Pipe relining vs digging up the yard: which is right for you?

If a camera inspection shows a cracked, root-damaged or broken sewer or stormwater pipe, there are two ways to fix it: reline it from the inside, or dig it up and replace it. This guide explains how each works, when relining isn't possible, and how to decide. It's written by the local plumbers who inspect and repair drains every week across Matraville, Maroubra, Malabar, Botany and the southern Eastern Suburbs.

How pipe relining works

• Inspect: a camera goes through the pipe to find every crack, root entry and damaged joint.
• Clean: a high-pressure jetter cuts out roots and build-up so the liner can bond to clean pipe.
• Reline: a resin-soaked liner is pulled or inverted into the pipe and pressed against the old wall.
• Cure and check: the resin sets hard, forming a new pipe inside the old one, and a final camera run confirms the result.

Patch relining or full relining?

Relining vs digging: side by side

• Your yard: relining needs only the existing access points. Digging means a trench through lawn, garden, paving or driveway.
• Time: most relining jobs are done in a day. Digging can take longer, plus the time to restore the surface.
• Roots: a liner seals the joints roots get in through. New PVC pipe does too.
• Restoration: relining leaves nothing to fix afterwards. With digging, paving, concrete and gardens need to be put back.
• Best for: relining suits cracked, leaking or root-damaged pipes that still hold their shape. Digging suits collapsed or badly sagging pipes.

When relining isn't possible

• The pipe has collapsed or is badly crushed, so a liner can't pass through.
• The pipe has sunk or sagged so far that water pools in it (a "belly").
• There's no access point to reach the damaged section.
• The pipe needs to be moved or regraded, for example for an extension.

In those cases a section is dug up and replaced, and the rest of the line can often still be relined.

Relining in southern Eastern Suburbs homes

Many homes in Matraville, Maroubra, Malabar, Pagewood and Botany still have their original clay sewer pipes, often running under driveways, paved courtyards or established gardens. That makes relining a good fit for a lot of local homes: it fixes the pipe without lifting the paving. Sandy soil near the coast also lets pipes shift, which cracks joints over time.

Pipe problems? See our pipe relining, CCTV drain inspection and blocked drains services, our guides to drains that keep blocking and tree roots in pipes, or your local page: Matraville, Maroubra, Malabar, Pagewood, Eastgardens, Botany and Little Bay. More plumbing guides.