The trenchless equipment behind our no-dig work — Bay Area
We've put real money into the machinery that makes "damage-free" mean something: a Ditch Witch JT20 directional drill for boring new sewer and water lines underground, and Picote Group pipe-rehabilitation tools for renewing old lines from the inside. The payoff for you — new or repaired lines without trenching your lawn, your driveway, or your floors.
We bore the new line underground — so the trench never happens
A Ditch Witch JT20 Tier 4 directional drill is a compact horizontal-directional-drilling (HDD) rig — the same approach utilities use to run pipe and cable under streets and rivers. We steer a drill head along a planned path beneath your property, then pull the new sewer or water line back through the bore. A whole new lateral can go in through two small access pits instead of an open trench down the yard — less digging, less to restore, and we can run lines under driveways, sidewalks, mature landscaping and hardscape that would be a nightmare to excavate.
- A new line through two small pitsNot a trench down the whole yard — in, out, and back to normal.
- A steerable underground pathWe route around trees, hardscape and other utilities instead of through them.
- Tier 4 clean-diesel engine, compact buildPowerful enough for the work, small enough for tight residential lots.
- Backed by our damage-free guaranteeLandscaping, asphalt, concrete and foundation are protected — in writing.
The Ditch Witch JT20, up close
This is the directional drill we run on no-dig sewer and water line jobs across the Bay Area — Ditch Witch's own walkthrough of the machine.
"The Ditch Witch JT20: The Best Just Got Better" — video by Ditch Witch.
When the pipe's still there, we renew it from the inside
Not every line needs replacing. With Picote Group equipment — Picote Millers, cleaning chains, brush-coating pumps and CIPP liners — we can clean, descale, cut out roots and old liners, and reline a damaged drain or sewer in place. The existing pipe becomes the host for a new structural liner or epoxy coating; nothing comes out of the ground. Picote's gear handles everything from a kitchen branch line down to the city sewer, often in a single visit — and you stay in your home the whole time.
- Descale, root-cut and cleanPicote Millers and cleaning chains scour out scale, roots and old liners.
- Reline a damaged pipe from the insideBrush-coating or CIPP lining renews the pipe with no excavation.
- Lateral cutters reopen branch linesAfter lining, connections are reinstated cleanly — no guesswork.
- From rooftop vent to city sewerHandled in place — often in a day, with you staying in the house.
Less digging. Less mess. Less to put back.
The reason we invest in this gear isn't to show off — it's so your job costs less to restore and disrupts your home less. Here's what trenchless equipment actually changes.
Your yard stays your yard
Lawn, garden beds and mature plantings stay put — protected by our damage-free guarantee.
Driveways, walks & floors intact
We work under hardscape, not through it — no jackhammering the driveway or the slab.
Faster, less disruptive jobs
Two small pits beats days of open trench — in, done, and out of your way sooner.
Lower restoration cost
Less concrete, asphalt and landscaping to tear out and replace — that's real money back in your pocket.
Repaired in place where it makes sense
If the pipe's still sound, we clean and reline it with Picote tools instead of replacing it.
You stay in your home
Most rehab work doesn't shut the house down — you keep living there while we work.
No-dig work, in their own words
Travis and the whole crew at Smelly Mel's are the best. They replaced my lateral sewer line — no mess, you could hardly tell anything had changed in my front yard. I'll certainly use Smelly Mel's next time I need a plumber.
They repaired my new home's sewer lateral per the Pacifica ordinance for new homebuyers. Great experience — very professional, fast, and the price slightly beat four other estimates, including the cost of the permit, materials and labor.
Used them again to unplug a sink, which turned into unplugging a main sewer line. They came prepared with all kinds of gear for chewing up the stuff in the line. No mess in my house, no mess at all — pretty much as white-glove as you can get when you're dealing with pipes.
Let's solve it — without the dig.
Whether it's a failed lateral that needs a fresh line bored in, or an old pipe that just needs cleaning and relining, we've got the equipment to do it the no-dig way. A real person answers 24/7, and every job comes with a free, written, itemized estimate.