Trenchless or digging? Here's how to tell.
Both fix sewers. Only one is right for your pipe. Here's the honest breakdown — what lining can and can't do, when digging is unavoidable, and how to spot a salesman pushing the wrong one before you sign anything.
What you'll need
Before anyone quotes you:
- A camera inspection — non-negotiable; no footage, no quote
- The actual footage — get the recording, it's yours
- The diagnosis in writing — what they found, in plain words
- A second opinion — always smart on a five-figure number
Decide in 3 steps.
The footage decides — not the salesman. Work it in this order.
Camera inspection first
No footage, no quote — that's the rule. Anyone pricing a sewer replacement without looking inside the pipe is guessing, and guesses on five-figure jobs are expensive. Get the recording. It's yours, and a second opinion on a big number is never wasted money. Start with what the footage means so you can read it yourself.
Learn what you're looking at
Lining candidate: cracks and root intrusion with the pipe still round and holding its shape. That's exactly what Perma-Liner CIPP was made for — a new jointless pipe inside the old one. Dig job: collapsed sections, severe bellies holding standing water, or pipe running uphill (back-pitch). Lining can't fix grade — it just gives you a smooth pipe that still holds water.
Price the whole job
Trenchless often wins all-in because there's no concrete, driveway, or landscaping to restore — but "often" isn't "always." Get both numbers as finished totals: pipe plus restoration, permits, everything. Then compare. And get flat-rate quotes in writing — never hourly on a job this size.
The truth about trenchless.
It's excellent technology — when it's the right tool. Here's where the sales pitches go sideways.
Lining can't fix a collapse
CIPP creates a new pipe inside the old one — which means the old pipe has to be there, round, and holding shape. If it's collapsed or ovalled flat, there's nothing to line. A salesman pushing lining on a collapsed pipe isn't diagnosing, he's selling. Walk away.
Some pipes must be dug
Severe bellies that hold water and back-pitched pipe need re-grading — the pipe has to come out and go back in at the right slope. That's a dig, and it's the only real fix. Anyone who tells you lining fixes grade is selling you a smooth belly that still holds water.
All-in cost is what matters
Trenchless can look pricier per foot — until you add driveway, concrete, and landscaping restoration to the dig quote. We've seen "cheaper" dig jobs end up thousands more once the yard is put back together. Finished total vs. finished total, every time.
When to call us.
Bring us the footage — or let us shoot it:
You have footage and a big quote
Bring us the recording and the quote. We'll give you a straight second opinion — lining candidate or dig job — with flat-rate pricing in writing. No pressure, no same-day-signing games.
Recurring mainline clogs
Camera first, always. The footage decides the fix — and if it's roots in sound pipe, hydro jetting plus lining may solve it without a single shovel of dirt. We camera before and after every jetting job.
You were told "it has to be dug"
Maybe it does. But lining candidates get misdiagnosed in both directions — some dig quotes should have been linings, and some lining quotes should have been digs. Verify before you sign. It costs you one phone call.
Trenchless vs. digging FAQ
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
How long does trenchless sewer lining last?
A CIPP liner like Perma-Liner creates a new structural pipe inside the old one, rated for 50 years. It's jointless, so roots have nowhere to get back in — which is usually what killed the original pipe.
Is trenchless always cheaper than digging?
Not always per foot — but often cheaper all-in, because digging means restoring everything above the pipe: concrete, driveway, landscaping, sometimes a patio. Compare finished totals, not per-foot pipe prices.
Can you line a pipe that has roots in it?
Yes — roots in a structurally sound pipe are a classic lining case. We hydro jet the line first to clear the roots, camera before and after so you see the proof, then line the clean, round pipe.
How do I know my pipe isn't collapsed?
Only the camera tells you for certain. That's why we never quote a sewer replacement without footage — and why you shouldn't accept a quote from anyone else without it either. Call (818) 669-9019 and we'll take a look.
Get the footage. Then decide.
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