Sewer Lateral Repair - Line or pipeburst

[uncle_scott]

I own a rental property, and the sewer lateral has been a known problem due to tree roots that keep growing and clogging the line. I have been having the line snaked twice a year, but yesterday I got the dreaded call from my tenant that there was water in the basement. I cleaned it up, pulled up the floating floor, and am now assessing my options for fixing the sewer lateral permanently.

I see three approaches to fixing the lateral.

1. Traditional trench
2. Pipe bursting line replacement with trenches on both sides
3. Cure in place liner

I am wondering if anyone has done a cure in place sewer lateral liner? I have two companies coming out tomorrow to give me a bid on replacement and lining. I just wondered if the Pelican brain trust had any experience with the liners?

[URY914]

A picture would help of the trees and location of the line.

[johnsjmc]

I had 2 different jobs quoted about 3 years ago Unless your local costs are a lot different than around here it,s still much , much cheaper to dig conventionally even with breaking a basement floor .
We elected to go about 25 ft across a basement, under a wall and 30 ft along a driveway parallel to the existing line under the drive. My total cost ended up around $5000 about 1/2 of the quote from the liner guys

[sixbanger]

Just had my line replaced last year. I now sleep better at knight. Mine was say 100 feet at a cost of $3500.00 plus two squares of side walk that a friend and I poured.

[uncle_scott]

This is a terrble fisheye picture of the front of the house. There is about 40 feet from the base of the foundation to the street. The lateral is about 6 feet deep at the house, and then runs out to the street parrallel to the driveway. The lateral exits the house under that front window, so we will lose a section of boxwood bushes and the cistena plum...We have driveway trees (planted by the previous owner) that were the likely culprit of the problem. I have some park strip access at the street, but will likely lose a section or two of sidewalk that will need to be replaced as well. We would like to salvage the driveway trees if possible because the canopy and shade over the cars is a nice selling point when renting the home.

The cure in place liner folks told me their average price was $85 per foot, but I don't know if that price included everything. I have that company and the pipe bursting company coming tomorrow for quotes. I also have a standard trench company coming Friday.

All your insights are great to hear.

[rusnak]

Has no one sent a camera down to see where the problem is?

[HardDrive]

I did a liner at our house in Seattle. It was about $5000.

Have you had the thing scoped yet? Have it scoped and ask them for a DVD copy of it. If the pipe has not physically collapsed, I don't think there is any need to dig. Thats the beauty of the liner. They dig a single hole midway, and shoot the liner up the pipe in both direction. Much less peripheral damage.

Saddly, my rental house in Seattle is in the same boat, and we have badly damaged sections. I'll have to dig, and everything in the City of Seattle is x2 what it cost out in the suburbs. The city has a limited list of contractors who are approved to do sewer in the city, so you they can charge through the roof.

[HardDrive]

Google 'root killer'.

[uncle_scott]

rusnak and Hard Drive - Yes, I have had the line camera'd when I had it cleaned out the first time about 2 years ago. At that time there were no collapses in the line, just old original clay pipe with joints that are letting tree roots in. Root killer is a good idea. I was thinking the liner would be best because of limited damage to the yard, and because the line was in good shape the last time we laid eyes on it. I am having it camera'd again tomorrow as part of the liner bid. I have to pull a toilet to do it because the house doesn't have a clean-out access. I will report back on associated costs or estimates.

[cstreit]

Kill the roots and kill the tree? Route it out one more time...

[johnsjmc]

Here because of winter freeze our sewers are about 11 ft deep and sometimes 15 ft at the street. My quote above at $5000 is Cdn $ so closer to $3500 US but it was still about 1/2 what the guys wanted to liner it. We can only use a private contractor up to the street line Then if you need to replace the street portion the city does the work at a flat rate which is very expensive but includes sidewalk and road surface replacement (and often flag men to redirect traffic).

[uncle_scott]

Yesterday afternoon I got two quotes. One for pipe bursting and another for cure in place lining. Also had the line camera'd. The tree roots are really bad at the joints, but the original clay pipe is in great shape.

The cure in place liner quote was nearly half the price! It shocked me. It was $3500 to line the 38 feet of pipe, and the pipe burst company quoted me $7200 for dig, pull, and connect. Unless the standard lateral trenching guy is much less on Friday, it looks like I'll be trying out the lateral lining. I'll report back...