Main line sewer replacement for primary sewer runs that have failed beyond repair - collapsed clay, corroded cast iron, delaminated Orangeburg, or PVC lines with damage at multiple points. We camera the full run, confirm the replacement scope, and install new pipe from building to street.
What you are seeing
You have already had the line cleaned. Maybe more than once. The backups come back. A camera shows cracks at multiple joints, a section of collapsed pipe, or material so deteriorated the camera cannot even pass through. Someone has already told you the line needs to be replaced - or you are starting to suspect it yourself.
Main line sewer replacement is the service that comes after repairs stop holding. The pipe material has failed systemically, and the only path to reliable drainage is removing the old line and installing a new one.
When replacement is the right call
Replacement applies when the camera shows failure across the full run or across enough of it that repairing individual sections costs more than replacing the line. Common triggers are clay pipe with root penetration at every joint, cast iron with corrosion along the full length, Orangeburg that is collapsing under its own weight, or a line that has already been spot-repaired multiple times and keeps failing at the next weak point.
What you walk away with
You walk away with a new sewer line from the building to the street, camera footage confirming the installation, proper grade and joint integrity documented on video, and a clear understanding of the replacement material, depth, and connection points. The old line - and the cycle of repeated failures - is out of the ground.
Problem
Replacement is not the first option. It is where property owners end up after the first option - and sometimes the second and third - did not hold. By the time main line sewer replacement is on the table, the line has usually been cleaned, scoped, maybe spot-repaired, and it is still failing.
The decision to replace a main sewer line usually follows a pattern. The first backup gets cleaned and everything seems fine. Weeks or months later, it backs up again. A camera inspection shows a cracked joint, a root mass, or a bellied section. A spot repair fixes that section. Then the next section fails. At some point, the camera footage tells the story clearly: the pipe material itself is done. Every joint is compromised, the walls are thinning, or the line has lost grade in multiple places. Repairing one section just moves the next failure a few feet down the line. This is especially common in Northern Utah homes built before the 1970s. Clay and Orangeburg were standard sewer pipe materials in that era, and both have finite lifespans. Clay cracks and separates at joints as soil shifts over decades. Orangeburg - a tar-impregnated fiber pipe - softens, deforms, and eventually collapses under soil weight. Cast iron lines from the same era corrode from the inside out, thinning the pipe walls until they crack or perforate. These are not defects that developed from one event. They are the material reaching the end of its service life. The cost of continuing to repair a line in this condition usually exceeds the cost of replacing it within two to three repair cycles. Each repair requires excavation, backfill, and restoration - the same site work a replacement requires, just repeated at a smaller scale each time.
Solution
Main line sewer replacement begins the same way a repair does - with a camera inspection of the full run. Even if a previous camera report exists, the current condition needs to be documented before the replacement scope is set. Pipe deterioration progresses between inspections, and the scope has to reflect what the line looks like today.
Once the camera confirms the replacement scope, the work plan is built around three variables: how much pipe is being replaced, what the access conditions are, and what method fits the line. Conventional replacement means excavating a trench along the pipe path, removing the old line, installing new pipe at proper grade, backfilling, compacting, and restoring the surface. Trenchless replacement - pipe bursting - pulls new pipe through the path of the old one with less surface disruption, but the existing line has to meet specific conditions to qualify. The camera inspection determines which method is viable.
On a full-run replacement, the new pipe connects to the building's main cleanout on one end and the municipal sewer tap or septic tank on the other. Every connection, joint, and grade change is verified. After installation, the camera runs the full length of the new line to document proper slope, joint integrity, and clean interior walls - footage the property owner keeps as a baseline for the life of the new pipe.
Fit and situation bullets
Problem bullets
Customer Feedback
See what customers say after a main line sewer replacement — from the scope of the project and timeline communication to the honest explanation of why replacement was the right call over repair.
Leave a Review!Amazing experience! They are knowledgeable, kind, courteous and very thorough. Our clogged kitchen pipe was a bit of a challenge but they kept going and did everything they could to get it unclogged and they did it! They were very upfront with what caused the clog, gave us video recording of our pipes so we can see exactly what was done, double checked to make sure the pipes were clean and free of clogs and gave us steps on how to maintain the pipes moving forward. Highly recommend!!
I had an Emergency pipe back up AJ and Jake came snaked and got it all jetted out and cleaned up quick and for a really fair price! Anyone in need I would highly recommend
Very professional, quick and efficient work definitely would recommend
Highly recommend, very quick and easy to work with crew, drain cleaned my main sewer line professionally and well done.
