The Complete Guide to Trenchless Sewer Replacement

By Brian on December 15, 2025

Why Trenchless Sewer Replacement is Changing How Homeowners Fix Their Pipes

Trenchless sewer replacement is a modern, no-dig method for repairing or replacing underground sewer lines. Instead of digging a destructive trench, technicians use one or two small access points to fix the pipe from the inside, preserving your yard, driveway, and landscaping.

Quick Answer: What You Need to Know

What it is: A no-dig method to replace damaged sewer pipes using small access points.
Two main methods: Pipe bursting (pulls a new pipe through the old one) and CIPP lining (creates a new pipe inside the existing one).
Average cost: $60-$250 per linear foot, depending on the method and site conditions.
Time required: Most projects are completed in a single day (3-6 hours for smaller jobs).
Lifespan: 50-100 years for properly installed systems.
Best for: Pipes under landscaping, driveways, or structures where excavation would be costly.

In Northern California, the sewer line from your home to the street is your responsibility. When it cracks, suffers root intrusion, or leaks, you have a serious problem.

For decades, the only solution was digging a deep trench along the entire sewer line. This meant destroyed lawns, torn-up driveways, and thousands in restoration costs on top of the pipe repair. Trenchless technology changes everything. Used since the 1970s, it has become a reliable method that often costs less overall than traditional excavation when you factor in restoration expenses.

Most trenchless repairs are completed in 24 hours or less, and the new materials—high-density polyethylene pipes or epoxy resin liners—resist corrosion, block roots, and come with warranties of up to 50 years.

However, trenchless isn’t always the right answer. Severely collapsed pipes or lines with improper slope may still require traditional excavation. A professional camera inspection is the essential first step to determine the best solution.

Understanding Trenchless vs. Traditional Sewer Repair

Traditionally, a broken sewer line meant a massive trench dug by heavy machinery across your property. This destroyed lawns, driveways, and patios, leading to weeks of work and thousands in restoration costs on top of the plumbing bill.

Trenchless sewer replacement avoids this destruction. Technicians create just one or two small access points—usually about three feet wide—and work inside the existing pipe. This fundamental difference keeps your property intact and minimizes disruption to your life. As NASSCO’s Trenchless Technology Overview explains, this approach allows pipes to be replaced while staying in place, preserving your yard and daily routine.

The Key Advantages of Going Trenchless

Choosing trenchless sewer replacement means protecting your property, saving time, and investing in a durable solution.

Your property stays intact. We can repair a sewer line running directly under mature trees, patios, and gardens without harming them.
The job gets done fast. Most trenchless projects are completed in a single day, with smaller repairs taking just three to six hours. You wake up with a problem and have it fixed by dinner.
You save money overall. While the upfront cost can be similar to digging, you avoid thousands in restoration costs for your lawn, driveway, and landscaping. This makes trenchless the more affordable option in total.
It’s better for the environment. Less excavation means less fuel burned and a smaller carbon footprint. The old pipe is often left in the ground, reducing landfill waste.
The results last for generations. The materials we use, like high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes and epoxy resin liners, are engineered to last 50 to 100 years. They are corrosion-proof and block root intrusion.

Potential Limitations and Drawbacks

Trenchless sewer replacement is a powerful tool, but it’s not suitable for every situation. Honesty is key, and some problems still require traditional excavation.

Severely collapsed pipes: If a pipe is completely caved in, there is no path for our equipment to travel through. A camera inspection will confirm the pipe’s condition.
Bad slopes (“back-pitch”): Trenchless methods repair a pipe but cannot fix its slope. If your pipe doesn’t drain properly due to gravity, we must excavate to re-grade it.
Not every plumber is qualified: This work requires specialized training and expensive equipment. A suspiciously cheap quote may indicate a lack of proper expertise. At Go Pro Plumbing, we’ve invested in the technology and training to do the job right.
Upfront cost comparison: A trenchless quote may seem higher than a simple digging quote, but it’s crucial to compare the total project cost, including the thousands you’ll save by not having to restore your property.

The Two Main Types of Trenchless Sewer Replacement

Trenchless sewer replacement primarily uses two methods: pipe bursting and Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) lining. After a camera inspection, our technicians will recommend the best approach for your specific situation. Both methods use small access points and create a seamless, long-lasting pipe that can last 50 to 100 years.

