Replace Your Sewer Line Without Digging a Trench
The result is a completely new sewer lateral, occupying the same route as the original, requiring only two small access pits rather than a trench running the full length of your yard.
We provide pipe bursting services for residential and commercial properties across Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington, Swartz, Calhoun, and all of Ouachita Parish.
When Pipe Bursting Is the Right Solution
Pipe bursting is not the right answer for every sewer problem, but for certain situations it is the ideal solution.
You have Orangeburg pipe
Orangeburg pipe, widely installed in Monroe homes built between 1945 and 1972, cannot be reliably lined in most cases because it has deformed into an oval or irregular shape. The CIPP lining process requires a pipe that retains enough of its circular shape to accept the liner and allow it to press evenly against the pipe walls. Orangeburg that has flattened or deformed significantly does not meet that requirement. Pipe bursting bypasses this problem entirely by shattering the old pipe and pulling new pipe into place behind the bursting head.
Your pipe has collapsed sections
A pipe that has collapsed in one or more places cannot be lined. Pipe bursting works regardless of the condition of the host pipe because the bursting head breaks through whatever is in its path.
Your pipe has multiple severe failure points
When a camera inspection shows damage spread across the full length of the line, replacing the entire pipe in a single operation makes more economic sense than addressing individual sections repeatedly.
You want to upsize the pipe diameter
Pipe bursting can install a new pipe that is slightly larger than the old one, which is useful for older homes where the original pipe was undersized or where flow capacity improvements are wanted.
Traditional excavation would cause major disruption
If your sewer line runs under a driveway, a patio, established landscaping, or close to the foundation, pipe bursting preserves all of that while still delivering a completely new sewer line.
How Pipe Bursting Works
Step 1: Camera Inspection
We run a camera through the sewer line to map the full route of the pipe, confirm the locations of any connections that need to be reinstated, and verify that pipe bursting is the appropriate method for your specific situation.
Step 2: Access Pit Excavation
We excavate two small pits. One at the entry point near the house and one at the exit point near the city main connection. These pits are typically two to four feet wide and deep enough to reach the pipe. This is substantially less excavation than a full trench but it is the access the equipment requires.
Step 3: Equipment Setup
We thread a steel cable through the existing pipe from the exit pit to the entry pit. A cone shaped bursting head is attached to the cable at the entry pit. New HDPE pipe is attached behind the bursting head.
Step 4: Pipe Bursting
A hydraulic pulling machine in the exit pit pulls the cable, drawing the bursting head through the old pipe at controlled speed. As the bursting head moves through, it fractures the old pipe outward into the surrounding soil. Behind it, the new HDPE pipe is pulled into the space created. The old pipe fragments are pushed into the soil around the new pipe and remain there permanently.
Step 5: Connection Reinstatement
Once the new pipe is in place, we connect it to the house plumbing at one end and the city sewer main at the other. Any service connections along the line are reinstated.
Step 6: Final Camera Inspection
We run the camera through the new pipe to confirm correct installation, proper grade, and clean interior before closing out the job.
Step 7: Access Pit Backfill and Permit Closeout
We backfill the access pits in properly compacted lifts, restore the surface, and close out the Ouachita Parish permit with the required inspection.
Why HDPE Pipe Is the Right Material
The new pipe installed during pipe bursting is high density polyethylene, commonly called HDPE. It is the standard material for pipe bursting applications and for good reason.
HDPE is flexible enough to be pulled through the old pipe route without damage but rigid enough to maintain its shape once installed. It is chemically resistant to the gases and materials present in sewer systems. Its interior surface is extremely smooth, which promotes flow and resists buildup. And its joints are heat fused rather than mechanically connected, creating a bond as strong as the pipe itself with no gaps or offsets for roots to exploit.
HDPE pipe is rated for 50 or more years of service under normal ground conditions.
Pipe Bursting Cost in Monroe, LA
Pipe bursting for a residential sewer lateral in Monroe typically costs between $4,000 and $12,000 depending on the length of the line, pipe diameter, depth, and access conditions. Compared to traditional full excavation, pipe bursting often produces similar or lower total costs when you account for the surface restoration expenses that traditional excavation requires.
We provide free written estimates after camera inspection. You know the full cost before any work begins.