Concrete Core Drilling
We drill holes of all diameters and depths through any concrete structure.
Asphalt Coring
Asphalt Coring is specifically used for installing airport runway lights, light pole bases, soil and asphalt sampling, utility locating in conjunction with vacuum excavation, rebuilding catch basins entry points, and rebuilding manhole openings.
Concrete Vertical Core Drilling
Specialized equipment for mechanical installations, drains, tie-ins, anchors, and aggregate analysis.
Horizontal Core Drilling
We have 3 different sized electric drills and 2 different sized hydraulic drills to drill horizontal holes up to 60” in diameter through walls made of concrete, block, brick or some combination of those substrates
Expert Core Drilling for Precise Openings
Ohio Concrete’s first job was a simple core hole in a wall over 40 years ago. Prior to the invention of the barrel style core bit, field guys, usually an apprentice would us a star bit and hammer and primitively “jackhammer” a hole.
Core drill bits are available in diameters from ½" up to 60". (Ohio Concrete has drilled holes up to 120' deep), for plumbing, duct work, structural, and electrical installations. Material such as concrete block, concrete, asphalt, brick, and steel can all be core-drilled.
Concrete core drilling is used for creating circular openings for plumbing, as well as for structural and electrical installations.
Core drilling is typically completed using a wet process. If water is an issue, smaller holes can be completed using dry coring. If a special angle is required, core rigs can be configured to accurately achieve desired openings. Extreme depths can also be achieved.
Concrete core drilling is designed to remove the perimeter of the hole, an annulus of material rather than an entire cylinder of the material being drilled. The material left inside the drill bit is referred to as the core or the slug.
Concrete line drilling is an effective method for removing any thickness of concrete when other methods cannot be applied. This method has been used less frequently by the invention of other cutting tools such as the wire saw and the diamond chain saw. Core holes are drilled in a series of overlapping holes around the perimeter of the desired area to be removed. This only becomes necessary if the concrete is too thick or if space restrictions don't allow the other specialty tools. This process leaves scallops in the opening. This may or may be acceptable for the construction process. The opening perimeter can be formed and poured back to make a clean opening.
Core drilling may seem like a simplistic process and activity, but there are a variety of options to consider, from the type of diamond to the speed of the drill. However, our company has drilled hundreds of thousands of holes in 30-plus years, and we have the knowledge to get your job done quickly. Whether you need one hole or 10,000 holes, give us a call today. When calling for a price, be sure to note the thickness of the material, material type, the diameter of the hole, and the quantity of holes.
Typical applications include:
- Floor drains
- Sewer drains
- Sewer tie-ins
- HVAC openings
- Phone, electrical, cable, and fiber optic openings
- Handrail and anchor holes
- Aggregate analysis
- Conduit or Pipes
- Round Vents
Asphalt Coring is specifically used for installing airport runway lights, light pole bases, soil and asphalt sampling, utility locating in conjunction with vacuum excavation, rebuilding catch basins entry points, and rebuilding manhole openings.
Concrete walls and Concrete block walls can be cored utilizing a post. There will be a small anchor installed to hold the drilling post. For block holes, we still have to drill a small hole and use a bolt the goes all the way through the wall to safely hold the drill post. If you have a couple of small holes that cannot have any additional holes created or patched, then it is possible to complete using a hand held core drill.
If you are looking for holes for the purpose of anchoring, please see the anchoring page under specialty services.
Call today for pricing just have the diameter of the hole in inches, depth of hole, material being covered and whether it is a floor or wall.
Our Core Drilling Process:
Diamond-tipped core bits: Specialized hollow bits bore into concrete, cutting only the annular perimeter and producing a solid core.
Wet or dry coring: Water-cooled (wet) drilling is standard for dust control, though we can dry-core smaller holes when water is restricted.
Precise circular holes: Cores range from under an inch to 60″ in diameter, with surrounding concrete left intact.
Flexible orientation: Core rigs configure for vertical, horizontal, or angled drilling to meet design requirements.
Core Drilling Capabilities
We have the capacity to core any concrete element on your project—walls, slabs, columns, beams, and decks (above or below grade). We drill through all concrete types: normal or reinforced concrete, concrete block, brick, asphalt, or even structural steel.
