Pipe bursting replaces a damaged sewer line without digging a trench. A bursting head fractures the old pipe outward into the surrounding soil while pulling a new HDPE pipe into the same path behind it. Trenchless sewer replacement - new pipe, no open trench.
What you are seeing
The sewer line needs replacement - not repair, not lining, not another cleaning. The camera shows damage too widespread or too advanced for a patch or a liner to solve. But the line runs under a driveway, a patio, mature landscaping, or a yard you do not want trenched from building to street.
Pipe bursting is the trenchless method that replaces the pipe entirely without opening a full trench above it. The old pipe is destroyed from the inside. A new pipe takes its place in the same path. The surface stays intact.
When bursting applies
Pipe bursting applies when the sewer line has failed beyond what lining can rehabilitate - the pipe is too deteriorated, too damaged at too many points, or too far gone for a liner to bond to. Bursting does not repair the old pipe. It destroys it and installs a completely new one.
The method requires the old pipe path to be navigable - clear enough for the bursting head to travel through, with no sharp bends or obstructions that would block its progress. The camera inspection determines whether the line qualifies.
What you walk away with
You walk away with a new HDPE sewer line - fused joints, no seams, corrosion-resistant - installed in the exact path of the old pipe. The old pipe is gone, fractured into the surrounding soil. The surface above the line is intact except for two small access pits at each end of the run. Camera footage verifies the new pipe from end to end before the pits are backfilled.
Problem
Replacement is the right scope. The camera has confirmed it - damage at multiple points, material failing systemically, a pipe that is not a candidate for lining. The question is not whether to replace the line. The question is whether the replacement has to involve trenching the full length of the yard.
Conventional sewer replacement means opening a trench from the building to the street, removing the old pipe, installing new pipe at grade, backfilling, compacting, and restoring the surface. On a line under open yard, that process is straightforward - disruptive but manageable. On a line under a concrete driveway, a paver patio, a sidewalk, or established landscaping with mature root systems, the trenching and restoration can cost as much as the pipe work. Sometimes more. Pipe bursting eliminates the trench. Instead of digging down to the old pipe from above, the method works through the pipe path itself. A bursting head - a cone-shaped tool slightly larger in diameter than the existing pipe - is pulled through the old line from one end to the other. As it travels, it fractures the old pipe outward into the surrounding soil, displacing the fragments. Attached behind the bursting head is the new pipe - typically HDPE high-density polyethylene - which is pulled into position in the same path as the old pipe exits it. By the time the bursting head reaches the far end, the old pipe is gone and the new pipe is in place. The only excavation required is two access pits - one at the launch end and one at the receiving end of the run. These pits are typically 3 to 4 feet square and deep enough to access the pipe at each connection point. The bursting equipment enters at one pit and exits at the other. Everything between the pits happens underground, through the existing pipe path, with no surface disturbance above.
Solution
Sewer pipe bursting starts with a camera inspection after jetting. The camera documents the pipe's internal condition, the path alignment, and every factor that determines bursting viability: pipe material, diameter, joint conditions, presence of bends or offsets, and whether the path is clear enough for the bursting head to travel the full run.
If the line qualifies, the crew digs two access pits - one at the building end typically near the cleanout and one at the receiving end near the city connection or property line. A pulling cable is threaded through the old pipe from one pit to the other. The bursting head is attached to the cable along with the new HDPE pipe fused behind it. As the cable pulls the bursting head through the old pipe, the head fractures the old pipe outward and the new pipe slides into position in the cleared path. The pull is continuous - old pipe out, new pipe in, same path, single operation.
After the new pipe is in place, the connections are made at each end - to the building's cleanout on one side and the city main or lateral tie-in on the other. The camera runs the full length of the new pipe to verify grade, joint integrity HDPE fused joints have no seams, and overall installation quality. The access pits are backfilled and the surface is restored at those two points only. The rest of the surface - the driveway, the patio, the yard between the pits - was never touched.
Fit and situation bullets
Problem bullets
Customer Feedback
See what customers say after pipe bursting — from the trenchless evaluation and structural replacement recommendation to the clear communication on property impact, timeline, and verified condition of the new line.
