How affordable is trenchless pipe repair vs traditional repair?

pipe bursting

Whether you’re spending a day at the Motown Museum in Detroit or shopping at the Somerset Collection Mall in Troy, the last thing you want to come home to is a plumbing or sewer problem.  Fortunately, the local experts at Hoover Electric, Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling can help you determine the method of repair best suited to your needs and budget.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to trenchless pipe repair costs versus traditional pipe repair costs. Read on to learn the differences between each option and their costs so you can decide which is best for your home.

Understanding Trenchless Pipe Repair

All homeowners know that owning a home comes with its share of unplanned expenses, and a sewer line repair bill is never a nice surprise. In most cases, fixing an underground sewer pipe can involve days of digging and potentially cause serious damage to your property. However, trenchless pipe repair allows our professional plumbers to fix issues with sewer pipes in less than a day with minimal digging. 

Here’s how the process of trenchless sewer and water line repair works:

  • We’ll thoroughly inspect the pipe or line using a small camera to determine the location and severity of the damage.
  • Once the issue is found, we use a special machine to insert epoxy directly into the broken pipe. This epoxy cures to form a durable, long-lasting pipe lining to repair all broken areas. 
  • Another method that doesn’t require digging is trenchless pipe bursting. Plumbers use a metal “bursting” head to break apart and remove any broken sections while simultaneously replacing them with new sections of pipe.

Trenchless pipe repair can be used on most sewer and water lines, including concrete, steel, clay, cast iron, and plastic like PVC and HDPE. 

The Cost Factors: More Than Just the Pipe

Using trenchless repair depends on more than just having a leaky pipe or cracked pipe. Here are some things to consider when determining the cost of trenchless pipe repair:

  • Size and condition: Larger or longer pipes require more time and material to repair, so it could cost more. Pipes in bad condition may also cost more to repair.
  • Location: If the pipe is buried under a street or sidewalk or deep underground, it may require more money to repair. 
  • Method: Pipe lining and pipe bursting are the two main options, and the right option for you also affects the cost.
  • Complexity: Areas with a lot of bends, fittings, and transitions could cost more to repair due to the complexity of the pipes’ setup.
  • Tree roots: If a tree root intrusion is blocking your sewer line, removal can increase overall costs and delay the start of repairs.

When Is Trenchless Repair More Affordable?

In most cases, trenchless pipe repair is more expensive upfront than traditional pipe repair. However, traditional pipe repair usually involves digging, so you’ll need to pay more to restore your property after the repair is complete. Depending on the location and severity of the damage, you may even need to pay to have your driveway replaced. Digging can also tear up your lawn and garden, so you’ll need to pay to restore that, too.

Most initial estimates for traditional repair don’t include the cost to excavate the old pipe or the cost to pay other contractors who might need to complete the job. The cost to move heavy objects over the sewer line is also not usually included in the estimate for the repair. 

Breaking Down the Costs: Trenchless vs. Traditional

Both trenchless and traditional pipe repairs should be performed by experienced plumbers. But what’s the difference between the cost of each of these types of repairs? In terms of labor and time, trenchless repair usually requires less of both, which means the labor cost for trenchless repair is usually lower. 

Two methods are used to perform trenchless pipe repair: lateral pipe lining and pipe bursting. The lateral method uses a layer of epoxy to fix the broken pipe and create a new one. Pipe bursting uses a pneumatic or hydraulic head to destroy the old pipe and then add a new one to replace it, which tends to be cheaper than lateral pipe lining.

Traditional pipe repair requires the plumber to locate the leak or damaged areas and dig into the ground or sections of your home or driveway to access the broken or leaky pipe. While the cost for this is generally less than trenchless repair, the cost to repair damage after the digging is where the real expenses lie. Since trenchless repair is minimally invasive, you won’t have to pay to repair your property once the pipe repair is complete, making the trenchless method more cost-effective in the long run. 

Beyond Cost: Other Benefits of Trenchless Repair

Aside from being less expensive overall, some other benefits of trenchless repair include:

  • Minimal or no damage to your yard, home, sidewalk, walkway, driveway, etc., than traditional excavation-style repair.
  • Less time involved which translated to less labor costs.
  • New pipe lining or new sections of pipe results in cleaner, safer water and less pipe corrosion
  • Improved functionality in your home’s plumbing and sewer system.

Choosing the Right Pipe Repair Method

So, which pipe repair method is best for you? Traditional pipe repair might work best if your sewer or water lines are easy to access. However, if they’re buried under a driveway, located near the foundation or basement, or anywhere in your yard, the trenchless method is recommended. Our plumbers won’t need to dig around your Michigan home to access the damaged or broken pipes. 

Contact Hoover for Pipe Repair Today

Since 1980, Hoover Electric, Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling has served our customers in Southeast Michigan. We offer courteous, professional service including installations, repairs, and maintenance under one roof with competitive pricing and financing options. If you need repair for a broken pipe and you’re in our service area, contact us today. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of trenchless pipe repair?

The main advantages of trenchless pipe repair are that it’s less intrusive, requires no digging, and takes little time to complete. The main disadvantage is that it may cost you more upfront, but it lasts longer and costs less than traditional pipe repair. 

Do you offer both trenchless and traditional pipe repair services?

We offer both trenchless and traditional pipe repair services. We’ll inspect the issue, provide you with an estimate, and discuss which option best suits your specific needs.

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