How Much Does Trenchless Sewer Repair Cost?

Trenchless sewer repair costs in Portland usually range from $4,000 to up to $15,000.

The exact amount you’ll pay will depend on the:

• Location of the damage. While trenchless repair methods aren’t as invasive as traditional trenching, they still require access holes. If the damaged pipe is beneath your home/building or a pool, shed or other structure, it may be more complex (and cost more in labor) for the professionals repairing the line.
• Trenchless repair method. There are 3 types of trenchless repair (see below for method descriptions):

1. 1. Pipe bursting: Usually the most affordable option
   2. Pipe lining: Normally slightly more expensive than pipe bursting
   3. Directional drilling: The most expensive of the 3 options as it involves installing a brand new sewer line

• Length of the line. The more of your pipe that’s damaged, the more you’ll pay in materials to fix it.

You’ll likely need a sewer line repair if you have:

• Root intrusion: Since roots need water to grow, they often find their way into sewer pipes through cracks or joint gaps. If allowed to grow dense enough, the roots can completely block the line, causing a clog and eventually a burst pipe.
• A cracked, collapsed or misaligned pipe: Over time, pipes can crack (often from root intrusion or corrosion), collapse (usually as a result of soil erosion) or become misaligned at joints (which often leads to a collapsed pipe).

At Alpha Environmental, we recommend trenchless sewer repair methods over traditional trenching. Trenchless methods save time and money, since professionals don’t have to dig to the damaged line and manually excavate the broken pipe like they do with trenching.

The Costs of Traditional vs Trenchless Sewer Repair

Professionals can repair your broken sewer line 2 ways:

1. Traditional sewer repair (also called “trenching”)
2. Trenchless sewer repair

We’ll go over each method, and which one may work better for your situation.

Traditional Sewer Repair

Traditional trenching involves digging a trench along the busted sewer line to have full, open access to the broken pipe. Traditional sewer repairs normally cost anywhere from $3,500 to up to $20,000.

While the sewer repair cost itself may be less expensive for trenching, you could easily end up paying more for the repair as a whole due to:

• Landscaping repair costs: Trenching is very disruptive to landscaping because it requires removing anything that sits above the damaged portion of the pipe. You’ll end up paying to repair, rebuild or replant anything that gets removed.
• Labor costs: Digging the trench adds a lot of time in labor to the sewer repair cost. Traditional trenching can easily add several hours, even days, to the repair time.

Not to mention, since trenching takes a lot longer than trenchless repair methods, you’re dealing with the repair disruption that much longer.

Trenchless Sewer Repair

Alpha Environmental offers 3 trenchless sewer repair methods:

1. 1. Pipe bursting uses a bursting tool with an expansion head to destroy the old pipe as it pulls in the new pipe.
   2. Pipe lining involves inserting a fiberglass resin lining in the existing pipe—essentially creating a new pipe. Pipe lining only works for cracks or when a small portion of the pipe is broken.
   3. Directional drilling involves digging entry and exit holes to send a drill underground that pulls the new sewer pipe behind it. Directional drilling is commonly used to install brand new sewer lines.

Which Type of Sewer Repair is Best for My Situation?

Whether you should go with trenching (digging to the damaged pipe) or a trenchless sewer repair method—like pipe lining, pipe bursting or directional drilling—depends on several factors.

Trenchless repair methods are usually a better option if:

• A site requires minimal disruption. Trenchless repair methods are designed to cause minimal damage to your property—they only require 2 access holes to repair the pipe.
• Your property has a lot of structures or elaborate landscaping. Trenchless methods don’t require digging to and along the entire section of damaged pipe like trenching does. This means professionals won’t need to remove any landscaping or structures (driveways, sidewalks, sheds, etc.) that sit above the pipe.
• You need the repair done quickly. With trenchless methods, you’ll save a lot of time not having to dig a trench to access the damaged pipe.

Trenching may be a better option for:

• Properties with little or no landscaping. If you don’t have any landscaping or structures you’re worried about damaging, your sewer repair cost may be less with trenching.
• A completely broken pipe damaging nearby utilities. Repairing sewer lines near utilities can get tricky. It’s usually safest to dig to the broken pipe so the professionals can see what they’re working with to ensure they don’t damage any utility lines.
• Pipes that were installed incorrectly. If a sewer line wasn’t installed properly from the start, it’s usually best to replace the line to ensure it’s installed properly. If it’s not, you’ll probably end up having to pay for another repair in the near future.

Contact Us for Trenchless Sewer Repair in Portland

At Alpha Environmental, our specialists will properly inspect your sewer line to diagnose the issue and recommend the best sewer repair method for your situation. We’ll do our best to keep your trenchless sewer repair costs down and have your pipe fixed in no time.

Call us today at (503) 292-5346 or contact us online to schedule a free trenchless sewer repair estimate.