MAIN SEWER LINING — NEW PIPE INSIDE THE OLD ONE

Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining is one of the most under-appreciated upgrades in residential plumbing. If you have an older cast iron or clay sewer line that's cracked, corroded, or experiencing root intrusion — but still structurally intact enough to pull a liner through — CIPP gives you a brand-new pipe without digging up the yard, driveway, or landscaping. You end up with a seamless epoxy pipe inside the old one, jointless, 50-year lifespan, and it happens in a single day.

The process is mechanical and precise. A felt tube saturated with two-part epoxy resin is inverted (turned inside-out) into the host pipe using air or water pressure. Once the liner is fully seated against the inside of the old pipe, we cure it — steam, hot water, or UV light depending on the liner type. Curing takes 2-4 hours. Once cured, the liner is hard, smooth, seamless, and chemically bonded to the old pipe. It becomes the new pipe. The old pipe around it just becomes casing.

When CIPP lining is the right call

1. Root intrusion through joints or small cracks — lining seals every joint and seam in one continuous pipe
2. Cast iron mains with tuberculation and corrosion — the liner restores smooth flow and eliminates scale buildup
3. Clay lateral lines with crumbling joints — common on Salt Lake homes built pre-1955
4. Minor cracks, offset joints, or hairline fractures — liner bridges them without digging
5. Lines under driveways, concrete patios, mature trees — where the cost of excavation and restoration exceeds the lining price
6. Multi-unit buildings, HOAs, commercial — lining avoids disrupting tenants and businesses

When CIPP lining isn't enough

We run the pre-line camera scope and tell you honestly. If the pipe is fully collapsed, pancaked, or severely offset — the liner can't seat properly and we need pipe bursting or excavation instead. If there's a major belly in the line causing chronic water pooling, lining won't fix the slope issue (the new pipe follows the old pipe's path). For a pipe where 70%+ of the wall is intact and the problem is cracking, small roots, or age-related corrosion, lining is the fastest, cheapest, least-invasive permanent fix.

What you get when the job's done

The cured liner is smooth, seamless, and resin-bonded to the host pipe. Internal diameter is reduced by about 1/4" (negligible for flow), but the new pipe wall is actually stronger than the original cast iron and won't corrode or crack. Lifespan is 40-50 years per manufacturer warranty. Valley includes a 10-year workmanship warranty on top of that. Post-cure camera scope is included so you see the new pipe end-to-end before final payment.

Typical residential job on a 60-80 foot main runs $6,500-$12,500 all-in — permit, access pit, liner install, cure, final inspection, and site restoration. Faster than traditional excavation (1 day vs 2-4), less expensive on any lot with hardscape or landscaping, and the warranty math is identical. If your mainline is old but not collapsed, this is usually the smartest fix.