Lining Your Sewer vs. Installing a New One: An Honest Comparison for Pittsburgh Homeowners

Lining Your Sewer vs. Installing a New One: An Honest Comparison for Pittsburgh Homeowners

If you’ve been told you need a major sewer repair, you might be stuck wondering whether to line your existing pipe or just replace it altogether. It’s a big decision — and depending on who you talk to, you might get two completely different answers.

At Revelation Plumbing, we pride ourselves into giving all the options upfront so you can make an informed decision. Let’s walk through the real pros and cons of lining your sewer vs. installing a brand-new one — and what tends to work better here in Pittsburgh.

What is sewer lining, really?

Sewer lining, sometimes called CIPP (cured-in-place pipe), is a trenchless repair method that involves inserting a flexible liner coated with epoxy into your old sewer pipe. Once it’s in place, it’s inflated and cured to harden into a new pipe inside the old one.

It sounds great — and in the right situation, it is. But there’s a catch.

Sewer lining does not fix low spots (bellies), open holes, or pipes that are completely broken or collapsed. If your sewer has sections where water collects — or worse, if there are holes in the bottom of the pipe — lining will just cover the problem, not fix it. Water will still sit in the belly, and sewage can continue to leak through broken areas.

For liners to work properly, the existing pipe needs to be mostly intact and properly sloped.

When does sewer lining make sense?

If your sewer pipe has cracks, slight root intrusion, or corrosion — but is otherwise in decent shape — lining can be a smart choice. It’s less invasive than digging and can be done quickly without tearing up your yard, driveway, or sidewalk.

If your house sits on the high side of the street, has steep front steps, or large retaining walls, digging up your sewer line can quickly turn into a major (and expensive) construction project. In these cases, sewer lining is often the smarter choice because it allows the repair to be done without tearing through hillsides, concrete, or structural walls. It’s a less invasive solution that can save you thousands in restoration costs while still restoring flow and sealing cracks — as long as the pipe is structurally sound.

It’s ideal for fixing specific types of damage in pipes that are still structurally sound. If that’s the case, lining gives your old pipe a new life, and the liner itself can last several decades.

But again — no matter how good the sales pitch sounds, liners won’t do a thing for sagging, misaligned, or collapsed pipes.

What about full sewer replacement?

When the pipe is badly deteriorated, full of holes, back-pitched, or holding standing water, replacement is almost always the better route. This means digging out the old pipe and installing a new PVC line from the house to the street or main connection.

It’s more work upfront, but you're getting a fresh start — a completely new line with the proper slope, flow, and long-term reliability. No guessing, no patchwork, no surprises a year down the line.

This is especially important in Pittsburgh, where many homes still have old clay or cast iron sewer lines from the early 1900s. By the time these fail, they usually need to be replaced, not patched.

So, which one’s better?

The honest answer is: it depends on what’s going on underground.

If your pipe is structurally sound and just needs a little TLC, lining might work well. But if your pipe has bellies, holes, or major damage, lining won’t help — and could leave you with ongoing problems and wasted money.

We’ve seen homeowners pay thousands for a liner only to find out later that their sewer is still backing up because of a belly or hole that was never addressed.

That’s why we always recommend doing a proper sewer camera inspection first. We’ll show you exactly what’s happening in your line and explain what options you have — without pressure or scare tactics.

Here's what we look at when making a recommendation:

• Is the pipe structurally sound or falling apart?

• Are there bellies (low spots) that hold water?

• Any holes, offsets, or full collapses?

• What’s your budget, and how long do you plan to stay in the home?

• Is the current pipe material safe to build on?

No two homes are the same, and no sewer fix should be treated like a one-size-fits-all solution.

Need help figuring it out?

At Revelation Plumbing, we don’t just throw you the most expensive option and call it a day. We take the time to look, explain, and help you make the decision that’s best for your home.

We do both trenchless sewer lining and full replacements — so we’ll never try to sell you one option over the other just to make a sale. We just want to get your home back to normal, the right way.

If your sewer is acting up and you’re not sure what you need, let’s schedule a camera inspection and get a real answer.

Revelation Plumbing – serving Pittsburgh with honesty, experience, and solutions that actually work.

412-518-7170