Sewer Pipe Lining vs Replacement: What’s Right for You?

The choice between sewer pipe lining and sewer line replacement comes down to four factors:

1. The length of your sewer pipe damage;
2. The existing pipe condition; 
3. The precise location of your damaged pipe section; and
4. The composition of the soil in your yard.

Trenchless sewer repair methods like cured-in-place pipe lining (CIPP lining) work best to address localized pipe damage in stable soil, and reduce project costs by minimizing excavation and labor intensity. 

Traditional pipe replacement is a better option if you're dealing with a bellied sewer line or full collapse, or have severely corroded cast iron pipes. Replacement projects cost more than trenchless lining, but also provide a more durable pipe material upon completion. 

Our Master Plumbers Steven Smith (RMP-43457) and trenchless repair specialist Willy Dayton (M-46449) guide you through each repair method, their cost, and how to decide between sewer pipe lining vs replacement.

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Side-by-Side Comparison Table

Here’s a handy chart to cover the differences between sewer lining and replacement that we’ll cover in this article:

*CIPP sewer lining lasts 50 years in ideal conditions, inside Schedule 40 PVC with minimal soil shifting. Shallow depth, aggressive tree roots and heavy loads reduce this lifespan.

The Differences Between Sewer Pipe Lining and Replacement

The primary difference between these two sewer line repair options is simple: traditional pipe replacement requires excavation, and trenchless pipe lining doesn't.

Sewer lining (also called pipe relining) is a trenchless repair method. It involves creating a new, seamless pipe within the existing damaged sewer pipe without the need for extensive digging. Instead, two small access pits are dug as entry and exit points for the process.

Sewer replacement is a traditional repair process where an open trench is mapped to expose the damaged existing line. If a portion of the pipe is compromised, it's cut out, replaced, and married to the healthy existing sections. If the old pipe is beyond repair or made of degraded clay or cast iron pipe material, a new sewer line is installed.

5 Common Sewer Problems That Force This Decision

If you’re choosing between sewer pipe replacement or pipe relining, then you’re dealing with these 5 common sewer repair issues:

1. Multiple underground sewer pipe leaks 
2. Multiple tree root intrusions
3. Heavily corroded or cracked cast iron or clay pipe 
4. Joint separation in your sewer line
5. Sewer belly

While the decision between each sewer repair method involves the four factors we mentioned in the introduction, Steven says “the choice really boils down to two things: how much of your existing buried pipe is damaged, and the budget you can allocate to fixing it.” 

How Sewer Pipe Lining (CIPP) Actually Works

Trenchless CIPP sewer lining begins with access points. Your licensed plumber hand-digs two small holes in the yard, or uses your existing exterior sewer cleanout.

A flexible fabric tube coated with epoxy resin is inserted into the access point, either by inversion or with a pull-in-place cable. It’s inflated using air or water pressure, which presses the resin-soaked fabric firmly against the interior walls of your damaged pipe.

The resin is cured with hot water or steam. This triggers a chemical reaction which hardens the liner into a new pipe within the original line.

Take a deeper dive into CIPP sewer lining: the process, materials and timeline.

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How Sewer Line Replacement Actually Works

A camera inspection maps the precise path of your existing main sewer line. An excavation crew creates access to the damaged section, and your plumbers get to work.

Partial replacement involves digging a single, localized hole to access a specific point of failure in your sewer line. Once the pipe is exposed, the plumber cuts out the damaged segment. 

A new piece of quality sewer pipe (Schedule 40 PVC or HDPE) is spliced into the existing healthy portions of the line using mechanical couplings. 

Full replacement is a total overhaul, where an open trench is dug across your yard from your home's foundation to the city connection. Your deteriorated sewer system is completely removed and hauled away.

A completely new pipeline is installed on carefully graded, compacted bedding to ensure perfect slope and gravity drainage. While the most costly option, full sewer repipes with Schedule 40 PVC reset the lifespan of your home’s sewer line to 50-100+ years.

Sewer Pipe Lining vs Replacement: Major Decision Points

Let’s compare these sewer repair options on the four factors that matter most to you:

1. Cost
2. Project Duration
3. Lifespan
4. Invasiveness

Pipe Lining vs. Replacement Cost for Residential Sewer Work

The average cost to replace sewer line damage is 10-25% more expensive than the price of trenchless sewer pipe lining.

Mother’s research team recently conducted sewer line replacement cost studies for both Dallas and Fort Worth, based on hundreds of competing bids and our own fixed-rate quotes.

For this guide, let’s compare the average costs to replace 50 feet of sewer line*:

• Trenchless sewer pipe lining: $6,500-$10,925
• Traditional sewer pipe replacement: $14,550-$15,925

*Note: Cost averages taken from our current Fort Worth sewer replacement guide. Based on 718 quotes for replacing sewer lines with trenchless and traditional methods.

How Long Does Each Repair Method Take?

“It takes 2 days to complete a CIPP sewer lining project,” Willy says. “One day for the labor, and one day for the cured liner to harden and set in place.”

Most sewer replacement projects take 3-6 days to complete. This includes time allotted for excavation and hand-dug portions, installation of the new pipe section (or entirely new sewer line), inspections and backfilling.

Expect Replacement Materials to Outlast Relining Materials

“This is where replacing your sewer line has it over trenchless relining,” Steven explains.

Mother’s preferred sewer pipe material is Schedule 40 PVC. When properly installed with riser clamps and DWV joints, it’s rated to last 50-100+ years from date of installation. We believe strongly in this material- Mother backs full sewer repipes with a 20 year warranty.

