Earth drililng and boring services provide well drilling, quarry drilling and blasting, large site excavation, and related services. They often serve as subcontractors to architectural, construction, engineering, environmental, and geological services. Drilling, blasting and excavating services are staffed by drillers, excavators, geologists, and technicians who specialize in locating and designating underground utilities. Subsurface utility location is an important part of preparing a site for drilling, blasting, or excavation. Utility location services may include Level A and Level B subsurface utility designation studies, vacuum excavation services, preparing sampling sites, identifying areas of pipeline failure, and computer-aided design (CAD) work for design-build and pre-demolition studies. Specialized drilling, blasting and excavating services are also available.

Earth driling and boring services perform environmental, geotechnical, water supply, and natural resources and energy conservation services. Environmental drilling services use augers and mud-rotary drills to prepare wells for groundwater monitoring and methane recovery. They may also drill air sparge, soil vapor extraction, and recovery wells; piezometers and nested wells; and injection wells for environmental remediation. Geotechnical drilling services specialize in engineering design and construction-related projects. Engineering design encompasses soil and rock core sample collection, slope indicator installation, and marsh drilling. Construction-related projects include borehole drilling for electrical grounding. Water supply drilling services prepare shallow irrigation wells and water supply wells. Natural resources and energy conservation businesses are drilling, blasting and excavating services may specialize in geothermal energy, mine reclamation, or sand source exploration.

Earth drilling and boring services may provide complete "rock on the ground" services for quarries and mines. These blasting services mark shot holes, provide edge protection, and perform blast design and laser profiling activities. They also charge and fire the shot. Shot holes are made by a drill for exploratory purposes, or for the charge of an explosive. Edge protection is used for the safe transport of blasting caps. Blast design begins with a pre-blast face inspection and includes a comprehensive shot firing analysis. Laser profiling uses a three-dimensional (3D) scanning device such as a probe to check shot holes for accuracy. Drilling, blasting and excavating services that supply explosives and blasting accessories are also available.