What trenchless sewer repair costs

What drives the price

• Length and diameter. Lining and bursting are priced mostly per foot. A 40-foot lateral and a 120-foot lateral are very different jobs.
• Depth and access. A cleanout at the house makes lining a one-access job. No cleanout means one has to be installed, or the line is accessed from a vent or a pulled toilet.
• Condition. A line that jets clean and holds its shape is a straightforward liner. Heavy roots, scale or a partial collapse add cleaning time or change the method entirely.
• Branch connections. Every branch under the house has to be reinstated after lining with a robotic cutter. Count them.
• The street connection. If the downstream pit or the tap at the main is in the public way, a right-of-way permit, traffic control and restoration to city standards are part of the job.

Trenchless compared with digging

Per foot of pipe, trenchless work and an open trench are often not far apart. The difference is everything above the pipe. When the lateral runs under open lawn, digging can be the cheaper option and a good contractor will say so. When it runs under a driveway, a slab, mature landscaping or the sidewalk and street, trenchless usually costs less in total because there is nothing to put back.

Lining compared with bursting

Lining is usually the less expensive of the two on a line that qualifies for it. Bursting costs more per foot but is the only trenchless option for a collapsed, bellied or undersized line, and it can upsize the pipe. A sectional point repair for a single defect costs a fraction of either.

How to compare quotes

Ask every bidder for the camera footage and a written scope that names the method, the footage, the number of reinstated connections, the permit, and what restoration includes. Quotes that do not match on those points are not comparable. Two camera inspections are not rude; lateral work is a significant purchase.

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