The lifespan of sewer lining material is 50 years. That’s in ideal conditions: inside relatively pristine piping, with little root intrusion and buried at greater depths than most residential sewer lines.

In more realistic conditions, expect your CIPP lining to last about 20-40 years in the backyard, under driveways or outdoor living areas (patios).

Trenchless Saves You Intrusive Excavation and Property Damage

Beyond the cost savings of reduced labor hours, trenchless sewer lining limits the headaches associated with traditional sewer pipe replacement.

No heavy excavation machinery. No tearing up your landscaping or cutting into your patio, pergola or driveway.  

Partial Relining vs. Full-Length Lining: Does the Damage Length Matter?

The length of the damaged section absolutely matters when deciding how and when to apply a trenchless CIPP liner. In Texas, it’s the difference between a quick fix and waste of money.

Here’s how our Master Plumbers evaluate partial pipe lining (spot repairs) versus full-length relining.

Spot Repairs and Relining Work Well Together

If our sewer camera inspection reveals a single, isolated problem- like one tree root intrusion or a cracked joint- in an otherwise healthy sewer line, partial relining is the perfect solution.

We insert a short, 2-4 foot epoxy liner directly over the broken pipe section. It seals the leak, stops the roots, and saves you from digging up your yard for a highly localized issue.

When Full-Length Relining Falls Short

Homeowners who have 50+ feet of deteriorating cast iron or clay pipe still want the cheaper fix. So they ask us to “just run a CIPP liner” through the entire length of the system.

This works fine in regions where the soil is incredibly stable, and where outdated sewer line materials aren’t the norm. But in North Texas, it’s a very risky proposition.

“For CIPP lining to work, the old pipe has to be a good host,” Steven explains. “Here in DFW, the black gumbo clay soil shrinks, swells and crushes the pipe around the liner.”

If you pay for a full-length liner, you are putting a 20-to-40-year patch inside a host pipe that the soil is going to destroy anyway. Once the clay soil crushes the host pipe, the liner inside it will deform, restrict flow, and eventually fail.

Sewer Relining Is All About Cost-Benefit

As the length of your damage increases, your cost-benefit edge decreases. 

If the damage is short and localized, partial pipe lining is a great budget-friendly repair. As you pass 20, 30, 50 feet of compromised pipe, it’s almost always better to skip it and invest in traditional sewer line replacement.

When Sewer Line Replacement Is the Better Choice

Sewer line replacement is the better choice when the damage is too extensive for a trenchless patch, or when the underlying pipe material is so degraded that the entire system needs a permanent structural overhaul.

Real-life customer scenarios where sewer line replacement is the better choice:

• A long section of pipe with multiple hairline cracks or root intrusions: The camera showed 60 feet of pipe that was consistently compromised, making a single spot repair impractical.
• A significant belly (sag) in a sewer pipe section: A sewer belly caused standing water and repeated clogs in a Dallas home and its backyard. This required excavating and re-laying that entire section to ensure proper slope.
• The pipe under a homeowner’s driveway was completely crushed or deteriorated: Replacing the entire segment made sense for this high-traffic area. There’s no cost benefit to making multiple penetrations or a large tunnel for multiple spot repairs.
• A sewer camera inspection revealed 50+ feet of pitted cast iron pipe. The 1960s-era home’s original cast iron sewer material suffered decades of clay soil movement and damage from wastewater acids. 

When Not to Choose Sewer Pipe Replacement

Don’t choose sewer line replacement if trenchless repairs are possible. You’ll save 10-25% on labor costs, reduce your project timeline by 1-4 days, and save a ton of landscape restoration after the fact.

If your damaged pipe section is under 10 feet, a full replacement is overkill. Even if you can’t utilize trenchless repair methods due to clay soil conditions, a partial pipe replacement (digging a single hole) is still a better option than trenching the whole yard.

When Pipe Lining Is the Better Choice

Pipe lining shines when minimizing disruption is paramount and the existing pipe has enough structural integrity to serve as a host for the new liner.

Real-life customer scenarios where pipe lining is the better choice:

• Localized sewer line damage appeared under an existing driveway. We accessed the damaged pipe section through an outdoor cleanout and inserted the liner.
• We found multiple tree root intrusions in a hard-to-reach pipe section. Instead of tearing up landscaping, we found an access point further down the sewer line to insert the pipe liner.
• The homeowner’s budget didn’t allow for replacement right now. We used CIPP lining to protect the damaged pipe for 3-5 years while the homeowners saved up for an inevitable replacement of their cast iron sewer system.

When Not to Choose Sewer Pipe Relining

Do not choose pipe lining if the damaged pipe section is completely collapsed, severely misaligned (e.g., sections are offset by a large margin), or if there are missing sections of pipe. The existing pipe must be mostly intact to serve as a host for the liner.

Highly expansive clay soil isn’t a great “living situation” for CIPP lining, especially if you have lots of mature trees on your property. The shrink/swell cycles damage the host pipe even further, deforming the relining material.

Use our comprehensive guide to learn more about when CIPP lining works, and when it doesn’t.

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Mother's Master Plumber Recommendation

“Short version,” Steven concludes. “Decent existing pipe quality, shorter run, stable soil- choose trenchless.”

“Longer pipe run or full rehabilitation, cast iron or clay pipe, start fresh and replace the sewer line.”

Hire a licensed plumber with extensive traditional and trenchless sewer experience, and the camera technology to execute a full diagnosis of your sewer line before making a decision.

Need sewer repair advice in DFW? Call Mother 24/7. Our licensed sewer specialists guide you to the right decision for your individual scenario.

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