Sewer Line Replacement in Richardson, TX
Responsible Master Plumber Bradley Earp, M-43562 · $97 diagnostic · $425/ft tunneling · $180/ft trenching · financing available · 15% off same-day approval
Richardson was the first big postwar suburb north of Dallas, and many of its homes still run on sewer lines from the 1950s and 1960s. We camera the line, show you exactly what's broken, and replace it with new PVC at a published per-foot price.
- Licensed & Insured (TSBPE M-43562, Responsible Master Plumber Bradley Earp)
- $97 Diagnostic
- Upfront Pricing
- Certified Price Review
- ★ 4.8 on Google
Richardson homes and the age of their sewer lines
Richardson's housing boom started the year Central Expressway reached town. The first Richardson Heights homes broke ground in 1954, and neighborhoods kept spreading north from there one decade at a time. That history tells us a lot before we ever run a camera:
- Northern Hills and Richardson Heights (late 1940s–1950s). Northern Hills Addition was Richardson's first postwar development. Richardson Heights, just west of US-75 by the CORE District, is a grid of 1950s–1970s ranch homes. At 65+ years old, the original sewer lines here are past their expected life, and we expect cast iron under the slab and clay in the yard.
- The Terrace Addition (1950s, east Richardson). Built in the same wave as the Heights, with the same pipe-age concerns.
- The Reservation (Estates North, from 1962). Early 1960s ranch homes; cast iron under the house is the norm.
- Canyon Creek (mid-1960s through the 1970s). North of Campbell Road and west of US-75, built around Spring Creek and the old Canyon Creek Country Club. Big lots and mature trees mean long yard runs and serious root intrusion.
Richardson’s two-way cleanout rule: whose problem is it?
Richardson is clearer than most cities about this. The homeowner is responsible for the sewer line from the house to the City's two-way cleanout. If the City installed that cleanout, the City maintains the line from the cleanout to the main. If the stoppage is between the cleanout and your house, it's yours to fix, and the City has no obligation to clear it.
So the first question on a Richardson call is: do you have a City two-way cleanout near the property line? If you don't, the City runs a two-way cleanout installation program; check cor.net for the current terms. If you do, we open it to see which side of it the problem is on. That one step can save you thousands.
Signs it’s time to replace, not clean again
Backups that come back within months of a cleaning
Gurgling toilets when the washer or tub drains
Sewer smell, slow drains throughout the house, or a wet strip in the yard
Camera video showing collapsed clay, offset joints, bellies or heavy cast iron scale
Big trees between the house and the street (common in Canyon Creek and Richardson Heights)
How a Richardson sewer replacement works
- Camera and locate. We run a camera from your cleanout and mark the route and depth. You keep the video. See sewer camera inspection.
- Itemized quote. Feet of tunnel, feet of trench, number of access holes, each at our published price.
- Permit and inspection. We pull the City of Richardson permit and meet the inspector.
- Tunnel the indoor run. We tunnel under the slab from outside so your floors stay intact.
- Trench the yard run out to the City cleanout or the main connection.
- New PVC, tested and backfilled. Water test for the inspector, compacted backfill under the slab.
For long yard runs under mature trees, trenchless pipe bursting can replace the yard section without a full-length trench.
Richardson soil, trees and slab movement
The expansive clay under Richardson moves with every wet spring and dry August. Combined with mature oaks and pecans, that's the most common cause of the bellies and root-filled joints we see in 1950s–70s lines. Our floor-plan estimator adds 10% where expansive clay requires extra shoring or compaction. If your house has had foundation piers installed, tell us before we price the job.
Sewer line replacement cost in Richardson
Example (illustration only, not a quote): a 1960s Richardson ranch with 30 feet under the house, 1 access hole and a 40-foot yard run: 30 × $425 + $1,150 + 40 × $180 = $21,100, or $17,935 with same-day approval.
For a range for your floor plan, use our sewer line cost calculator. If another plumber already quoted you, enter their footage in the calculator and send the estimate to our Certified Price Review.
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.
Richardson 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.
Who is responsible for my sewer line in Richardson?
You're responsible from the house to the City's two-way cleanout. If the City installed the cleanout, the City maintains the line from the cleanout to the main. A blockage between the cleanout and your house is the homeowner's to fix.
I don't have a cleanout near the street. What now?
Richardson has a two-way cleanout installation program; check the City's website for current terms. If we replace your line, we install a two-way cleanout so the boundary is clear and future cleaning is easy.
Will you have to tear up my floors?
Usually not. We tunnel under the slab from outside the house. If an indoor access hole would be cheaper for your layout, we'll show you both options and prices.
How long does it take?
You'll get a written schedule with the quote. Most replacements finish in a few working days, plus the City inspection.
Can tree roots really break a sewer pipe?
Roots don't usually break sound pipe; they find the joints in old clay and cast iron, grow in and widen the gap. New PVC with solvent-welded joints is far more root-resistant.