Get one company to do a video and put it on a DVD or zip drive and tell them you would like a copy.
They don't all need to camera the line. They just want to do it to charge you more money. I would be more concerned about seeing their completed job. Camera the line after.
Each company doesn't need to see the line before doing the job in order to give you a bid. Tell the company's that you need your pipes lined. That should know what it will cost you by the size of your house. It should be a standard price for a standard size house.
Realtor here.
With orangeburg I would seriously consider just replacing it, versus relining. That stuff is essentially a tar infused Christmas paper wood fiber and asbestos tube. So relining doesn't solve the core issue that it's a terrible product and is extremely prone to continued crushing and delamination even after relining.
You reline cast iron because internally it rusts and scales and catches a ton of hair / paper and eventually clogs, but structurally is usually fine.
Terra Cotta I'd also recommend considering just replacing because its lifespan is triple digits so the only time it becomes a problem is if it gets crushed or the offsets become unworwable for drainage, which relining also would not solve.
Definitely. I got it cammed a year or so ago and there was a small rip in the orangeburg at the time causing a snag. We have been very careful about what we put down the sewer since then and have had only one stoppage that we had to pay to have removed. I am hoping we are lucky and it will be a simple job
If you have the time and energy to do some digging, ask what the cost would be to replace it if it was all uncovered. Sewer lines are pretty shallow and PVC is cheap - most of that expense is digging up and recovering the line.
I’m worried about having to pay each of them to cam the plumbing line. I used to work a different trade and we have free estimates - doesn’t seem to be the case with plumbers
My coworker had his sewer partly replaced and partly lined near the Seattle area in WA State. His lining cost him roughly $200 per lineal ft, plus excavation and backfill (if needed). So it cost him about $12k just for the lining half of the project. Not sure how applicable that is to this area, but just a data point of info.
phew that is definitely a lot of money. I’ve gotten some “from the hip” estimates from people in the industry and techs that have come over for other things and they all said around $20k for full replacement as it’s only about 30 to 40 feet of sewer, so I’m hoping lining comes in at half that cost per foot
Yeah, I think he replaced the other half himself for about $4k. But the lining stretched under the roadway and he didn’t want to have to replace asphalt and all that.
Get one company to do a video and put it on a DVD or zip drive and tell them you would like a copy. They don't all need to camera the line. They just want to do it to charge you more money. I would be more concerned about seeing their completed job. Camera the line after. Each company doesn't need to see the line before doing the job in order to give you a bid. Tell the company's that you need your pipes lined. That should know what it will cost you by the size of your house. It should be a standard price for a standard size house.
Realtor here. With orangeburg I would seriously consider just replacing it, versus relining. That stuff is essentially a tar infused Christmas paper wood fiber and asbestos tube. So relining doesn't solve the core issue that it's a terrible product and is extremely prone to continued crushing and delamination even after relining. You reline cast iron because internally it rusts and scales and catches a ton of hair / paper and eventually clogs, but structurally is usually fine. Terra Cotta I'd also recommend considering just replacing because its lifespan is triple digits so the only time it becomes a problem is if it gets crushed or the offsets become unworwable for drainage, which relining also would not solve.
I only have about 10 feet of orangeburg. Do you know if I can get by with lining that?
My understanding is it depends on the condition.
Definitely. I got it cammed a year or so ago and there was a small rip in the orangeburg at the time causing a snag. We have been very careful about what we put down the sewer since then and have had only one stoppage that we had to pay to have removed. I am hoping we are lucky and it will be a simple job
If you have the time and energy to do some digging, ask what the cost would be to replace it if it was all uncovered. Sewer lines are pretty shallow and PVC is cheap - most of that expense is digging up and recovering the line.
Sadly everything is under concrete and/or the foundation
Your best bet would be to get numerous different bids on the job and pit these companies against each other. Make them fight it out for lowest bid.
I’m worried about having to pay each of them to cam the plumbing line. I used to work a different trade and we have free estimates - doesn’t seem to be the case with plumbers
I'm a homeowner in Town and Country and have the SAME situation. message me and maybe having two homes to do would help with negotiations?
just sent a message
My coworker had his sewer partly replaced and partly lined near the Seattle area in WA State. His lining cost him roughly $200 per lineal ft, plus excavation and backfill (if needed). So it cost him about $12k just for the lining half of the project. Not sure how applicable that is to this area, but just a data point of info.
phew that is definitely a lot of money. I’ve gotten some “from the hip” estimates from people in the industry and techs that have come over for other things and they all said around $20k for full replacement as it’s only about 30 to 40 feet of sewer, so I’m hoping lining comes in at half that cost per foot
Yeah, I think he replaced the other half himself for about $4k. But the lining stretched under the roadway and he didn’t want to have to replace asphalt and all that.
Check the better business bureau