Open the ground or not
Trenchless versus open-cut sewer repair
Open cut digs up the line. Trenchless tries to line or replace it with less trench. Neither is automatically cheaper, and neither is automatically allowed by the condition of the pipe.
Start with the video. A liner needs a host pipe. A collapse may force a dig. Pits at each end are still digging. In Aurora, if those pits or the tap are in the street, the owner's duty on the wastewater page includes the street repair. Say that in the quote. The method page is trenchless repair. The ownership page is who owns the line.
No city program pays for the method. No success rate is printed here.
Questions to settle first
Which one should I buy?
The one the video supports. If the pipe is round enough to line, ask for pit locations and restoration. If it is collapsed, ask for the open repair and the same restoration. Two prices that hide the street patch are not comparable.
Does trenchless mean the city does the work?
No. Aurora's free offer is a review of your video, not a lining crew. You still maintain the service line to the tap. The method is a contractor's tool. Ask them to write that limit into the quote before you compare it with another company.
Are pits a trench?
They are holes. Ask how many, how wide, and who fills them, including asphalt. A no-dig slogan that still needs two pits in the parking strip is an open-cut job at the ends. Ask them to write that limit into the quote before you compare it with another company.