Pipe bursting replaces your old pipe by fracturing it and pulling a new, larger-diameter HDPE pipe into its place. It’s ideal for severely damaged or undersized pipes.
CIPP lining creates a new pipe inside your existing one by inserting a resin-saturated liner and curing it. It’s perfect for fixing cracks, leaks, and root intrusion in pipes that are still structurally intact.

We use high-quality HDPE for pipe bursting and epoxy resin for CIPP to ensure your repair lasts for decades.

Pipe Bursting: Replacing the Old with the New

Pipe bursting pushes your old, crumbling sewer pipe out of the way while simultaneously sliding a brand new one into its place—all without a trench.

The process starts with two small access points. We insert a cone-shaped bursting head attached to a new HDPE pipe into one end. As a winch pulls the head through, it fractures the old pipe and pushes the fragments into the soil, pulling the new pipe directly into the created space.

The new HDPE pipe is flexible, corrosion-proof, and impenetrable to roots. Unlike old pipes with joints every few feet, HDPE is seamless, eliminating weak spots. A key benefit of pipe bursting is the ability to install a larger pipe than the original, improving flow capacity for your home. This method is highly effective for severely deteriorated or crushed pipes, as noted in municipal applications like those detailed in More on Pipe Bursting.

Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) Lining: A Pipe Within a Pipe

CIPP lining creates a new, structural pipe directly inside your old one. It’s like giving the old pipe a brand-new interior that’s stronger than the original.

The process begins by saturating a flexible felt or fiberglass liner with a special epoxy resin. We insert this liner into your existing pipe from a small access point, using air pressure to press it against the inner walls. Once in place, we cure the resin using hot water, steam, or UV light. At Go Pro Plumbing, we often prefer UV curing for its speed and control. The curing process takes about five hours, changing the resin into a rock-solid, seamless pipe.

The result is a jointless pipe that is incredibly strong, corrosion-resistant, and smooth enough to block root intrusion. It seals cracks and leaks permanently. CIPP is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an effective rehabilitation method, as detailed in their EPA Fact Sheet on Trenchless Rehabilitation.

While the liner reduces the pipe’s diameter by about a quarter-inch, the new, smoother surface often improves flow, so the change is rarely noticeable.

Is Trenchless Repair the Right Solution for Your Home?

To determine if trenchless sewer replacement is right for you, we always start with a comprehensive video camera inspection. This allows us to see the exact condition of your pipes—whether they’re old cast iron, fragile clay, or modern PVC—and accurately diagnose the problem. We look for specific issues like root intrusion, cracks and leaks, and offset joints to recommend the best fix.

Trenchless methods work with most pipe materials and can solve a wide range of problems, but we won’t know for sure until we’ve had a look inside.

When Trenchless is the Ideal Choice

Trenchless sewer replacement is the perfect option in several common scenarios:

Your pipe is under valuable landscaping, such as mature trees, flowerbeds, or a well-kept lawn. Trenchless methods preserve your hard work.
Your pipe runs beneath a driveway, patio, or other hardscaping. This saves you thousands in demolition and reconstruction costs.
You have aging but structurally sound pipes with recurring issues like minor cracks or root problems. Lining can give them a new life of 50-100 years.
You need a fast repair and can’t afford the disruption of a week-long construction project. Most trenchless jobs are done in a single day.

Our team has helped countless homeowners in San Francisco and Northern California with these exact challenges. Learn more at our page on Trenchless Sewer Lateral Line Replacement Services.

When Traditional Repair Might Be Necessary

We believe in honesty, and sometimes traditional excavation is the better choice. We will always recommend the right solution for your specific problem.

Completely collapsed lines: If the pipe has caved in, there is no path for trenchless equipment to pass through. Excavation is needed to remove the blockage.
Severely misaligned pipes: If pipe sections have shifted too dramatically, our equipment cannot steer the offsets. We must dig to physically realign the pipe.
Back-pitched pipes (improper slope): A pipe with a “belly” where waste collects cannot be fixed with trenchless methods. The pipe’s grade can only be corrected by excavating and re-laying it properly.
Extensive damage to surrounding utilities: If the broken sewer line has damaged nearby water, gas, or electrical lines, an open trench may be required to safely repair everything at once.

The Trenchless Process, Cost, and Lifespan

Understanding the trenchless sewer replacement process, cost, and lifespan can help you make an informed decision for your property.

