To put things simply, the equipment and skill required for trenchless pipe repair will usually cost marginally more than up-front dig-and-replace repairs.

The average cost for trenchless pipe repair is typically around $6,000-$15,000, while traditional dig-and-replace repairs are usually between $4,000-$13,000 (the larger cost range accounting for manual digging, depth, and pipe location). 

However, this cost can as much as triple when streets, utilities, sidewalks or driveways lie above the broken pipe. Displacing or restoring these ground-level fixtures can run traditional pipe repair costs as high as $55,000, if not more. In these instances, the cost of trenchless pipe repair remains the same; as digging is no longer necessary, trenchless specialists can fully repair your damaged pipe without unnecessarily digging an inch of soil.

When it comes to pipe repair, the most expensive factors aren’t the machinery or materials used, but the uprooting, landscaping and lawn damage that ensues.

Traditional, dig-and-replace pipe repair: $50-250 per foot, resulting in roughly $3,000-$6,000 for small jobs, and $4,000-$13,000 for repairs over 50 feet. Any additional landscaping, road closure, utility mapping and labor will contribute a great deal to the total cost.

Trenchless pipe lining: Relining your damaged lateral or sewer pipe will typically cost $80-250 per foot, with an average of around $160 per foot. For standard residential sewer lines, repair costs can vary depending on circumstance. In most cases, homeowners pay between $6,000 and $15,000 to repair critical sewer pipes.