Horizontal directional drilling · shot planning

HDD Pitch Planner

Walk the bore with your phone to get ground elevations, then get the pitch to set on every rod so you land at depth and clear every utility.

The shot

Distance is measured flat along the ground from the entry. Depths are below ground. Minimum cover is the shallowest the bore may run once it's down, from the job spec.

Ground shots
Out (ft)Elev (ft)

Use any elevation datum, as long as every shot uses the same one. The Walk tab fills these in from your phone.

Utility crossings

Depth is to the top of the utility, from potholing or as-builts. Clearance is the minimum separation the owner requires.

Steering

Entry pitch is the rig angle as the locator reads it. 16 and −16 both mean 16% down. Pitch at target of 0 means level.

Example shot: a 150 ft road crossing with a ditch, an electric line and a water main. Replace the numbers with yours.

Checks cover and every crossing

    Profile vertical scale exaggerated

    Bore pathGroundMinimum coverUtility clearance

    Rod sheet depth is what the locator should read at the end of each rod

    RodPhasePitchOut (ft)Depth (ft)Bit elevCrossing