Pipe Bursting in Burbank & Los Angeles
Replace a failed sewer lateral with new pipe without trenching your driveway, lawn, or slab the whole way.
What is pipe bursting?
Pipe bursting is a trenchless replacement method. Instead of digging the length of the old pipe, we dig two small pits — one at each end — and pull a bursting head through the existing line on a cable.
The head splits the old clay or cast iron outward into the surrounding soil and drags a new seamless HDPE pipe in behind it in the same pass. You end up with a brand-new line on the same path, usually the same diameter or one size larger.
This is the method to use when the old pipe is too far gone to line — collapsed sections, offset joints, or a lateral crushed flat under a driveway. Lining needs a host pipe to bond to. Bursting does not.
The trade-off is access. We need room for the entry and exit pits and a clear pull path. If the lateral runs under a structure or has hard bends, we will tell you straight and price an open-cut section instead of overselling the method.
How does it work?
- 1
Camera and locate first
The line is inspected and the path marked on the surface so you know exactly where the two pits go before any ground opens.
- 2
Dig entry and exit pits
Two small pits are excavated, typically at the house connection and near the city main or property line, instead of a trench down the whole run.
- 3
Pull the bursting head through
A cable is winched from pit to pit. The head fractures the old pipe outward while the new HDPE pipe is pulled in directly behind it in one continuous length.
- 4
Tie in, test, and restore
The new line is connected at both ends, camera verified and flow tested, then the pits are backfilled and compacted and the surface restored. We pull permits and meet inspection.
Reviews
What neighbors say about our pipe bursting work
“Old clay line under the driveway had collapsed. Two pits, new pipe pulled through, driveway untouched. Saved me a concrete job.”
“They showed me the camera footage first and explained why lining would not work on my pipe. No pressure, just facts.”
“Permits, inspection, and cleanup all handled. Yard looked better after than before.”
Service area
Pipe Bursting near you
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