, ARR, or revenue figures are disclosed. The company appears to be independently and privately held with no external funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no M&A history identified. As of the available data, the firm employs 27 people and is actively hiring across multiple field roles, indicating steady operational demand rather than rapid scaling.

Name

Direct Bore

Legal name

Direct Bore Inc.

Website

https://directbore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Direct Bore Inc. is an Ontario-based utility infrastructure contractor specializing in trenchless Horizontal Directional Drilling, hydrovac excavation, fiber optic installation, and related underground construction services for enterprise telecom, utility, and municipal clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Infrastructure Construction Services

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Cable Installation & Construction Services (trenching, duct banks, HDD, pulling, cable laying) (EUADADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Underground transmission & distribution cable EPC (civil + cable install) (EUADAKAB), Transmission Line Construction (Overhead & Underground) (IMAFAHAA)

Keywords

• Trenchless construction services
• Horizontal directional drilling
• Utility infrastructure installation
• Hydrovac excavation services
• Fiber optic cable installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa, Ontario

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Utility Infrastructure Construction Services: Project-based professional services revenue from providing underground utility infrastructure installation. Services include HDD, directional drilling, hydrovac, cabling, aerial, splicing, trenching, plowing, manhole rebuilds, and fiber optic services. Revenue is generated through custom project bids and direct contracts with enterprise clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Direct Bore provides trenchless and conventional underground utility infrastructure installation services for telecommunications carriers, electric utilities, natural gas utilities, and municipal governments across Ontario. Core offerings include Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), hydrovac excavation, cable plowing, aerial construction, manhole rebuilds, fiber splicing, cable jetting, design-build solutions, cabling, and trenching. The company delivers full-cycle service from upfront planning and engineering through to final installation and splicing.

Product overview

Direct Bore is a utility infrastructure services company offering a unified portfolio of trenchless and conventional installation services. The core offerings include Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), Hydrovac Services, Cable Plowing, Aerial Construction, Manhole Rebuilds, Fiber Splicing, Cable Jetting, Design Build Services, Cabling Services, and Trenching. These services work together to provide full-cycle utility infrastructure solutions—from upfront planning and engineering through to final installation and splicing—serving telecommunications and utility providers across Ontario.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Trenchless installation technology that minimizes surface disruption while ensuring accurate placement of underground utilities, capable of drilling through challenging rock formations. Serves telecom, electric, gas, and municipal clients across Ontario.
• Hydrovac Services Non-destructive excavation method using high-pressure water and vacuum technology to safely expose underground infrastructure without damaging existing utilities. Used for projects where accuracy and protection of underground utilities are critical.
• Cable Plowing Fast and cost-effective installation method for fiber optic and utility cables that minimizes surface disruption in rural and open areas.
• Aerial Construction Services Overhead utility line and fiber deployment services for aerial telecommunications infrastructure.
• Manhole Rebuilds Repair, replacement, and upgrade services for manholes and structure access points ensuring durable and reliable infrastructure with minimal disruption to surrounding infrastructure.
• Fiber Splicing Precision fiber optic cable splicing and testing services for aerial, buried, and underground settings, ensuring minimal signal loss and reliable connectivity for telecom and data networks.
• Cable Jetting High-pressure air method to propel cables through ducts with minimal friction, reducing installation time and ensuring optimal cable integrity for long-distance runs.
• Design Build Services End-to-end design-build solutions for trenchless construction projects delivered with efficiency, precision, and cost savings from concept to completion.
• Cabling Services End-to-end cable installation services from large-scale network builds to precision splicing for critical systems, minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.
• Trenching Services Clean, accurate excavations with minimal surface disruption using advanced methods for safety and efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects completed 3-5 times faster than traditional trenching methods
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BellcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor telecommunications provider. Direct Bore provides horizontal directional drilling, fiber optic installation, and cable splicing services for Bell's telecommunications infrastructure projects across Ontario.
• TeluscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelecommunications company. Direct Bore provides trenchless construction and utility installation services supporting Telus network expansion and fiber deployment projects.
• Hydro OttawacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal electricity utility for the City of Ottawa. Direct Bore provides underground utility infrastructure installation services for power infrastructure projects.
• Hydro OnecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial electricity utility. Direct Bore provides directional drilling and utility construction services supporting Hydro One's provincial power infrastructure.
• EnbridgecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNatural gas distribution company. Direct Bore provides underground infrastructure services for Enbridge's natural gas pipeline and utility corridor construction.
• City of OttawacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal government. Direct Bore provides municipal infrastructure construction services including utility installation for city projects.
• City of TorontocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor municipal government. Direct Bore provides infrastructure construction services for Toronto's municipal utility projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Quanta Services: Quanta Services is a large North American infrastructure contractor operating across electric, gas, telecom, and renewable utility construction. While broader in scope, it competes with Direct Bore for large utility and telecom HDD contracts.
• Primoris Services Corporation: Primoris provides infrastructure construction across utilities, energy, and civil markets in North America. It competes with Direct Bore in utility and pipeline construction, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• MasTec Inc. MasTec is a major infrastructure construction firm serving communications, utility, oil & gas, and clean energy markets. It competes with Direct Bore on telecom fiber deployment and utility installation projects across North America.

Direct peers

• Lanzo Trenchless Technologies: Lanzo Trenchless Technologies is a U.S.-based specialty contractor specializing in HDD, microtunneling, and pipe rehabilitation for water, sewer, and utility infrastructure. It is a direct competitor sharing Direct Bore's trenchless installation model and customer base of utilities and municipalities.
• Mears Group: Mears Group is a North American HDD and pipeline infrastructure contractor providing trenchless installation for gas, electric, telecom, and water utilities. It competes directly with Direct Bore in the same HDD construction space serving large utility clients.
• Maxx North America Drilling Services: Maxx is a Canadian HDD contractor operating across Canada with similar drilling, hydrovac, and utility installation services. Comparable to Direct Bore in service scope, customer base (telecom and utilities), and equipment-based trenchless methods.
• CCI Group (Canadian Cutting & Drilling): CCI Group is a Canadian specialty contractor offering concrete cutting, coring, and selective demolition services with trenchless capabilities. Like Direct Bore, it serves telecom, utility, and municipal customers across Ontario and other Canadian provinces.
• Centerline HDD: Centerline HDD is a U.S.-based HDD contractor focused on utility and pipeline crossings. It is a direct peer sharing Direct Bore's trenchless drilling model and target customer base of utilities and telcos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-bore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Direct Bore