Sometimes the honest answer is a trench. When a line is collapsed, mis-sloped, or needs a new route, open excavation is the fix that actually lasts, and we'll tell you straight when it's simpler than trenchless too.
Last updated: October 13, 2026
Traditional sewer line replacement is the open-trench method: we dig down to the old pipe, remove it, and lay new pipe in its place.
We do trenchless work every week, and we still recommend excavation for about a third of the full replacements we plan. Here's when digging wins on the merits.
The honest framing we give every customer: we make our living doing trenchless work too, so when we recommend a trench, it's because the camera footage says the line needs it. We'll show you the footage and walk through the math on both options before you decide.
Knowing the sequence takes the mystery out of it. Here's a typical residential excavation replacement in Ohio, from first shovel to final grade.
Utilities are marked through the Ohio utility locate, the trench path is laid out, and topsoil is stripped and stockpiled separately. The excavator opens the trench down to the old line.
The failed pipe comes out. The trench bottom gets graded to the correct slope and lined with compacted gravel bedding so the new pipe sits on a stable, even base.
New PVC pipe goes in section by section with gasketed joints, tied into the house drain and the city tap or septic line, with a proper cleanout installed for future access.
The municipal inspector examines the open trench: pipe material, slope, bedding, and connections. Nothing gets buried until it passes.
The trench is backfilled in compacted lifts to prevent settling, topsoil goes back on top, and the surface is restored: seed or sod on lawns, patched concrete on drives and walks.
Most residential jobs run two to five working days. Weather can shift the schedule, Ohio spring rains turn trenches into swimming pools, and we build contingency days into the written plan rather than promising a date we can't keep.
We install PVC sewer pipe: SDR-35 for standard buried runs and thicker Schedule 40 under driveways and slabs. Here is what each material brings, and how the options compare.
New SDR-35 PVC on compacted gravel bedding, set to grade. The gasketed joints are what keep roots out for decades.
PVC is what we install, but homeowners often ask about the other materials they see pland or dug up. Here is how the common sewer pipe materials compare, using widely published industry lifespan ranges.
| Material | Typical lifespan | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| PVC | 50 to 100 years | Brittle if struck during future digging; needs proper bedding to prevent bellies |
| ABS | 50 to 80 years | Not the standard for buried sewers in most Ohio municipalities; can deform under heavy soil loads |
| Cast iron | 50 to 75 years | Corrodes and scales from the inside over time, narrowing the pipe |
| Clay (vitrified clay) | 50 to 60 years | Brittle; joints separate and admit tree roots |
| HDPE | 50 to 100 years | Higher material work; needs specialized heat-fusion equipment |
Yes: Ohio cities and counties require a permit for sewer lateral replacement, and nearly all of them require an inspection of the open trench before backfill, and we handle all of it. The Ohio EPA administers the statewide wastewater rules that local sewer permits build on. The inspector checks pipe material, joint type, slope, bedding depth, and the connection at the city main or tap.
We also call in the Ohio utility locate before the excavator arrives. Gas, electric, water, telecom, and fiber get marked along the trench path, and we hand-dig or vacuum-excavate near any marked line rather than risking a strike. If your property has a septic-to-sewer conversion or a combined sewer connection, which older Cleveland and Cincinnati neighborhoods still have, the permit office may require additional sign-offs, and we build that into the schedule. Combined sewers fall under federal discharge rules: the EPA's NPDES program covers sewer discharge permits. If your property is on the septic side of a conversion, the U.S. EPA publishes homeowner guidance on septic and sewer systems.
One thing to know: unpermitted sewer work can bite you at resale. Ohio buyers' inspectors flag undocumented lateral replacements, and some cities can require you to dig it back up for inspection. The permit work a little and protects you a lot.
This is the question behind every excavation plan, so here's the full, honest answer. The trench follows your line's path, typically a strip a few requirementt wide from the house to the street, alley, or tap. Everything outside that strip stays as it was.
Backfilled, compacted, and re-graded. The trench line grows in within a season; the new pipe lasts for generations.
Excavation process is the most variable of any method because so much depends on what's between the surface and the pipe. These are the factors that set your plan:
Realistic statewide ranges for every method, including when digging beats trenchless on plan, are in our Ohio sewer repair guide. Your exact number comes from a site visit and a camera inspection, and it arrives as a fixed written plan. Call (614) 350-5706.
Most residential excavation jobs in Ohio take two to five days of actual work, depending on the length and depth of the line and what surface has to be restored. A short, shallow line in a lawn can be dug, replaced, and backfilled in two days. A long, deep line under a driveway with concrete restoration takes longer. Your written schedule spells out the day-by-day plan before we start.
No. The trench follows the line's path, usually a strip a few requirementt wide from the house to the street or alley. We strip and stockpile the topsoil separately so it goes back on top, and we restore the surface when the pipe work is done. The trench line will look like a construction zone for a few days and a new-grass strip for a few weeks, not a ruined yard.
Three reasons: the line can't be saved trenchlessly, the grade needs correcting, or digging is simply simpler. Collapsed lines with missing sections, bellies that hold wastewater, and lines that need a completely new route all call for excavation. Shallow lines are also simple to dig, sometimes simpler than any trenchless method. We do both, so we recommend whichever genuinely work you less over the life of the repair.
If the damaged section runs under the basement slab, we cut a neat trench through the concrete, remove the old pipe, lay the new one, and re-pour the slab. The patch is concrete, not a perfect match to your old floor, and we tell you that upfront. Interior work adds days to the schedule and is handled separately in your written plan.
Yes. Ohio municipalities require permits for sewer lateral replacement and an inspection before the trench is backfilled. We pull the permits, schedule the inspections, and call in the Ohio utility locate so gas, electric, water, and telecom lines are marked before the excavator arrives. You never touch the paperwork.
Before anyone digs, the line gets a sewer camera inspection so the trench goes exactly where it needs to and nowhere else. If the footage shows the line can be saved without excavation, we'll recommend trenchless repair instead, either pipe lining or pipe bursting. Compare all three approaches in our trenchless overview before you decide.
The camera footage makes the call. Get an inspection and a fixed written plan for both options.
Call (614) 350-5706