Cost of Trenchless Sewer Repair

When looking at and comparing the costs of trenchless versus traditional plumbing repair options, it can be challenging to find comprehensive information. Your time, money, and energy are all valuable commodities that deserve attention when considering a sewer or drain repair. Here at Marvel Sewer & Drain, we understand the importance of establishing cost expectations before committing to repairs.

Trenchless Repairs

The cost of trenchless repairs, replacements, or general maintenance and preventative care are often pretty straightforward. There are fewer additional or hidden costs involved with trenchless repairs.

Trenchless repairs are generally referred to as “no-dig solutions”. When compared to traditional repair methods, trenchless repairs take much less time, money, and energy to complete. Trenchless repairs use only a small pre-existing entry point – or if one does not exist, one is created but is usually only the diameter of the pipe. Existing entry points can be anything like a city street access, storm drains, vents, or anything similar.

Trenchless repairs do not require the heavy excavation that traditional ones do. This means you’re not looking at an additional cost of repairing your property after an excavation for your home or commercial property. All our repairs and replacements come with a six-month work guarantee, which means if you aren’t satisfied, we’ll come and fix up the issue.

• Pipe bursting costs around $60-$200 per foot, with an average cost of $130 per foot. Generally, the overall cost of a project is somewhere between $3,500-$20,000 with a guessed average price of $11,750.
• Pipe lining costs around $80-$250 per foot, with an average cost of $165 per foot. Generally, the overall cost of a project is somewhere between $4,000-$20,000 with a guessed average price of $12,000.
  • If the line in need of repair is in critical condition, the cost can vary between $6,000-$12,000 with a guessed average price of $9,000.
• Small-scale pipe lining is primarily for broken pipes below 50 feet in length. Lining these pipes can cost around $3,000-$4,000 with a guessed average price of $3,500.

These numbers are for reference only, and can vary based on the size and scope of the job as well as its unique features; however, one of our knowledgeable professionals would be happy to talk to you about your pipeline issue and give you a price estimate based on your particular project.

Pipe bursting is the process which involves seamlessly replacing a broken pipe with a new one. This is usually recommended for pipes in severe condition; this may include frequent clogs, sewer waste leakage, bad corrosion or erosion, or severe cracks. During pipe bursting, we take a new pipe affixed to the back of a specially-designed pipe bursting head and push it through your existing pipe. The old pipe bursts open and shatters, and then the new pipe slides into place. This process takes less than a day, on average, and requires little to no excavation.

Pipe lining is the process which involves epoxy-sealing a broken pipe. This is the method that Marvel Sewer & Drain recommends for less damaged pipes. We recommend these for leaking lines, sewer backups, cracked water pipes, and tree root invasions. After an inspection and a thorough cleaning, we insert a tube filled with epoxy resin and use that to line the inside of your existing pipes with epoxy. We then allow the epoxy to cure for a few hours or speed up the process with heat. After the epoxy cures, we test your pipes to make sure everything runs smoothly and do another inspection. Our epoxy resin lasts fifty years at least, so don’t be worried about it giving out anytime soon. This process takes a few hours, on average, and requires little to no excavation.

Small-scale pipe lining is just a shorter version of pipe lining and requires less time. The epoxy is just as durable on a small scale level as it is for an entire line, and the same fifty-year life expectancy applies.

Additional underground/trenchless services

Camera inspections are performed as a precautionary measure before any work is done on your pipes. This includes pipe bursting, pipe lining, small-scale pipe lining, and more. Camera inspections allow plumbing technicians to get a closer look at what’s going on inside your pipes. During a camera inspection, a plumbing technician will insert a small, flexible rod inside your pipes. This rod has a waterproof HD camera attached at the end. That camera sends a live-feed of information back to a portable device like a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Images or a video will be seen on that portable device. During the inspection, a plumbing technician will view the video or images to determine the best course of action for your pipes.

Pipe patch technology is recommended for small-scale pipe lining. This kind of repair is most recommended for small damages or repair needs. That includes small point cracks, holes, or localized damage in the pipe lines. Pipe patch uses a blown-in liner and hot water to cure the epoxy.

Drain cleaning & hydro-jetting services are a great solution if you’re experiencing issues like: a clogged shower drain; a slow bathtub drain; issues with your toilet like a slow flush, clogs, or overflows; a clogged garbage disposal; or a clogged sink drain. A drain cleaning or a hydro-jetting service can easily fix these problems. Hydro-jetting is the use of a highly pressurized jet of water to clear out drains and pipes of any debris, including buildups from grease, hair, soap scum, corrosion, and more.

Why professional drain cleaning instead of drain cleaner from a store?

There are several reasons to rely on a professional drain cleaning service versus a “DIY” solution. These store-bought drain cleaners can be effective, but they can also be extremely corrosive to older pipes made from materials like copper or iron, fixtures, PVC pipes, and galvanized steel. They’re made from harsh chemicals, like sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid, which can damage clothes or cause skin irritation and even chemical burns. You can look out for signs of a damaged or clogged drain by looking for sluggish or slow drains, more than one clogged drain, water puddling (which is an indication of a clogged drain or even a sewage backup) or a persistent foul odor around any drains in your home, including laundry areas, your kitchen, or your bathrooms. This can be an indication of serious drainage issues, like severe clogs, or even a sewage leak. There are steps you can take to prevent drain problems. This includes maintenance done by the professional service provided to you by Marvel Sewer & Drain. For example, you can pour a bit of bleach down your drains every once in awhile, if you’re experiencing odors. Always remember to run your garbage disposal with cold water, and if you’re feeling up to it, unplug your garbage disposal and get a long-handled wire or dish brush and scrub the inside of your disposal.

