When they’re functioning correctly, you probably don’t think much about the sewer lines outside your home. You can’t see them, so they are in a bit of an “out of sight, out of mind” position. However, when something goes wrong with your sewer line, it can be a stressful situation. When this situation arises, you’ll probably want to know how much it is going to cost to repair or replace your broken sewer line. There are a number of factors that will affect the cost including:
- Sewer pipe material
- Geographic location, accessibility, and required method of excavation
- Repairing vs replacing
- Extent of repairs
- Complexity of repairs
- Camera inspection
- Cleanup
Trenchless vs Traditional
Given all these factors, it is impossible to provide a specific answer about how much sewer line repair or replacement is going to cost. A full sewer replacement is going to be more expensive than basic repairs, and the type of excavation is one of the biggest cost factors. If trenchless sewer repair is an option, the cost will be significantly lower than traditional repairs which requires digging up a portion of the line. Generally the cost will be determined by the type of pipe being repaired or replaced and how many feet of pipe is being utilized.
Types of Sewer Line Material
The most common type of sewer line material used today is plastic. Plastic pipes are low cost and easy to work with, although they do not have the durability of some other pipe materials. For example, cast iron pipes cost more and are more difficult to repair in segments, but they are durable and resistant to pressure.
Two materials that are not commonly used today but may be found in older pipe systems include orangeburg and clay. Orangeburg is made from wood fiber which makes it easy to work with and transport. Clay, on the other hand is very heavy and difficult to work with, but systems with clay pipes tend to degrade slowly and will last for a long time.
The easier the material is to work with and the cheaper it is to produce, the lower the cost of repairs or replacements will be. However, you also want to take into account the durability. Plastic pipes are cheap and easy to replace, but also prone to break under high pressure. You’ll need to weigh the risk of lower costs now vs more frequently required repairs in the future.
Cleanup
Depending on how invasive the excavation is, the amount of cleanup costs are going to vary. With trenchless repairs, there will be low cleanup costs. With more substantial excavation you may need to have landscape restoration or driveway repaving done which can run up the bill a few thousand dollars more on top of the other costs.
Preparing for a Sewer Line Repair or Replacement in NJ
When all is said and done, sewer repair services in New Jersey will run you a few thousand dollars, and full replacement services will cost even more. However, the cost will ultimately come down to the factors laid out above and only a professional sewer service team can provide you with a definitive quote on what everything will cost for your specific project.
