If you are looking to replace your sewer line, you might need to assess some of the things before you can make the final decision.

A lot of people get confused about whether they need a sewer line replacement or just a repair will do. To make a clear decision, you need to consider a few things.

• Whether the sewer line needs replacement?
• What caused the damage to the sewer line?
• Is calling a professional necessary to assess the condition of the sewer line?
• Can it be repaired or if the whole sewer needs to be replaced?
• What types of sewer line replacements are available in the market?
• What will be the total cost of replacing a sewer line?
• Does your insurance cover the damage or do you need to pay yourself?
• How to find the right company for sewer line replacement?

Determining whether the Sewer Line Needs Replacement:

You have to make sure that your sewer line needs a replacement or just a repair will be enough. Check the speed of drainage, whether it is blocked or slower than usual, or if is there any strange sound coming from the drain pipes.

Also, look for any odor coming from the sewage pipe. If there are any pools of water forming on your lawn, there may be a need to call the plumber to prevent further damage to the sewer line.

Because if the sewage line has not been damaged yet, it will get damaged in the future so it is better to prevent that by checking for the signs beforehand. This might save you from a huge expense in the future.

Cause of Damage to the Sewer Line:

You have to check what is causing the sewer line damage. When you assess the issue beforehand, it will be easier for you to find the solution. The damage might be known to you which will help in taking the right action in time.

There can be multiple reasons for sewer line damage such as:

• The temperature change can be a reason for sewer line damage as the sewer might be frozen and cause a blockage of water. This can damage the sewer line but it can get open easily so the sewage flows through it.
• A children’s toy stuck in the drain might be damaging the sewer line. Kids are usually careless with their things and sometimes those things are found in unexpected places with little to higher damage done. If a toy is stuck in the sewer line, the plumber can fix the problem by getting the toy out.
• A tree growing near the sewer line may be damaging it. As the roots of that tree might be growing and expanding inside the sewer line. If this is the case, you can prevent more damage by taking care of it.

Call for Sewer Line Inspection:

Once you have checked that something is damaging the sewer line, then you might need an expert’s advice who can tell if you need to replace your sewer line or not.

Because you cannot determine whether you need a complete sewer line replacement or whether just a repair will be good.

Once you call a professional, he can assess the situation and by observing the damage done to the sewer line, they can easily tell if it needs total replacement or if it can be repaired.

The plumber can also look down your plumbing line to find any blockage with the help of a camera.

The camera can detect easily if there is any object stuck in the sewer line or any other thing that is damaging it. This will make it easier to determine if you need a replacement or a just repair.

Check if Repair is Possible:

There is a chance that the sewer line can be repaired and a replacement will not be necessary. But you need to confirm this thing from the individual whom you have hired for the work.

You may also need to verify the credibility of the plumber beforehand, as you are not familiar with them, there might be a factor of uncertainty.

This may not be the case if you are getting the services from a reputed company as they will not only be interested in the money but will also provide you with all possible solutions to the problem.

If the sewer line does not require any kind of replacement, they will not be doing the extra work.

But, if they do not provide an alternate solution to repair and continuously insist on replacing the sewer line, you may need to check with some other professionals to get another opinion.

This will clear any doubts you may have in mind regarding the additional costs.

Types of Sewer Line Replacement:

In case your sewer line needs replacement, you may want to know what kind of replacements you can get.

One is the traditional sewer line replacement which is the difficult one as it will require digging through your yard, parking, and lawn and replacing the whole pipe.

And the other is trenchless sewer line replacement which does not require digging. Instead, the plumber will use the method of pipe bursting to destroy the existing sewer line and replace it with a new one.

Most plumbers prefer the second method as it saves a lot of effort and money.

Traditional Sewer Line Replacement:

This method is hard as compared to the other one as it requires traditional digging up and replacing the sewer pipe, you need to dig the ground to replace the sewer pipes.

If the pipes are buried too deep, this might cause extra damage to the property resulting in digging up your lawn, yard, and parking as well. But a new line can be installed with this method.

If the sewer pipe is shallow in the ground, this method might be cheaper as it will cause minimal damage to the property as well.

Trenchless Sewer Line Replacement:

This method is more advanced as professionals prefer it as well. Because it does not require digging up the ground and they can easily replace the sewer pipes without causing damage to your property.

They use a new method called pipe bursting which destroys the damaged pipe in the ground and then they replace it with a new one.

Cost of Sewer Line Replacement:

You might have looked for the price for replacing a sewer line, but could not find any.  It’s because the cost of replacing a sewer line varies as it depends on the size of the pipe, the technique used by the plumber, and the different complications involved in the process.

This is why you will not find the exact cost of sewer line replacement online. But to get an estimate of how much you should keep in mind, this is a rough calculation for your guidance.

If the pipe is shallow and not much digging is required, the traditional method will be the cheaper option for you and it will cause minimal damage to the property.

But if the pipe is buried deep and it requires a lot of digging and damage to the property as well, the cost can be either $250 per linear foot or several thousand dollars for a complete replacement with either of the methods which can be estimated to be either $5000 or more than $25,000.

Insurance Might Not Cover Sewer Line Replacement:

Most home insurance policies do not cover sewer line replacement unless somebody else damages the line.

So you may need to pay from your pocket if that is not the case. But you might have a home warranty policy that covers this expense.

A high probability is, you will likely be paying for it yourself so you may want the best people to handle it for you to prevent any margin of error.

Find the Right Company for Sewer Line Replacement:

Whether your sewer line needs to be repaired or replaced, you will require the expertise of a professional company that finds the root cause of the problem and provides a sustainable solution.

You can hire a company that is both licensed and insured so things run smoothly and you don’t burn cash on unprofessional resources.

We know that selecting the right company is not easy and that replacing a sewer line can be complex, disturbing, and expensive. But you need to take quotes from three companies at least so you can compare their services and prices to make a clear decision.

Replacing a sewer line requires the homeowner to obtain a permit, so you may want a professional company that guides you through the process.

If you have any questions or need help finding the right person for your sewer line replacement, you can contact us on our website or give us a call at 502-379-2594.