Marvel Sewer & Drain makes sure to cover lots of drain service needs, including:

• Kitchen drains: sink, dishwasher, garbage disposal
• Bathroom drains: shower, bathtub, sink, toilet
• Exterior: pools and storm drains

Sewer cleaning services allow you to have clean, functional sewers at any time of the year. We offer two types of sewer cleaning services: rooting or hydro-jetting. Rooting is the use of a specialized, high-tech machine to saw through tree root debris to destroy the debris so that it can be washed away with water. There are several benefits to using hydro-jetting or rooting cleaning services:

• It’s non-disruptive and eco-friendly
• It’s a quick solution to a serious problem
• It’s cheaper in the long run
• It’s thorough in cleaning the insides of drains
• It’s a preventative and maintenance tool; potential leaks and blockages are prevented
• It extends the life expectancy of your sewers or other pipelines with proper maintenance

Traditional repairs

Traditional repairs really come in one style- excavation, inspection, repair/replacement, and then the plumbing company leaves. There are some major drawbacks for traditional repairs:

• Heavy excavation, which can take weeks to complete
• Repair for excavation, which can cost thousands
• Licensing and permissions from the city for street costs, which can be very expensive depending on your area and the amount of disruption the work might cause

The upfront costs for traditional repairs are relatively simple:

• Dig and replace is the most common type of traditional repair. The price for these repairs can fluctuate between $50-$250 per foot, with an average price of $150 per foot. Overall, this can cost $3,000-$6,000 with an average price of $4,500 with repairs under 50 feet long.
• With repairs over 50 feet, repair costs can run from $5,000-$13,000, coming up with an average cost of $9,000.
• The main contributors of final project costs are replacing sod, landscaping, drive and walkway repairs, and labor.
• Replacing lawn, trees, shrubs, and flower beds can cost $50-$5,000 or more, depending on what’s involved.

It’s important to note that traditional repair plumbing companies are not responsible for the damage done to your yard or property. When you sign up for tradition repairs, you also sign up for the responsibility of repairing hardscaping like sidewalks, driveways, patios, walls, flooring, etc. You also sign up for fixing your lawn, yard, or the property surrounding your commercial or residential building.

Traditional repairs aren’t necessarily recommended due to their invasive nature. They aren’t eco-friendly or efficient, nor are they a guaranteed fix. Some traditional repair companies will offer camera inspections, but it’s not always involved in the process whereas it is with trenchless solutions. It can be challenging to find a situation wherein traditional repairs are truly the best option, but there are a few where it might be applicable:

• If the pipe isn’t deep underground
• If the pipe is accessible away from city streets, your personal building, or the hustle-bustle of a commercial building
• If the pipe is in mild condition
• If there is no hardscaping or landscaping around the pipe

Overall, there are more hidden costs in traditional repairs than there are in trenchless ones. Trenchless costs are relatively upfront and straightforward, which is part of why they’ve become so popular and part of why Marvel Sewer & Drain practice trenchless solutions. Not only is the equipment easier to move around, it’s easier on you, our valued customer.

Where will Marvel Sewer & Drain travel to?

Marvel & Drain service many areas in Minnesota state.

• Brooklyn Park
  • Services available:
    • Drain cleaning
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection
    • Sewer pipe repair
    • Trenchless sewer pipe lining
• Minneapolis
  • Services available:
    • Drain cleaning
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection
    • Trenchless sewer pipe repair
    • Storm drain lining
    • Roof drain lining
    • Hydro-jetting
    • Drain lining
• Maple Grove
  • Services available:
    • Drain cleaning
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection
    • Sewer pipe repair
    • Trenchless sewer pipe lining
    • Coon Rapids
    • Services available:
    • Clog dog drain cleaning
    • Roof drain lining
    • Sewer camera inspection
    • Sewer pipe repair
• Plymouth
  • Services available:
    • Drain cleaning
    • Roof drain lining
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection
    • Sewer pipe repair
    • Golden Valley
    • Services available:
    • Clogged drain cleaning
    • Inflow & infiltration services
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection
    • Trenchless sewer pipe repair
• St. Louis Park
  • Services available:
    • Clog dog drain cleaning
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection
    • Sewer pipe repair
    • Trenchless sewer repair
• St. Paul
  • Services available:
    • Clogged drain cleaning
    • Sewer pipe camera inspection

How does Marvel Sewer & Drain keep themselves affordable?

We understand that every job is unique. That’s why we have so many available services throughout the state to handle all of your needs. We truly want our customers to feel comfortable trusting us with their homes and commercial buildings – that’s why we treat every job like its us working on our own home or business.

All our employees are the best of the best – only the best-trained technicians work for Marvel Sewer & Drain, which has been family owned and operated since its founding in 2010. We’ve been with the trenchless technologies since the start, so we’ve perfected our methods and found our niche.

We offer free quotes on every job before we get started, so we can sit down with you after a camera inspection, look over your pipeline system, and discuss a solid plan. You can also schedule regular maintenance jobs, like inspections, drain cleaning, or hydro-jetting for your whole plumbing system. We’ll line or reline any pipe that you need fixed, including joints and meeting points.