Patch lining a single defect
A patch is a short resin sleeve cured across one crack or open joint. It is the cheapest structural repair because there is no excavation, no reinstatement and it is usually done in a single visit. The variables are access, the depth of the pipe and whether the run needs cutting or cleaning before the patch can bond.
Full length relining
Where joints have opened along a whole run, patching each one costs more than lining the lot. A full liner is priced per metre, and the figure depends on pipe diameter, the number of bends, junctions that must be reinstated afterwards and how much cleaning the bore needs first.
Excavation and replacement
- Depth: a pipe a metre down is a different job to one three metres down.
- What is on top: a lawn reinstates cheaply, a block driveway or a public footway does not.
- Traffic and permits: work in a road brings road space costs and NRSWA requirements.
- Spoil and disposal: material has to be taken away and the trench backfilled properly.
- Length: replacing two metres of collapsed pipe is not the same as ten.
Why no-dig is usually the cheaper answer
The pipe itself is rarely the expensive part. Digging, reinstating the surface and disposing of spoil are. Anywhere a liner can be used, the saving comes from leaving the ground undisturbed, which also matters in conservation areas and on any property where the run passes under a structure.
When lining will not work
A fully collapsed section leaves nothing for the liner to form against, and a pipe that has been crushed or has lost its fall needs relaying rather than sealing. In those cases excavation is not the expensive option, it is the only one that fixes the problem.
Questions we get asked
How long does a lined pipe last?
A correctly installed liner is a long term structural repair, and it gives a smooth continuous bore with no joints for roots to enter.
Do I need planning permission or a road permit?
Not for lining on private property. Excavation in an adopted road requires the correct NRSWA notices and permits, which we hold the accreditation for.
Can you line a pipe with roots in it?
The roots have to come out first by cutting or milling. Lining over live roots is not a repair and will fail.
Will the repair be guaranteed?
Repairs are carried out to the relevant standards by the same team that surveyed the run, and we are covered by £5 million public liability insurance.