What Is Pipe Lining and When Do You Need It?

By Court Lundberg

When a sewer or drain line is cracked, corroded, or invaded by tree roots, the traditional fix has always been excavation. Dig up the yard (or break through the floor), remove the damaged pipe, install new pipe, and put everything back. It works, but it’s disruptive, expensive, and hard on landscaping.

Pipe lining is a different approach. Instead of removing the damaged pipe, you repair it from the inside, creating a new pipe within the old one without digging. It’s not right for every situation, but when it is, it’s faster, less destructive, and often less expensive than a full replacement.

On this page

• How Pipe Lining Works
• What Pipe Lining Can Fix
• What Pipe Lining Can’t Fix
• How Do You Know If You’re a Candidate?
• Cost Comparison: Lining vs. Excavation
• What to Expect During the Process

How Pipe Lining Works

The most common method is called cured-in-place pipe lining (CIPP). Here’s the basic process:

A plumber first cleans the pipe thoroughly with a hydro-jet, clearing roots, debris, and buildup to expose the interior surface. Then they run a camera through the pipe to confirm the extent and type of damage and verify the pipe structure is suitable for lining.

Next, a flexible liner saturated with a thermosetting resin is inserted into the damaged pipe. The liner is inflated to press it firmly against the pipe walls, then heated (with steam or hot water) or exposed to UV light to cure the resin. Over a period of hours, the resin hardens into a rigid, smooth tube bonded to the interior of the existing pipe.

The result is effectively a new pipe inside the old one. The liner seals cracks, bridges gaps at joints, and creates a smooth, root-resistant surface that resists future invasion. The pipe’s diameter is reduced slightly (usually by 6 to 10 percent), which has minimal practical effect on flow in most residential applications.

What Pipe Lining Can Fix

Cracks and fractures. Pipes develop cracks from ground movement, aging, freeze-thaw cycles, and root pressure. Lining seals these cracks completely.

Root intrusion. Roots that have grown into pipe joints or small cracks can be cut out with a hydro-jet, and the liner’s smooth, seamless interior gives roots nothing to grab onto. Lining doesn’t prevent future root pressure against the pipe from outside, but it eliminates the entry points roots need.

Corroded sections. Cast iron and older clay pipes corrode and deteriorate over time. Lining encapsulates the corroded section and creates a new surface.

Joint failures. Where pipe sections meet, joints can separate, allowing roots in and sewage out. Lining bridges these joints.

What Pipe Lining Can’t Fix

Pipe lining is not a universal solution. There are situations where it isn’t appropriate:

Completely collapsed pipe. If a section of pipe has fully collapsed, there’s no intact structure for the liner to bond to. Full excavation and replacement is the only option.

Severely bellied pipe. A “belly” is a section of pipe that has sagged downward, creating a low spot where waste accumulates. Lining smooths the interior but doesn’t correct the slope. If waste keeps pooling in the belly and causing backups, lining won’t solve the root cause.

Pipe that’s too deteriorated to hold a liner. If the pipe wall is too thin or fragile, it may not provide adequate support for the liner to cure against. A camera inspection determines this before any work begins.

Active leaking into the surrounding soil. Lining seals the interior, but if the pipe has significant external damage from soil pressure or physical impact, lining alone may not be sufficient.

How Do You Know If You’re a Candidate?

A camera inspection is the only way to know for certain. A plumber runs a flexible camera through the affected pipe and looks at the interior in real time. They’re assessing the type and extent of damage, the overall condition of the pipe walls, whether there are any completely collapsed sections, and the pipe’s diameter, material, and slope.

Material matters more than most people realize, especially in older Utah homes. If your house dates to the 1940s, it may have Orangeburg pipe underground. During World War II there was a metal shortage, so they made sewer pipe out of rolled-up asphalt tar paper, essentially shingles, and put it in millions of homes. I bring it up here because Orangeburg is exactly the kind of line where you want a camera, not a snake. Run a snake through it and it will rip the pipe up and destroy it. The camera tells us what we’re working with before anyone makes that mistake.

This inspection takes less than an hour for a typical residential sewer line and gives you accurate information before you commit to any repair method. A reputable plumber will show you the camera footage and explain what they’re seeing.

I’ll be honest about why I push the camera so hard. I’ve watched homeowners get quoted $18,000, $25,000, even $40,000 for a liner they did not need. When my guys put a camera down a line, plenty of times the answer we give is “you don’t need this.” We’ll write up a bid if a homeowner wants one, but I’d rather tell someone the truth than sell them a repair their pipe isn’t asking for. A liner is a real solution for the right pipe. It is not the answer for every pipe, and a camera is how you tell the difference.

Cost Comparison: Lining vs. Excavation

Pipe lining typically costs less than excavation and replacement when you factor in the full scope of excavation work, including labor to dig, replace landscaping, repair concrete or hardscape, and restore the yard. The savings are most pronounced when the damaged pipe runs under finished landscaping, driveways, patios, or inside a slab foundation.

For a pipe that runs through an open, easily accessible section of yard, the cost difference may be smaller, and full replacement may make more sense depending on the pipe’s overall condition.

There’s no universal answer. A plumber who does both can give you honest numbers for both options after seeing what the camera shows.

If you’re buying a home, this is the place where a small amount of money saves you from a big one. A liner can run into the tens of thousands of dollars; one I’m doing right now is a $20,000 job for a homeowner who just bought the place and didn’t have it in the budget. A sewer-camera inspection before you close runs about $350. That $350 is the cheapest insurance in the whole transaction, because it tells you whether a surprise like that is waiting underground before the house is yours.

What to Expect During the Process

Pipe lining is typically completed in one day for a standard residential sewer line. Access points are usually the existing cleanout in the yard and the pipe opening at or near the foundation. No trenching required in most cases.

There will be a period where the fixtures served by that pipe can’t be used during the cure time, usually a few hours. Your plumber will tell you what to expect before starting.

At Rare Breed Plumbing, Heating, and Air, we offer pipe lining services and full sewer line repair throughout Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, Summit, Tooele, Wasatch, Cache, and Box Elder counties. If you’re seeing signs of sewer line trouble and want to know whether lining is an option, call 385-449-0144 or schedule an inspection.

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Related: Drains & Sewer | Pipe Lining | Sewer Line Repair | Excavation

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