HDD cost
calculator.
Enter your pipe size and bore length, choose metro or regional, and get an indicative directional drilling cost per metre — built from the same first-principles rate build-up we use on real tenders. A guide for early budgeting, not a replacement for a contractor’s quote.
Above DN710 is major-crossing territory
Bores over DN710 are engineered project by project — rig selection, ballasting, mud programs and pull calculations are all bespoke, so a benchmark rate would be misleading rather than helpful. Send us the alignment and we’ll price it properly.
Request a tailored estimateEstimates are generated from WSE Sydney desktop benchmark rates (2026) for normal clay / OTR ground and a single mobilisation, and are provided as a guide only — they are not a quotation, offer, or substitute for pricing from HDD contractors, and no reliance should be placed on them for tendering or contracting decisions. All figures exclude GST. See our terms of use.
How HDD is actually priced
Horizontal directional drilling isn’t priced off a rate card — it’s priced off time and setup. Every bore carries a fixed block of cost before the first metre is drilled: mobilising the rig and support gear, establishing the site, and setting up the drilling fluid system. Then the variable cost runs with time on site — the drill crew, the rig spread, and the bentonite fluids and tooling consumed per metre.
This calculator builds the number the same way we build an estimate: site establishment + (crew + rig spread) × drilling days + fluids & consumables, with a margin allowance on top. Drilling days come from a production rate — metres per day for the pipe size, location, and shot length — which is why two bores of the same diameter can carry very different costs per metre.
What moves the cost per metre
Pipe diameter sets the rig class. A DN63 power conduit runs off a mini rig with a three-man crew; a DN710 transfer main needs a maxi-class rig, an eight-man crew, multiple reaming passes, and a serious mud program. Cost per metre climbs steeply with size because everything scales together — rig, crew, fluids, and time.
Bore length works the other way. The establishment cost is fixed, so a 40 m shot carries the whole setup on 40 metres, while a 400 m shot spreads it thin. Short bores always look expensive per metre — that’s not the driller gouging, it’s arithmetic. Very long runs eventually give some of that back through slower production and multi-shot rig walks.
Location cuts both ways. Regional jobs carry heavier mobilisation and living-away allowances, but crews typically produce more metres per day. Metro jobs mobilise cheaply but drill slower — restricted hours, congested underground services, potholing, and tight sites all eat production. On small bores metro usually wins; as diameter grows, slower metro production overtakes the establishment saving and regional becomes the cheaper place to drill.
Ground conditions sit outside this tool deliberately. These benchmarks assume normal clay / other-than-rock ground. Rock drilling is quoted as an extra-over by every contractor in the market because nobody prices rock blind — and neither do we.
Indicative HDD costs by pipe size
Benchmark drilling cost per metre at each size’s typical single-shot length — drill-only, clay/OTR ground, ex GST. Use the calculator above to price your own diameter and length.
| Pipe size | Typical shot | Metro ≈ $/m | Regional ≈ $/m |
|---|---|---|---|
| DN63 | 80 m | $270 | $290 |
| DN90 | 100 m | $240 | $325 |
| DN110 | 120 m | $300 | $335 |
| DN160 | 150 m | $360 | $380 |
| DN200 | 180 m | $400 | $480 |
| DN250 | 220 m | $545 | $540 |
| DN300 | 250 m | $645 | $600 |
| DN355 | 300 m | $800 | $700 |
| DN400 | 350 m | $880 | $795 |
| DN450 | 400 m | $1,070 | $860 |
| DN500 | 450 m | $1,315 | $1,075 |
| DN560 | 500 m | $1,540 | $1,245 |
| DN630 | 550 m | $2,065 | $1,590 |
| DN710 | 600 m | $2,535 | $1,865 |
Each size is priced at its own typical shot length, so $/m reflects real jobs rather than a like-for-like length — that’s why the figures can dip between sizes (a longer typical run amortises setup further) and why metro and regional cross over around DN250. Drill-only in clay/OTR ground; excludes pipe supply, welding, pits, traffic control and rock; ex GST; guide only.
What the estimate covers — and what it doesn’t
Included: rig mobilisation and site establishment, drill crew wages (and living-away allowances on regional work), the rig spread by the day, pilot bore, reaming passes and pipe pull, drilling fluids and consumables, and a margin allowance.
Excluded — priced separately on every real job: pipe supply, pipe welding and stringing, entry and exit pit excavation (by the civil contractor — machine rates are in our machine hire calculator), traffic control, rock drilling, dewatering, service potholing and location, design, permits and approvals, and site-specific access constraints. These are exactly the lines we pick up when we price the full job — a bore rate on its own is never the whole story.
Frequently asked questions
How much does directional drilling cost per metre in Australia?
As a drill-only guide in normal clay ground: small PE conduits and mains (DN63–DN160) typically run about $240–$400 per metre, mid-size mains (DN200–DN355) about $400–$800 per metre, and large transfer mains (DN400–DN710) from roughly $800 to $2,500+ per metre. Short bores cost more per metre because the fixed setup cost is spread over fewer metres.
What affects HDD cost the most?
Four things: pipe diameter (it sets the rig class, crew size and fluid volumes), bore length (fixed establishment amortises over more metres), location (mobilisation and allowances versus slower metro production), and ground conditions — rock turns a routine bore into a different job and is always quoted as an extra-over.
Why do metro and regional prices differ?
Regional work carries heavier mobilisation and living-away-from-home allowances, but crews usually achieve more metres per day. Metro work mobilises cheaply but drills slower — restricted hours, congested services and tight sites cut production. Small bores are often cheaper metro; as diameter grows the slower metro production dominates and regional becomes cheaper per metre.
Does the estimate include pits, pipe supply or traffic control?
No — it’s a drill-only figure. Pipe supply, welding and stringing, entry/exit pit excavation, traffic control, rock drilling, dewatering, potholing, and approvals are all excluded and priced separately, which mirrors how HDD contractors quote in the real market.
Is this a quote I can rely on?
No. It’s a desktop guide built from WSE benchmark rates assuming normal clay/OTR ground — useful for early budgeting and sanity-checking, not for tendering or contracting. Ground conditions, access and design can move real prices materially, so always obtain firm quotations from HDD contractors before committing to a number.
Can WSE Sydney price the whole job, not just the bore?
Yes. We provide professional water, sewer, stormwater and pump station estimating across Australia — trenchless and open-cut, priced line by line with pits, pipe, welding, TC and restoration all accounted for — with submissions acknowledged within two hours during AEST business. Get in touch or call 0451 404 645.
Pricing a job with HDD in it?
A bore rate is one line in a real estimate. For water, sewer or stormwater work priced end to end — drilling, pits, pipe, welding, TC and restoration — send the drawings. Acknowledged within two hours during AEST business.