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Home / Industries / Wet utilities & directional drilling

Wet underground utility & directional drilling insurance

Wet utility and directional drilling contractors work blind. Utility strikes, frac-outs, trench collapse and settlement claims are part of the job, and many standard policies quietly exclude them through explosion, collapse and underground (XCU) exclusions.

Horizontal directional drilling rig installing utility pipe

Our approach

We place HDD contractor insurance and underground utility contractor insurance with carriers that cover underground work properly, and we schedule your drill rigs, vacuum excavators and tooling at their real replacement cost.

Exposures we plan around

  • Striking buried gas, fiber, power and water lines
  • Trench collapse and excavation injuries
  • Frac-outs and drilling fluid releases
  • Settlement and subsidence damage to nearby property
  • Theft or damage to drill rigs, vac trucks and tooling

Coverage in a typical program

General liabilityNo XCU or underground exclusions
Contractors pollutionDrilling fluid, fuel and sewage releases
Contractors equipmentDrill rigs, tooling, vac excavators
Commercial autoCrew trucks, haulers and pipe trailers
Workers' compensationFor field and excavation crews
Umbrella & excessLimits for utility and municipal contracts

Frequently asked questions

What is an XCU exclusion and why does it matter?

XCU stands for explosion, collapse and underground. A policy with an XCU exclusion can deny claims from utility strikes, cave-ins or settlement, which are the core risks of underground work. We look for policies without it.

Does my policy cover a frac-out?

Often not under general liability alone, because drilling fluid releases can fall under the pollution exclusion. Contractors pollution liability is built for this.

Are utility strikes covered if the line was mismarked?

Damage you cause to third-party utilities is generally a general liability claim. Documenting 811 locate tickets and potholing helps you defend claims and recover costs when markings were wrong.

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