Pipe Bursting Cost
Published sewer line costs (2026)
| Method | Cost per foot | Published job total | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional dig & replace | $50–$250 | $7,500–$30,000 | Severe damage, wrong slope or bellies, or easy open access |
| Trenchless pipe bursting | $150–$190 | $4,000–$20,000 | Pipe collapsed or badly deteriorated; full replacement needed |
| Trenchless pipe lining (CIPP) | $135–$150 | $4,000–$20,000 | Pipe mostly intact with cracks, leaks or moderate roots |
A published trenchless total for a 40–60 foot job is $4,000–$15,000. Sources survey different jobs, so their totals do not always match per-foot math. The calculator uses per-foot rates plus the add-ons you select.
Cost calculator
Typical costs for 2026 are in the table above. This tool adjusts them for your line. It reads the same published rates as the rest of this site.
Estimated cost $7,700 – $11,000
Typical midpoint ≈ $9,400
Tip: Pipe collapsed or badly deteriorated; full replacement needed.
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe work | $7,500 | $9,500 |
| Inspection | $100 | $500 |
| Permit | $100 | $1,000 |
| Cleanout | $0 | $0 |
| Restoration | $0 | $0 |
| Regional adjustment | ×1.00 | ×1.00 |
| Estimated total | $7,700 | $11,000 |
Totals round to the nearest 100 dollars. Regional adjustment is the location factor applied to pipe work plus add-ons.
Estimates only, based on published 2026 cost data. Actual prices depend on depth, access, soil and local code. Get 2–3 written quotes.
Pipe bursting replaces a failing sewer lateral by breaking the old pipe outward and pulling a new pipe into the same path. It is one of the two trenchless methods on the sewer line replacement cost guide. The other is lining. Bursting is the one you use when the old pipe cannot serve as a host.
The published rate is $150–$190 per foot. The calculator on this page starts on bursting.
Price per foot and job totals
| Scope | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Per foot | $150 | $190 |
| 50 ft of pipe work only | $7,500 | $9,500 |
| 50 ft with camera and permit, Midwest suburb | $7,700 | $11,000 |
| Published job total, many lengths | $4,000 | $20,000 |
A 40–60 foot trenchless job is often published at $4,000–$15,000. That is lower at the bottom than the per-foot math for 50 feet. Sources measure jobs differently, so treat both as reference points and let written bids settle it. The trenchless cost page puts bursting next to lining and next to digging with restoration.
Labor on these crews is often in the $60–$120 per hour band. The bid you sign is usually a job price, not an hourly tally. Use the job price.
What is included
Ask the bidder to check these lines. If a line is missing, the per-foot rate is not the bill.
- Camera inspection, published at $100–$500.
- Permit, published at $100–$1,000, often about $200.
- The new pipe and the bursting head.
- Access pits and closing those pits.
- A new cleanout if you need one, about $800–$3,000 (approximate).
- Any street cut, and who pays if that stretch is the city's.
Trenching-only rates of $4–$12 per foot describe excavation by itself. Do not add them on top of a bursting price. Bursting is chosen to avoid a full trench.
How pipe bursting works
Crews set two small pits, or one pit and a cleanout. A cleanout is a capped opening for access. A bursting head is pulled through the old pipe. The head breaks that pipe into the soil and tows the new pipe behind it. The ground between the pits stays closed.
The new pipe is usually HDPE (high-density polyethylene), a flexible plastic pipe that can be pulled through in one fused length. The installed bursting rate already includes that pipe and the work of placing it, so do not add a material price on top. Ask the bidder to name the pipe and its rated life on the quote.
Sharp bends can stop the head. A belly, which is a sag, stays a sag unless the path is dug and re-graded. Bursting replaces the pipe. It does not redesign the slope.
The process overview is on the how trenchless replacement works page.
Bursting vs lining
Lining costs $135–$150 per foot and needs a mostly intact pipe. Bursting costs more per foot and is for a collapsed or badly deteriorated pipe. On a 50-foot Midwest line with a camera and a permit, lining is about $7,000–$9,000 and bursting is about $7,700–$11,000. The comparison page walks through which video matches which method.
When to choose bursting
Choose bursting when the camera shows collapse or a pipe that is too far gone to host a liner, and the path is straight enough for the head. Choose a dig when the slope is wrong, a belly must be removed, or a bend blocks the burst. Choose lining when the pipe is still round and the problem is cracks, leaks, or moderate roots.
Orangeburg that has flattened is a frequent bursting or dig job, because a liner needs a round host. Cast iron that has rusted through in spots may still be lined if the barrel holds. The video decides. The age of the house does not.
Worked example
Take a 45-foot lateral in a major city in the South / Southeast, where the old clay pipe has collapsed in two places.
Low end: 45 × $150 = $6,750. Add $100 for the inspection and $100 for the permit to reach $6,950. The regional factor is ×1.00 and the city factor is ×1.10, so the rounded low end is $7,600.
High end: 45 × $190 = $8,550, plus $1,500 of inspection and permit, is $10,050. With the ×1.25 city factor it rounds to $12,600. The midpoint is $10,100.
How to save money
- Confirm the pipe truly needs bursting and cannot be lined.
- Get a dig bid that includes restoration, so the comparison is fair.
- Ask which pits are in a driveway and who patches them.
- Ask how the new pipe will be joined to the house drain and the city connection, and whether those joints are covered by the warranty.
- Ask for the permit and cleanout as their own lines.
Common questions
How much does pipe bursting cost per foot?
The published rate is $150–$190 per foot. On 50 feet, pipe work alone is $7,500–$9,500. Published job totals for bursting run $4,000–$20,000.
What is included in a pipe bursting price?
Ask whether the bid includes the camera, the permit, the new pipe, the access pits, and closing those pits. A permit is often about $200 inside a range of $100–$1,000. A new cleanout is about $800–$3,000 and that range is approximate.
When should I choose bursting instead of lining?
Choose bursting when the pipe is collapsed or badly deteriorated and you need a full new pipe. Choose lining when the pipe is mostly intact and the problem is cracks, leaks, or moderate roots. A belly or the wrong slope can rule both out.
Is pipe bursting cheaper than digging?
The per-foot dig rate starts lower, at $50, but restoration is extra. Bursting is $150–$190 per foot and usually skips a long trench. Compare the written totals after restoration, not the first number on the page.
How is the new pipe pulled through?
Crews dig two small pits, or use a pit and a cleanout. A bursting head breaks the old pipe outward while a new pipe is pulled into the same path. The yard between the pits stays closed. You still need a path that is not blocked by a sharp bend the head cannot pass.
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Sources
See how these ranges are built on the methodology page.