“They showed me the screen before they said a word about price. The roots were at one joint, and the line got lined. The front lawn took two small holes.”
Troy W.Homeowner, Pleasant Grove
Sewer lining and trenchless repair, Birmingham, AL
Look inside the pipe before anyone digs.
A camera goes down your sewer line first. You watch the footage, then we tell you whether the pipe needs lining, bursting or a trench, and what each one does to your yard.
What is the line doing?
Dig or line?
Dig or line?
Three ways to fix a bad sewer line, by what each one asks of your lawn, your week and your driveway.
| What it costs you in | Open trench | Lining | Bursting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your lawn | Open trenchA cut as long as the bad pipe, a spoil pile, and sod to relay | LiningOne or two small pits, usually at the cleanout and near the street | BurstingAn entry pit and an exit pit, one at each end of the run |
| Time on site | Open trenchDays, and longer if it rains or the pipe is deep | LiningCamera and cleaning first, then the liner cures in the pipe for hours | BurstingPit work, then the new pipe is pulled through in one pass |
| Tools in the yard | Open trenchExcavator, trench box, dump truck and a compactor | LiningCamera, jetter, liner and a cure rig; no excavator for most runs | BurstingWinch, bursting head, new plastic pipe and a fusion machine |
| What it can't fix | Open trenchNothing, but it takes the most lawn, trees and time | LiningA collapsed pipe, or a dip that holds water | BurstingA line too close to another pipe or a footing to burst safely |
The yard
Where the lawn opens
One sample front yard, four numbered places. Lining touches the first and the last. A trench follows the second.
- 1
The cleanout by the foundation
The camera goes in here, and a lining job often starts here too. Cost in lawn: a small hole, or none.
- 2
The line under the grass
You can't see it. A locator marks where it runs and how deep, so we know where a trench would cut.
- 3
The big trees
Roots follow water into open joints, which is why many lines fail. A trench near them is a trade-off.
- 4
The street end of the line
Lining stops short of the city's pipe. The last few feet are where a second pit may be needed.
Sample content.
A lining day
Six steps, by the counter
Times are a sample. Your written quote sets yours, and the crew keeps the footage from each step.
- 0100:00
Step 1: Camera
A crawler camera runs the line from the cleanout. You can watch the screen.
- 0200:40
Step 2: Clean
A jetter clears roots and scale so the liner sits against bare pipe.
- 0301:30
Step 3: Measure and cut
The liner is cut to the length the camera counted, then soaked in resin.
- 0402:15
Step 4: Invert
Air or water pushes the liner through the pipe and turns it inside out against the wall.
- 0503:00
Step 5: Cure
Heat or light hardens the resin into a new pipe inside the old one.
- 0605:00
Step 6: Reopen and film
We cut the side connections open and run the camera one more time.
Neighbors
What we hear after the footage
“Our board needed one report for six townhomes. We got footage by unit and a plan in writing, and each owner knew what to expect.”
Shari B.HOA treasurer, Chelsea
“I was told the pipe was gone and I'd have to dig up the yard. The camera showed it was still round. Lining it was the call.”
Krista M.Homeowner, Leeds
Sample reviews.
How pricing works
No figures here, because no two lines are alike. Here is what builds the number and when it reaches you.
What decides the price
A lining or bursting quote is built from the pipe, not from a rate card. These are the things that move it.
How long the run is, and how deep
Pipe size and what it is made of
How many pits, and what sits on top of them: lawn, driveway or slab
Whether roots or scale have to be cleared first
Whether the pipe still holds its shape
What the quote includes, and what it doesn't
The written quote lists the method, the footage, the pits and what we put back.
Includes: camera footage, cleaning, the liner or new pipe, opening the side connections, final footage
Does not include: new sod or landscaping, a fix to plumbing inside the house, a city permit fee
What happens at the visit
A camera crew runs the line and you can watch the screen. The visit has a set fee, written before the truck rolls. If you hire us for the work, that fee comes off the job. You keep the footage either way.
After hours
The office answers Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings. After that the line takes a message, and Natalie calls back first thing. We don't schedule nights and we don't charge a night rate.
When you get the number
The price comes in writing after the camera and before any digging or lining. It is a flat price for the scope on the quote.
If the job changes
A change gets its own line in writing. If the camera finds something new once the pipe is clean, we stop and tell you first. Nothing is added without your OK.
Who comes
Two lining crews, one owner on the truck
Otis Deloach, on the left, runs crew one and signs every quote. Everett Mosley, on the right, runs crew two. Nine of us in all, and Natalie answers the phone.
We line and burst sewer pipe. We dig only when the camera shows it is the one fix that will hold, and we say so in the report.
Otis Deloach
Owner, lining crew one
Service area
Where the crews go
Jefferson County and the edges of Shelby and St. Clair. If your town isn't listed, call before you assume.
Jefferson County
- Birmingham
- Tarrant
- Fultondale
- Midfield
- Pleasant Grove
- Adamsville
- Pinson
- Clay
- Leeds
Shelby County
- Chelsea
- Calera
- Montevallo
- Wilsonville
St. Clair County
- Moody
- Odenville
- Springville
We don't go to Huntsville, Tuscaloosa or the Gulf Coast. For those, call a lining firm near you.
ZIP codes: 35204, 35206, 35207, 35208, 35210, 35212, 35214, 35215, 35217, 35218, 35221, 35224
Questions we hear at the cleanout
Does lining work on clay, cast iron or Orangeburg?
Lining needs a pipe that still holds its shape. Clay and cast iron often do. Orangeburg, a tar-paper pipe used in many homes from the 1940s to the 1970s, is often squashed, and then bursting or a dig is the answer. The camera tells us which.
Does lining stop roots?
It seals the joints and cracks roots get in through. Roots can still press on the outside of the pipe, so we clear them first and film the pipe after.
Does a liner make the pipe smaller?
A little, by the thickness of the liner. The new surface is smooth, so water usually moves as well as before. The quote lists the finished inside size.
Do I need a permit?
Each city and county around Birmingham has its own rule. The written quote says whether a permit is needed and who pulls it.
Can I stay home while you work?
Yes. You'll be asked to hold back on water use while the liner cures. We tell you the hours the day before.
Contact
Send the details, or a photo of the cleanout
Tell us what the line is doing. We call back to set up the camera visit.
Phone(205) 555-0101
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.