A Step-by-Step Guide to a Trenchless Project

Here’s what to expect when you schedule a trenchless sewer replacement with Go Pro Plumbing:

Camera Inspection: We use a high-resolution camera to diagnose the problem and confirm if trenchless is a viable solution.
Pipe Cleaning: We use powerful hydro-jetting and descaling tools to thoroughly clean the pipe of all debris and roots.
Creating Access Points: We dig one or two small holes to access the pipe, avoiding the need for a large, destructive trench.
Installation: Depending on the method, we either pull a new HDPE pipe through the old one (pipe bursting) or insert and cure a resin-soaked liner inside the existing pipe (CIPP lining).
Curing and Final Inspection: The new pipe or liner is cured until solid, and we perform a final camera inspection to ensure a perfect, seamless result.

Understanding the Cost of Trenchless Sewer Replacement

The cost of trenchless sewer replacement in Northern California typically ranges from $60 to $250 per linear foot, with an average around $155 per linear foot.

Several factors influence the final price:

Method: Pipe bursting generally costs more than CIPP lining.
Pipe Condition: Severely damaged pipes may require more prep work.
Pipe Size & Length: Larger and longer pipes require more material and labor.
Site Conditions: Difficult access or rocky soil can increase the cost.

Crucially, trenchless sewer replacement often costs less overall than traditional digging because you avoid thousands of dollars in restoration costs for your lawn, driveway, or patio. When comparing quotes, always consider the total expense. For more on related costs, see our guide on Trenchless Water Line Replacement Cost.

Durability and Lifespan of a Trenchless Sewer Replacement

When you invest in trenchless sewer replacement, you are investing in a solution designed to last 50 to 100 years. The materials used are engineered for extreme durability.

HDPE (for pipe bursting) and epoxy resin (for CIPP lining) are completely resistant to corrosion and will not deteriorate over time like cast iron or clay.
The jointless design of a trenchless repair creates a single, continuous pipe, eliminating the weak spots where roots typically invade and leaks form.
Root intrusion is permanently prevented because the smooth, impenetrable surface gives roots nothing to grip onto.

This repair is likely the last time you’ll ever have to worry about your main sewer line.

Frequently Asked Questions about Trenchless Sewer Replacement

Facing a sewer line issue brings up many questions. Here are answers to the most common ones we hear from Northern California homeowners about trenchless sewer replacement.

How long does a trenchless repair take?

Trenchless sewer replacement is remarkably fast. Most projects are completed in a single day. Smaller jobs, particularly CIPP lining, can take as little as three to six hours from start to finish. This is a significant advantage over traditional methods that can drag on for a week or more, with minimal disruption to your home’s water use during the process.

Is the new pipe smaller than the old one?

This depends on the method used.

With CIPP lining, the new pipe is formed inside the old one, reducing the diameter by about a quarter-inch. However, the new pipe’s smooth surface often improves flow, so this change has a negligible effect.
With pipe bursting, we can match the original pipe’s diameter exactly or even install a larger one if needed to increase flow capacity.

In either case, your sewer line’s performance will be excellent.

Do I need a special permit for trenchless sewer work?

Yes, most municipalities in Northern California require permits for any work on the sewer lateral that connects to the city’s main system. However, you don’t have to worry about this. As part of our service, Go Pro Plumbing handles all necessary permitting and coordinates all required inspections with local authorities, ensuring your project is fully compliant and giving you complete peace of mind.

Conclusion: Secure Your Property with a Smarter Repair

You now know that trenchless sewer replacement is a smarter, more efficient way to solve one of a homeowner’s most stressful problems. It avoids the destruction, high restoration costs, and lengthy disruption of traditional excavation while delivering a permanent solution.

By choosing trenchless, you are preserving your landscaping and hardscaping. You are also investing in a repair built to last 50 to 100 years, resistant to the corrosion and root intrusion that plagued your old pipe. Most projects are completed in a single day, giving you peace of mind without the chaos.

At Go Pro Plumbing, we have invested in the specialized training and state-of-the-art equipment needed to perform these advanced repairs correctly. We serve homeowners throughout Northern California, from Rancho Cordova to Sacramento, with a commitment to outstanding customer service. We always start with a camera inspection to recommend the solution that is truly right for your home.

Your property deserves a permanent solution that respects your home and your time. That is what trenchless sewer replacement delivers.

Ready to move forward with confidence? Schedule Your Trenchless Sewer Replacement Service with Go Pro Plumbing today and secure your property with a smarter repair.