This company is Awesome!!! Highly recommend that you call them for your drain cleaning and power washing needs! A++ in service, cost, and quality of work. Alex and Jacob completed drain work, patio cleaning, and filled in cracks in cement. The patio looks brand new! Thank you Alex and Jacob!!!
Alex was very good to work with. They were professional and punctual, working around my schedule. They were able to show me exactly before and after, even showing footage inside my pipes, which I have never seen before. I would recommend them.
Why Mountain West
Camera rated to 200 feet
Documents the full main sewer run before the replacement scope is set and again after the new pipe is installed - giving the property owner verified footage of every joint, connection, and grade change in the new line.
Jetting and camera on every call
Hydro jetting equipment deploys on every service call. On replacement jobs, jetting clears the remaining flow path so the pre-replacement camera inspection captures true pipe condition, not just the debris sitting in front of the worst section.
3,850 PSI jetting capability
Clears lines 2 to 12 inches in diameter at 3,850 PSI and 8 GPM with 300 feet of reach. On a full-run replacement, this ensures the line is cleared and inspected end to end before the old pipe comes out of the ground.
20+ years combined field experience
Two decades of main line replacement work across clay, cast iron, Orangeburg, and PVC - including the field judgment to determine when a line has crossed from repairable to replacement territory and which method fits the site.
Licensed and insured
Licensed for sewer, drain, and drainage system work including excavation, trenching, backfill, compaction, concrete, and asphalt work. Every phase of a main line replacement falls within the licensed scope.
A main line replacement is a multi-step job. Here is what happens on site from start to finish.
You leave the job with a new main sewer line, verified camera footage of the completed installation, and a clear record of every connection point and grade change - documentation that serves as proof of work and a condition baseline for years to come.
Not every main line failure requires full replacement, and some replacement decisions involve additional services. These are the most common next steps property owners review alongside or instead of a full-run replacement.
Evidence
Next Service RouteSewer Camera InspectionIf you have not had the line scoped yet, start here. Sewer camera inspection documents exactly where the damage is, how far it extends, and whether the line still has repairable sections - the information that determines whether replacement is actually the right call.
Next Service RouteTrenchless Sewer RepairTrenchless sewer repair replaces the pipe by pulling new line through the old path with less excavation. Not every line qualifies - the camera inspection determines viability - but when it fits, it means less surface disruption and faster completion.
Next Service RouteSewer ExcavationSewer excavation covers the access, trenching, backfill, and surface restoration side of a replacement job. When the main line is too deep, too collapsed for trenchless, or runs under hardscape, excavation is how the new pipe gets into the ground.Scope and timing
Cost
Support
These are the quick answers most people want before they call, book, or decide on the next step.
A main sewer line should be replaced when the pipe material has failed across the full run or across enough of it that repairing individual sections costs more than installing a new line. Common triggers include clay pipe with root intrusion at every joint, cast iron with systemic corrosion, Orangeburg that is deforming under soil weight, or a line that has already been spot-repaired multiple times and continues failing at adjacent sections.
Main line sewer replacement involves a camera inspection of the full run to confirm the replacement scope, removal of the failed pipe, installation of new pipe at proper grade with verified connections at the building and the municipal tap, backfill and compaction of the trench, surface restoration, and a post-installation camera pass to document the completed work.
Main line sewer replacement cost depends on the total length of pipe being replaced, the depth of the line, the replacement method - conventional excavation versus trenchless - and the surface restoration required. Lines under open yard cost less to replace than lines under concrete driveways, sidewalks, or landscaping. Mountain West provides a detailed scope and estimate after the camera inspection confirms the replacement boundaries.
Most residential main line sewer replacement jobs take two to five days depending on the length of the run, the depth of the pipe, and the surface conditions above it. A straightforward replacement in open yard at shallow depth can finish in two to three days. Deeper lines, lines under hardscape requiring concrete removal and restoration, or full-run replacements on longer properties take longer. Trenchless replacement typically completes faster when the line qualifies.
Related Reading
These follow-up reads stay close to this service and answer the pricing, warning-sign, process, and comparison questions that usually come next.
Cost Question
Covers the cost variables on sewer repair and replacement - depth, access, pipe material, method, and what drives the difference between a minor repair quote and a full replacement estimate.
Warning Signs
How to read the warning signs that point to a broken pipe - and when those signs suggest the damage has progressed beyond a single-section repair.
Service Explainer
What to expect from a sewer repair or replacement visit - the process from camera inspection to completed work and the questions worth asking before signing off.
