Trenchless vs traditional sewer repair: when do you actually need to dig?
Traditional excavation is sometimes necessary for severe pipe damage, while trenchless methods like CIPP offer a cleaner fix that preserves your lawn. Homeowners often struggle to know whether a spot repair or full-length lining will hold up long-term for issues like root intrusion.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Trenchless vs traditional sewer repair: when do you actually need to dig?
- 1Having the line scoped and getting a recording of the whole lineDid this help you?
- 2Calling a plumber instead of a replacement company to get an unbiased opinionDid this help you?
- 3clearing the line with hydrojettingDid this help you?
- 4digging up the lawn to replace the pipeDid this help you?
- 5comparing contractor quotesDid this help you?
- 6consulting online communities for opinions and pros/consDid this help you?
- 7weighing the impact on landscaping and yardsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Our sewer line is old and we are starting to research options before it becomes an emergency.”source ↗
“is it better or are therre certain pipe problems where traditional excavation is still the smarter choice?”source ↗
“I’m not sure if I’m missing anything though so I’m looking to hear opinions from you all.”source ↗
“Is CIPP long term solution for this intrusion? And would a "spot fix" of 5-10 feet be good enough, or would it be better to bite the bullet and do the full length of the pipe?”source ↗
“Yeah it's something we're weighing when deciding. You had CIPP done? It seems like a really clean way to repair without digging up a good chunk of the lawn, just wasn't familiar with it before this.”source ↗