For realtors & home inspectors
Under-Slab Access for Repairs Before Closing
A failed hydrostatic test or a foundation note in the inspection report doesn't have to kill a deal — but the clock is real. We dig the under-slab access fast so the repair happens inside the option period and your closing stays on the calendar.
Realtors and inspectors are usually the first to know when an under-slab problem surfaces, and the question is always the same: can this get fixed before we close? We're the access partner that makes the answer yes. We tunnel to the repair quickly, coordinate with the licensed plumber or foundation crew, and back-fill clean so the buyer's final walkthrough shows a finished property, not a job site. We give honest reads, too — handy when you need to advise a client without overselling the problem.
When you call us
The jobs that need a tunnel.
Hydrostatic test failed during the option period
The test comes back failed and the buyer wants it fixed before closing. We dig to the leak fast so the repair and re-test fit the timeline.
Inspection flags possible foundation movement
A report note spooks a buyer. We can get eyes under the slab — or a free second opinion — so the decision is based on facts, not fear.
Repair needed before funding
A lender or buyer requires the fix before closing. We open the access on a schedule that protects the funding date.
Minimizing disruption to a staged home
A listed home is staged and showing. Tunneling from outside keeps the interior presentable while the repair happens below.
A clear story for both sides
Buyers and sellers both want to know what was done. We document the access and the backfill so the file is clean.
What you get
How we work with you.
What you refer reflects on you, so we treat your clients like ours: straight answers, a schedule we keep, and a property left clean. We don't sell repairs that aren't needed — if the inspection scare is cosmetic, we'll tell your client that, which protects your relationship more than any quick job would. When a repair is real, we move fast, coordinate the licensed trade, and backfill so the buyer's walkthrough shows a finished home. Many of our best referrals come from agents and inspectors for exactly this reason.
SCOPE OF WORK
- Access dug on a schedule that protects the closing date
- Coordination with the licensed plumber or foundation crew
- Honest read on whether a flagged issue is structural or cosmetic
- Clean backfill and restoration before final walkthrough
- Documentation for the transaction file
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.
Velocity
Hand-tunneling is the slow part of a plumbing or foundation job. We staff the bore to the schedule, dig in clean shifts, and hand the plumber an open, ready trench so their billable hours aren't spent waiting on a shovel.
Precision
We dig to the plan — depth, width, and pitch shot before the first spade, then verified as we go. The pipe run, the pier location, or the engineer's access point lands where the drawing says it should, the first time.
OSHA safety
Tunneling and trenching carry real cave-in exposure. 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: width to work in, clean floor and walls, true pitch, and a documented hand-off. Backfill is placed and compacted in lifts so the ground — and anything on it — settles right.
Standards & compliance
Texas 811 is called and lines are located before we dig. We sell the access, not the licensed pipe work — your plumber stays the plumber. 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 under a slab actually runs, where the belly usually hides, and how much room a plumber needs to set a fitting, swing a saw, and lie comfortably to make a joint. We open the work area wider where the repair is, shore it, keep it dry, and light it — then get out of the way. The plumber shows up to a tunnel they can work in, not a hole they have to fight. That's the difference between a bore dug by people who've only moved dirt and one dug by a foundation crew who has watched the pipe work happen a hundred times.
- We open the work area wider where the repair is — 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 to your licensed plumber, foundation crew, or engineer — open, dry, and workable.
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 — Tradesman, Journeyman, Master, and Inspector licenses. Motmot sells under-slab tunneling and access excavation; we partner with your licensed plumber for the pipe repair itself. And before any dig, Texas 811 is contacted at least two business days ahead so gas, water, and utility lines are located first.
Industry FAQ
Realtors & inspectors tunneling — questions answered.
From real jobs
What this access looks like on real jobs.
Tunneling for other industries
Plumbing companies
Under-slab tunneling for plumbers.
See plumbing companies tunneling →Foundation repair
Foundation repair tunneling.
See foundation repair tunneling →Structural engineers
Engineer-access excavation for under-slab evaluations.
See structural engineers tunneling →GCs & remodelers
Under-slab access for remodel plumbing.
See gcs & remodelers tunneling →Property mgmt & multifamily
Low-disruption under-slab tunnel access for rental and multifamily properties.
See property mgmt & multifamily tunneling →Investors & flippers
Pre-sale and investor property tunneling for plumbing/foundation access.
See investors & flippers tunneling →Restoration & insurance
Access excavation for slab leak and water-damage repairs.
See restoration & insurance tunneling →Commercial facilities
Commercial under-slab tunneling for plumbing and structural access.
See commercial facilities tunneling →Backfill & cleanup
Tunnel backfill and cleanup.
See backfill & cleanup tunneling →Need under-slab access? Tell us the run.
We'll scope the tunnel, dig it to plan, shore it, and back-fill it clean — so your licensed repair goes in smoothly and the floors above stay whole.
Now booking free inspections in Central Texas.