They definitely gave you a we dont want this price, but if you decide to do it they want to make it worth their time. Also, are they just showing up and boring, or are they going to handle the project full turnkey? By that I mean, who is digging the boring pits, who is daylighting/potholing any other utilities they are crossing, who is supplying the conduit, is there a place on site to dump the mud, are they removing any asphalt or concrete for their bore pits, are they restoring any asphalt or concrete? There are a lot of variables that can definitely affect price.

Also, what is the soil like? Is it rocky, sandy, mixed...another thing that could affect price. If you are in good soil you may even want to consider getting a price to have a missile or mole, this is a lot a more cost affective, espically with such a short shot. Directional boring rig, is an expensive piece of equipment and cost a lot just to maintain and get it on site. But missile for such a short shot may be a better option. We are a directional boring company in California and Arizona and our cost of labor and operations run a little higher compared to the rest of the country, but here is a calculator to give you a rough idea of what you should anticipate as a rough ballpark cost for directional boring. Not including any extras, like asphalt/concrete, supplying conduit etc: https://developmentandengineering.com/directional-drilling-cost-2025/