Sewer Line Replacement in Plano, TX
Responsible Master Plumber Bradley Earp, M-43562 · $97 diagnostic · $425/ft tunneling · $180/ft trenching · financing available · 15% off same-day approval
Much of Plano was built between 1970 and 1995, and a lot of those homes still drain through their original cast iron or clay sewer line. When that line cracks, sags or fills with roots, we replace it with new PVC at a published per-foot price, tunneling under your slab so your floors stay intact.
- Licensed & Insured (TSBPE M-43562, Responsible Master Plumber Bradley Earp)
- $97 Diagnostic
- Upfront Pricing
- Certified Price Review
- ★ 4.8 on Google
Why Plano sewer lines are failing now
Plano grew fast. The city had 17,872 residents in 1970, 72,331 in 1980 and 128,713 in 1990 (U.S. Census). The houses built for that boom are now 35 to 55 years old, and so are the sewer pipes under them.
The age of the neighborhood tells us what we'll probably find:
- Old Towne and the Haggard Addition (built about 1947–1970). Ranch and minimal-traditional homes east of Central Expressway. Expect cast iron under the house and clay or cast iron out to the main, often with decades of root intrusion.
- Belle View Estates (1958–1965), North Forest Estates (1962–1963) and Briarwood (1962–1973). Plano's first postwar ranch neighborhoods. Cast iron drains under the slab are the norm at this age, and many are now scaling, cracking or channeling along the bottom.
- Dallas North Estates (west of US-75; the subdivisions in the city's 2023 survey were platted 1970–1975 and 99.8% built out by 1988). One-story brick ranch and L-plan homes. Cast iron under slab and a mix of clay and early plastic out in the yard.
- Park Forest and Los Rios (1970s to late 1980s). Most were built as cast iron gave way to plastic. We still find original cast iron, plus bellied or separated joints where the clay soil has moved.
Signs your Plano sewer line needs replacing, not another cleaning
You've had the main line cleared more than once in a year.
Several drains back up together, or the lowest drain (usually a tub or shower) gurgles when the washer drains.
Sewer smell inside, or a soggy, extra-green strip in the yard between the house and the street.
A camera shows a broken, collapsed or bellied pipe, heavy scale in cast iron, or roots coming through joints.
If only your house backs up, the problem is almost always in your line. If your neighbors are backing up too, or sewage is coming out of a manhole, call the City of Plano first; that’s the public main.
Who owns which part of the line in Plano
The City of Plano maintains the public sewer main. The line from your house out to the point the City maintains is yours. When Plano launched its service line program, the City Manager put it this way: many residents don’t realize they’re responsible for the sewer and water lines between their houses and the point of utility maintenance.
Plano's Water and Sewer Design Manual calls for a double cleanout where each lateral connects to the main, between the sidewalk and the property line, and specifies 4-inch PVC SDR-35 for single-family laterals. Many older Plano lots were built before that standard and have no cleanout near the street. We add one as part of the replacement so the next problem is easy to reach.
How we replace a Plano sewer line
- Camera inspection and locate. We run a sewer camera from your cleanout (or pull a toilet if there isn't one), record the footage, and mark the line and depth on the surface. You get the video. See sewer camera inspection.
- Written, itemized quote. Feet of tunnel, feet of trench and number of access holes, each at our published price. No hourly billing.
- Permit. We pull the City of Plano plumbing permit and schedule the inspection.
- Tunnel under the slab. For the part of the line under your house we dig an access pit outside and tunnel beneath the foundation, so we don’t jackhammer your floors, cabinets or tile.
- Trench the yard. The part from the house to the street is an open trench, which costs much less per foot.
- New PVC, tested. New PVC that meets the City's specs, a two-way cleanout, a water test for the inspector, then backfill and compaction under the slab so the foundation is supported.
Where the old pipe is still round and the route is open, trenchless pipe bursting can replace a yard section without a full-length trench.
Plano clay soil and your foundation
North Texas clay swells when it's wet and shrinks in drought. That movement is a main reason sewer lines belly and pull apart at the joints, and it's why we compact the tunnel backfill in lifts. Our floor-plan estimator adds 10% where expansive clay requires extra work; we'll tell you on site if your lot needs it. If you've had foundation repair, tell us; lifting a slab can break a sewer line under it.
What sewer line replacement costs in Plano
We publish our prices. Every sewer job is built from three numbers:
Example (illustration only, not a quote): a single-story 1970s Plano ranch with 40 feet of line under the house, 1 access hole and 30 feet of yard line works out to 40 × $425 + 1 × $1,150 + 30 × $180 = $23,550. Approve it the same day and it’s $20,017.50.
Your real price depends on where your bathrooms are, where the line exits and how deep it runs. Pick your floor plan in our sewer line cost calculator for a range in about a minute, then we confirm the exact footage with a camera on site.
Start with a $97 diagnostic
Every job starts with a $97 diagnostic, a camera inspection or walk-through as needed, and a written quote before work begins. We’re open Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday.
Already have another quote? Send it to us.
Certified Price Review: We’ll match or beat apples-to-apples plumbing scopes. Send us a written, itemized sewer line estimate from another licensed plumber. We compare scope, installation method, materials, access/excavation, warranty and diagnostics. If the work is directly comparable, we may adjust our price. Verbal or incomplete estimates may not qualify, and a review doesn’t obligate us to match. See program terms →
Financing: Larger jobs like sewer replacement and repipes can be split into monthly payments, subject to credit approval. See financing options →
Save 15% when you approve the same day. Approve your written quote the day we give it to you and we take 15% off.
Plano sewer line replacement FAQs
How much does sewer line replacement cost per foot?
Our published prices are $425 per foot for tunneling under the slab, $180 per foot for open trenching in the yard, and $1,150 per access hole. Most jobs mix the three. Your final price is confirmed in writing after an on-site inspection, usually with a camera, before any work starts.
Does the City of Plano pay for any part of my sewer line?
The City maintains the public sewer main. The line from your house to the point the City maintains is the property owner's, including the part under the slab. If several neighbors back up at once, call the City; that points to the main.
Do I need a permit to replace a sewer line in Plano?
Yes, sewer replacement is permitted and inspected work. We pull the permit and meet the inspector.
Do you have to break up my floors?
Usually not. We tunnel under the slab from outside the house. Floors, cabinets and tile stay in place. Rarely, a short indoor access hole is the cheaper option, and we'll show you both prices.
How long does a Plano sewer replacement take?
You'll get a written schedule with the quote. Most replacements finish in a few working days, plus the City inspection.
Does homeowners insurance cover a broken sewer line?
Some policies cover sudden damage, but wear, age and roots usually aren't covered. Call your insurer before work starts. We give you camera video and an itemized quote you can send them.
Is cast iron under my Plano slab worth replacing all at once?
If the camera shows scale, cracks or channeling in several places, replacing the whole run is usually cheaper than paying for repeated spot repairs and access holes. See our Plano cast iron pipe replacement page.