Pipe Bursting in Philadelphia, PA
Your broken clay or cast-iron lateral gets replaced with new HDPE pipe — pulled underground through the old line, no trench across the yard. Two small pits. That's it.
Burst the old, pull the new
A hardened bursting head is fed through your existing lateral. As it travels, it fractures the old clay or cast-iron pipe outward into the surrounding soil and pulls a brand-new HDPE pipe in right behind it — same path, stronger pipe, no trench.
Camera first
We inspect the full lateral on camera before quoting anything. Bursting only works if the head can travel the line — we confirm that up front, not mid-job.
Two pits
Small entry and exit pits are dug — one at the house end, one at the far end near the curb. Everything between stays untouched.
The pull
The bursting head breaks apart the old pipe and pulls the new HDPE pipe through in one continuous run. No joints for roots to find.
Reconnect & verify
Both ends are tied into your house line and the city connection, the camera goes back through to verify, and the pits are backfilled.
Sound familiar?
This is how our calls usually start, in the caller's own words.
“Roots in our sewer line — again”
Another rowhome where the clay lateral's joints are nothing but root entrances now. Snaking buys weeks. Bursting replaces the pipe those roots are living in.
“Sewage is backing up into the bathrooms”
When backups keep returning after cleanouts, the line itself is usually compromised — cracked, offset, or partly collapsed. Bursting gives you a new pipe.
“PWD sent us a Notice of Defect”
The city found your lateral leaking or broken and you own the fix — including the curb trap under the pavement. Bursting resolves it without tearing up the street front.
“The pipe is just done”
Multiple breaks, separated joints, sections that have settled apart — when the camera shows damage everywhere instead of one bad spot, spot repairs stop making sense.
What bursting fixes — and where it stops
It fixes
- Broken, cracked, root-destroyed clay or cast-iron laterals — the standard Philly rowhome pipe, 1900s–1950s vintage.
- Misaligned or offset pipe sections that catch waste and back up the bathrooms.
- Undersized laterals — bursting can pull in a larger pipe than the one it replaced.
- Root-prone joints — the new HDPE run is continuous, so there are no joints left for roots to exploit.
Honest limits
- It needs pulling room. Entry and exit pits have to go somewhere. Party-wall rowhomes with zero yard can be a challenge — the camera visit tells us what's workable.
- A fully collapsed or severely offset section can stop the bursting head. The camera confirms the head has a travel path before we commit.
- A sagging belly that holds water is a grade problem — bursting follows the old line's path, so a bad grade stays a bad grade. Severe bellies may need a dug section.
In Philadelphia's rowhome blocks, bursting earns its keep: the pits go in a small front areaway or at the curb, and the 40–80 feet of lateral under the sidewalk and street never sees a shovel. Where the run passes under pavement, we handle the street-opening permits and price them into the written quote.
What it costs in Philadelphia
Pipe bursting, priced per foot
Every bursting job is quoted per foot of pipe after a camera inspection — in writing, before you approve. Pennsylvania law caps deposits at one-third of the contract price on home-improvement contracts over $5,000. We never ask for more — and your quote is in writing before you approve anything.
Compare methods: Pipe Bursting · Pipe Lining (CIPP) · Sewer Camera Inspection · Full cost guide
Straight answers before you call
Usually, yes — clay tile is bursting's home turf. The head fractures brittle clay and cast iron outward and pulls new HDPE in behind it. The camera inspection confirms the head has a travel path before we commit to anything.
No — that's the point. Bursting needs an entry pit and an exit pit, and everything between them stays untouched. Your yard, sidewalk, and street front survive the job.
Often, if the bursting head can still travel the line. A fully flattened or severely offset section can stop the head — the camera tells us which one you're looking at before any work starts.
Many residential bursting jobs finish in a day once the line is prepped; longer runs or heavy root clearing can take more. You get a real timeline after the camera run, not a guess over the phone.
Bursting replaces the pipe entirely and can upsize it; CIPP lining builds a new pipe inside the old one and needs a host pipe to cure against. The camera footage decides which one your lateral qualifies for.
Pipe Bursting across Philadelphia
Based in Philadelphia and running jobs across the metro — Delaware County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, and Chester County. Philadelphia is the home base: every neighborhood, from South Philly to the Northeast.
South PhiladelphiaCenter CityFishtownNorthern LibertiesManayunkWest PhiladelphiaNortheast Philadelphia
Related servicesPipe's done? Replace it without the trench.
One camera inspection tells us if your lateral is a bursting candidate — and we'll show you the footage, not just tell you.
[[ADDRESS]] · Philadelphia, PA · Open 24 hours · PA HIC #[[HIC_NUMBER]]