Trenchless Pipe Bursting in Delaware County, PA

When a sewer lateral has collapsed, scaled shut, or deteriorated beyond what lining can save, pipe bursting is the cleanest replacement method available. We pull a new HDPE line through the old pipe in a single pass from two small access pits — no trench across the lawn, no tearing up the driveway. For Delaware County homeowners dealing with failed clay tile, cast iron, or Orangeburg-era laterals, it is usually the fastest path from a non-functioning pipe back to a normal house.

How Pipe Bursting Works

A hydraulic or pneumatic expander head, slightly larger in diameter than the finished pipe, is pulled through the old line by a steel cable anchored at the destination pit. As the head advances, it fractures the old pipe wall outward into the surrounding soil while simultaneously pulling the new HDPE or fused-PVC pipe behind it. The result is a new, jointless sewer lateral in the same path as the old one, installed in a matter of hours rather than days.

Because the expander head displaces — rather than removes — the old pipe material, the surrounding soil absorbs the fragments. This works best in the sandy-loam and clay soils common across Delaware County. It is not appropriate if the old pipe has completely separated and shifted significantly off-line, or if root mass is so heavy it has plugged the bore path entirely. A camera inspection before bursting tells us which scenario we are dealing with.

When Delaware County Homes Need Pipe Bursting

Homes built in Delaware County between roughly 1945 and 1965 — the peak of post-WWII residential construction across Springfield, Drexel Hill, Havertown, and the townships along Baltimore Pike — typically have one of three pipe types: salt-glazed clay tile, cast iron soil pipe, or Orangeburg (bituminous fiber). All three have a finite service life.

• Clay tile: Bell-and-spigot joints held with oakum and lead. Roots find the joints. Pipes crack under shifting soil or the weight of vehicles over shallow laterals.
• Cast iron: More durable than clay but corrodes from the inside out, especially under high-use fixtures. Scale buildup chokes flow before the pipe physically fails.
• Orangeburg: Made from layers of pitch-impregnated wood fiber, pressed to a circular cross-section. Delco homes built 1945–1960 commonly have it. After 50–60 years underground it absorbs moisture and deforms from round to oval or kidney-shaped. Lining an oval Orangeburg is difficult; bursting and replacing it is usually the correct call.

If your camera shows an oval bore, deep pitting on cast iron walls, or root intrusion at multiple clay joints over a 20-foot span, we will typically recommend bursting rather than a patch or lining.

Twins, Rows, and Shared Laterals

Throughout Havertown, Drexel Hill, Upper Darby, and the older sections of Springfield, attached twins and row homes are common. Many were built with a single shared lateral serving both halves of a twin — one pipe, two households, one owner-responsibility question that too many people discover only when the line backs up. Before bursting a shared lateral, we identify the responsible party, confirm right-of-way across the neighbor’s property, and size the new pipe for combined flow. We have done this in Haverford Township and Upper Darby Township multiple times. If your neighbor is also overdue for lateral replacement, coordinating a single burst can cut the per-household cost significantly.

What the Day Looks Like

Camera inspection happens first — either the day before or that morning. We locate the start and end pits (typically one near the house cleanout, one at the curb or property line), excavate to pipe depth, thread the cable through the existing bore, and begin the pull. Depending on the lateral length, most residential burst jobs run four to six hours from pit open to backfill. We do not leave an open trench overnight on a working street.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between pipe bursting and pipe lining?

Pipe lining (CIPP) installs a resin-saturated liner inside the existing pipe, leaving the old pipe shell in place. It requires the original pipe to still have a roughly circular cross-section and adequate wall integrity to support the liner. Pipe bursting physically replaces the old pipe entirely and works on pipes that have deformed, settled, or deteriorated too far for lining to adhere correctly.

Can you burst a pipe under a concrete driveway or patio?

Yes. That is one of the primary use cases — if a lateral runs under a driveway, bursting means we excavate only the entry and exit pits rather than sawcutting a trench the full length. We have burst laterals under driveways in Springfield and along row-house blocks in Drexel Hill where cutting the concrete would have meant replacing a large slab at the homeowner’s expense.

Is pipe bursting covered by homeowner insurance?

Coverage depends entirely on your policy and the cause of failure. Most standard homeowner policies do not cover gradual deterioration of the sewer lateral, but a backup caused by a sudden external event may qualify. We can provide a written scope of work and cost breakdown that your insurance adjuster can use. We do not bill insurance directly and do not inflate scopes to match claim limits.

If your sewer camera shows a pipe that is past repair, call us at 1-855-DONT-DIG. We serve Springfield, Drexel Hill, Havertown, Media, Aston, and every corner of Delaware County.