Our machines range from small handheld drills to large hydraulic rigs, covering hole diameters from 1″ to 60″. We routinely drill floors and walls of any thickness, and we've successfully cored holes over 120 ft deep when needed. Projects may call for just one or two penetrations, or thousands of holes on large commercial builds—our crews handle them all.
Our Capabilities:
Any structure: Cores through concrete floors/slabs, walls, beams, columns, and bridge decks.
All materials: Reinforced or post-tensioned concrete, masonry block, brick, asphalt, or steel—we have the right bit.
Hole size: Diameters from 1″ up to 60″. Our truck-mounted rigs carry large bits for high-volume jobs.
Depth capability: Core holes up to 200 ft deep with hydraulic machines.
Volume: One hole or one thousand—we scale to your project size (we've handled projects with up to 10,000 individual cores).
Safety & Precision Matters
Safety and precision are non-negotiable. We always perform utility and rebar locating before drilling begins. Our ground-penetrating radar (GPR) service scans the slab or soil to map hidden conduits, plumbing lines, post-tension cables, and rebar. This detection lets us avoid conflicts and prevents costly damage. In Ohio, we follow the 48-hour 811 (OUPS) one-call rule for all exterior excavation or penetrations.
During drilling, we use wet coring: water feeds to the bit to cool it and capture concrete dust as slurry. This slurry is collected and removed rather than left on the floor, keeping the work area clean. These practices—subsurface scanning, wet dust control, and regulated slurry disposal—ensure a safe, compliant worksite with minimal disruption.
Safety First:
Utility locating: We use GPR to mark any hidden wires, pipes, or reinforcement before cutting.
Ohio 811 compliance: We notify Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS) for exterior work (48-hour notice as required).
Wet drilling: Water-cooled drilling reduces dust; slurry is vacuumed or contained for proper disposal.
Experienced operators: Our crew is trained in OSHA safety standards and works carefully around existing structures and reinforcements.
Request a Core Drilling Estimate
Ready to get started? Contact us with your project details: location, concrete type/thickness, and desired hole sizes and quantities. Our team will quickly review the scope and coordinate any needed utility clearance. We pride ourselves on fast turnaround—most quote requests are handled within 72 hours.
Getting Started Is Easy:
Call or email us with your project info (address, hole diameters, depths).
We'll develop a drilling plan and schedule, addressing any safety clearances needed.
You'll receive a detailed estimate promptly—typically within 3 days.
Let Ohio Concrete Sawing & Drilling be your trusted core drilling contractor. We combine over four decades of experience with state-of-the-art equipment to deliver fast, precise, and safe concrete penetrations for plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more.
Contact us today for an estimate on your core drilling project!
Featured Projects
Outer Concrete Coring Through Seawall
Large Diameter Concrete Coring of Precast Pipe
Special Application Concrete Core Drilling
Special Application Concrete Core Drilling
Concrete Horizontal Core Drilling
Ohio Concrete’s first job was a simple core hole in a wall over 40 years ago. Prior to the invention of the barrel style core bit, field guys, usually an apprentice would us a star bit and hammer and primitively “jackhammer” a hole.
Today, we have 3 different sizes of electric drills and 2 different sized hydraulic drills to drill horizontal holes up to 60” in diameter through walls made of concrete, block, brick or some combination of those substrates. Depending on the size and location, we have the right drill to make that hole. Call us and let us know whether the hole is for conduit or plumbing and what that outer diameter is and we will facilitate the size. We always carry sizes up to 12” on our trucks but we have an assortment that we acquired over the last 40 years of random diameters.
As for depth of the hole most walls are anywhere from 8” to 18” usually, but we do get requests for horizontal holes that need to connect to basins or need to be on a strange angle. We can accommodate just about any request if the space is available. We have drilled holes 200’ deep and we have drill horizontal holes at least 12’. Although vertical is easier since gravity is helping, horizontal can be executing with proper planning and tooling.
So look no further than Ohio Concrete Sawing and Drilling for your horizontal holes through concrete brick, block and stone nearby.
Click HERE for a free online estimate. Let us be your nearby concrete cutter company to call!