Trenchless crews vs. open cut, who's really winning the cost debate?

Had a chat with a city inspector in Dayton last Thursday. He said he's seeing more jobs go to trenchless boring because the road repair costs get pushed back on the contractor. But the HDD rental and mud cleanup ate my lunch on a 200 foot run last month, ended up 30% over my bid. He countered that open cut still ruins driveways and takes 3 days of lane closures. I'm not sold either way. What are you guys billing per foot on residential reconnects these days, and does anyone factor in restoration time when quoting?

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ryan_flores6d ago

Drove past a job last fall where the open cut crew hit a gas line on day two and the whole block smelled like a barbecue for a week. City inspector was standing right there taking notes on his clipboard too. That said, I did a 150 footer with HDD back in August and the mud pit overflowed into a lady's flower bed, cost me a hundred bucks in apology plants and a handshake that felt like a lawsuit. Restoration time is a coin flip either way, but I always add a half day to my bid just for the cleanup surprises nobody talks about.