How much pipe has failed
One root-filled joint is a short section. Cast iron scaled or cracked along most of its length is a different job, and fixing it one spot at a time can cost more over a few years than replacing the run once. A camera look shows how many problem spots there are; a quote without one is a guess.
Under the slab or in the yard, and how deep
A yard break is reached by digging from the surface. A break under the house is reached by cutting the floor or tunneling under the slab, usually the bigger job. Depth changes along the run because the pipe slopes toward the street, and deeper means more digging. A camera with a locator marks the spot and its depth before anyone digs.
The repair method
Spot repair. One bad section is dug out and replaced; it fits when the rest of the line is sound. Tunneling. A pit beside the foundation and a tunnel under the slab reach the pipe while the floors stay in place. Cutting the slab. The floor is opened over a short section and patched, and the flooring in that spot is replaced. Full replacement. The run under the house, the yard line, or both. Pipe bursting. A new pipe is pulled through the old one with a pit at each end; it follows the old path, so it won’t fix a line that has sunk out of slope. We don’t do pipe lining, and if a liner would suit your line better, we’ll tell you.
Cast iron, clay and the age of the house
Plastic drain pipe wasn’t allowed in homes under most plumbing codes until the early 1970s, and about 40% of Houston’s housing was built between 1940 and 1979, so many homes here have cast iron under the slab. Cast iron pipe replacement cost depends on how much has failed, not on age alone: the soil decides how fast it corrodes from outside. Older yard lines may be clay, which can crack and let roots in.
Houston clay and bellies
Much of Houston sits on Beaumont Formation clay that swells when wet and shrinks in drought. Over years that can open a joint or let a section sink into a belly that holds waste. Re-laying it at the right slope is the repair.
Cleanout access and what’s on top
A working cleanout gives the camera and crew a clean way in; adding one can be part of the repair (see sewer cleanout installation). A driveway, patio, mature tree or planted bed over the line adds work to cut and restore, and tile or wood floors inside tip the choice toward tunneling.
Insurance
The Texas Department of Insurance says most homeowner policies don’t cover wear and tear, and sewer or drain backup coverage is an optional add-on. Call your agent before the work starts.
Sources: Contractor magazine, plumbing the past 70 years · U.S. Census Bureau, ACS, year structure built (Houston) · Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, soils test · Houston Geological Society, Beaumont clay · Texas Department of Insurance, home insurance guide. Updated November 2026.
