For property managers & multifamily owners

Low-Disruption Under-Slab Tunneling for Multifamily & Property Management

In an occupied building the pipe is the cheap part. The expensive parts are the unit you can't rent while the floor is out, the resident you have to house somewhere else, and the flooring you buy twice. Tunneling from outside keeps the work below the slab and the tenant in place.

Get a Tunneling Quote (210) 816-0034

An access pit and tunnel opened in clay under a slab, the low-disruption route into an occupied building.

An interior-breakout repair in a leased unit costs you things that never show up on the plumber's invoice. Days of lost rent, a relocation, and a re-floor before you can lease it again. Tunneling moves the work below the slab, so the resident keeps using the unit and the flooring stays. Across a portfolio that difference compounds, because a complex full of original cast iron fails unit by unit over years, not all at once, and each of those turns is a bill you either take or avoid.

“Low-disruption under-slab tunnel access for rental and multifamily properties”“Tenant-friendly sewer and drain access for apartments and hotels”“Building-by-building cast-iron access across a complex”

When you call us

The jobs that need a tunnel.

Sewer or drain failure in an occupied unit

A line fails under a leased apartment and the tenant can't lose the floor for a week. We tunnel in from outside so the repair happens below the unit.

Relocation you have to pay for

Every relocated resident is a hotel bill and a hard conversation. Keeping the living space usable is what keeps that bill off the ledger.

Aging cast iron across a complex

A property full of original cast iron is failing building by building. We open access runs on a sequence your plumber and your budget can both absorb.

Flooring you'd be buying twice

Tear out a unit's flooring and you re-floor it before re-leasing. On most runs tunneling avoids the floor entirely.

Hotels and extended stay

Rooms out of service cost revenue every night they're dark.

What you get

How we work with you.

Occupancy sets the schedule. Digs are staged, entry points sit away from resident foot traffic, the zone is fenced and signed to OSHA practice, and backfill goes in compacted lifts so the walks and drives residents use every day don't sink later. You get a date you can put in a notice to residents, documentation filed per unit and per building, and one accountable excavation partner across the portfolio. Before you approve either method, price the interior one. Lost rent for the days the unit is down, plus the relocation, plus the flooring. Set that total next to the tunnel and the decision usually makes itself.

SCOPE OF WORK

Exterior tunnel access that keeps occupied units livable
Digs staged and scheduled around occupancy
Fenced, signed, OSHA-compliant work zones in shared areas
Backfill and compaction so walks and drives settle correctly
Documentation across units and buildings for your records

How every bore is held

Velocity, precision, OSHA, quality control, and the standards behind them.

Tunneling is the slow, risky part of a plumbing or foundation job. We run it like a discipline, not a dig.

VEL

Velocity

Hand-tunneling is the slow part of any plumbing or foundation job. We staff the bore to the schedule and hand over an open, ready trench instead of billable hours spent waiting on a shovel.

PRC

Precision

We dig to the plan. Depth, width and pitch are shot before the first spade and verified as we go, so the pipe run or the pier lands where the drawing says.

SAF

OSHA safety

Cave-in exposure is real. We work to OSHA Subpart P excavation practice: protective systems, safe access and egress, spoil set back from the edge, water and air managed, and daily competent-person inspection.

Quality control

Every bore is checked against the drawing for working width, clean floor and walls, and true pitch. Backfill goes in compacted lifts so the ground above settles right.

STD

Standards & compliance

Texas 811 is called and lines are located before we dig. We sell the access, not the licensed pipe work. Permits, locates and clean documentation come standard.

Why a foundation crew digs a better tunnel

We come out of foundation repair, and we've dug alongside plumbers for years, so we know how to dig it.

We know how a sewer line runs under a slab, where the belly usually hides, and how much room it takes to set a fitting and lie down to make a joint. So we open the bore wider at the repair, shore it, keep it dry, light it, and get out of the way. Years of watching the pipe work happen is what tells us how wide to make it.

We open the work area wider where the repair is, leaving room to set, slope, and joint
Shored, dry, and lit so the plumber works in a tunnel, not a hole
We dig it and back-fill it; your licensed plumber does the pipe work

From locate to backfill

How an under-slab tunnel runs.

Locate & plan

We call Texas 811, locate utilities, and shoot the depth, width, and pitch the repair needs before a spade hits the ground.

Open the entry

A compact entry pit goes in at the chosen point, usually outside the foundation, so the floors above stay whole.

Tunnel to the work

We hand-tunnel to the pipe run, pier location, or access point, widening the bore where the repair happens.

Shore & hand off

The bore is shored and inspected, then handed off open, dry, and workable to your licensed plumber, foundation crew, or engineer.

Backfill in lifts

Once the repair passes, we place backfill in compacted lifts so the slab, drive, or walk above settles correctly.

Clean & document

Spoil hauled, site restored, and the access and backfill documented for your file or warranty.

LICENSING & SAFE DIGGING

In Texas, plumbing repairs are regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, which issues Tradesman, Journeyman, Master, and Inspector licenses. Motmot sells under-slab tunneling and access excavation, and partners with your licensed plumber for the pipe repair. Before any dig, Texas 811 is contacted at least two business days ahead so gas, water, and utility lines are located first.

Industry FAQ

Property mgmt & multifamily tunneling, questions answered.

Can tenants stay in the unit during the work?

On most jobs, yes. We tunnel from outside and the licensed plumber works below the slab, so the living space usually stays usable. That is the whole reason property managers call about tunneling instead of taking the floor out.

How do you handle work zones around residents?

We fence and sign the dig, keep spoil set back to OSHA Subpart P practice, and place entry points away from resident foot traffic where the site allows. On an occupied property, tidiness is a safety item.

Can you handle a whole complex of failing cast iron?

Yes. We stage access building by building so your plumber re-pipes on a schedule that fits the budget and the occupancy, instead of taking the whole property down at once.

Do you restore walks, drives, and landscaping?

We backfill and compact in lifts so anything above the tunnel settles correctly, and we restore the site. For sidewalk or drive sections that had to come out for access, our concrete & flatwork crews replace them.

What should I tell residents?

The truth, and early. There will be a fenced dig outside, noise during working hours, and a plumber under the slab. The unit stays usable. Residents handle a fenced dig outside far better than a jackhammer in their bathroom, as long as nobody surprises them with it.

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