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 sewer line to assess bursting viability - pipe path alignment, material, diameter, joint conditions, and any bends or obstructions that would block the bursting head. Post-installation camera pass verifies the new HDPE pipe from end to end.
Jetting and camera on every call
Hydro jetting equipment deploys on every service call. The line must be cleared before the camera can accurately assess whether the path supports the bursting head - root mass, debris, or buildup can obscure the conditions that determine viability. Jetting and camera happen in the same visit.
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. Even on a line headed for bursting, the pre-replacement camera inspection needs clean pipe walls to evaluate path alignment and identify any conditions that would block the pull.
20+ years combined field experience
Two decades evaluating sewer lines for trenchless viability - the judgment to know when bursting fits, when lining is sufficient, when neither method works, and when the honest recommendation is conventional excavation regardless of the homeowner's surface preservation preference.
Licensed and insured
Licensed for sewer, drain, and drainage system work covering trenchless replacement, access pit excavation, backfill, connection work, and conventional dig-and-replace if the line does not qualify for bursting.
A pipe bursting job is a full sewer line replacement completed through the existing pipe path. Here is what happens from camera assessment to new pipe in the ground.
You leave the job with a brand new HDPE sewer line in the exact path of the old pipe, camera footage verifying the installation end to end, connections confirmed at both the building and the downstream tie-in, and the surface between the access pits completely untouched.
Pipe bursting is one trenchless method - specifically the replacement method. If the line might qualify for lining instead, or if bursting turns out not to be viable, these services cover the alternatives.
Evidence
Next Service RouteSewer Camera InspectionIf no camera has been run yet, start here. Sewer camera inspection documents the pipe condition and path alignment that determine whether bursting, lining, or conventional excavation is the right method - the assessment that has to happen before any trenchless decision is made.
Next Service RouteCIPP Sewer RepairCIPP sewer repair covers cured-in-place pipe lining - the trenchless method that repairs the existing pipe from the inside instead of replacing it. If the pipe is damaged but still structurally viable as a host, lining may be sufficient and bursting may not be necessary.
Next Service RouteSewer ExcavationSewer excavation for sewer line replacement when the pipe path does not support bursting - sharp bends, severe offset obstructions, or conditions where the bursting head cannot complete the pull and conventional trenching is the only path to new pipe.Scope and timing
Cost
Support
These are the quick answers most people want before they call, book, or decide on the next step.
Pipe bursting is a trenchless sewer replacement method that replaces a damaged sewer line without digging an open trench. A cone-shaped bursting head is pulled through the old pipe, fracturing it outward into the surrounding soil, while a new HDPE high-density polyethylene pipe is pulled into the cleared path behind it. The only excavation required is two small access pits at each end of the run.
A sewer camera inspection after jetting determines whether the pipe qualifies for sewer pipe bursting. The old pipe path must be clear enough for the bursting head to travel through - no sharp bends, no obstructions that would block the pull, and no conditions at the access points that prevent the equipment from entering. Lines that are collapsed in a way that blocks the path or have severe directional changes may not qualify. The camera footage shows the conditions and determines viability before any commitment.
The crew digs access pits at each end of the sewer line, threads a pulling cable through the old pipe, and attaches the bursting head and new HDPE pipe. As the cable pulls the bursting head through the old pipe, it fractures the pipe outward and the new pipe follows into the cleared path. Once the pull is complete, the new pipe is connected at the building cleanout and the city main, and a camera verifies the installation end to end.
Pipe bursting cost depends on the linear footage being replaced, the pipe diameter, the depth at the access pits, and the connection work at each end. Bursting typically costs more per foot than conventional section repair but eliminates full-trench excavation and surface restoration costs - making it the less expensive total option on lines under driveways, patios, or established landscaping. Mountain West provides a scope and estimate after the camera inspection confirms bursting viability.
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 across sewer repair and replacement methods - including how pipe bursting compares to conventional excavation when surface restoration costs are factored into the total.
Compare Options
Breaks down the tradeoffs between trenchless methods lining, bursting and conventional dig-and-replace - when each method fits and what usually drives the decision.
Service Explainer
Explains the conditions that move a sewer replacement from trenchless to conventional excavation - what the camera has to show before digging becomes the only viable path.
