What Is CIPP Pipe Lining?

CIPP stands for cured-in-place pipe. It is a method of rehabilitating an existing drain or sewer pipe from the inside, without excavating along the pipe run. A flexible liner is inserted into the deteriorated pipe, pressed against the pipe wall, and hardened in place to form a new structural surface bonded to the host pipe. The result is a pipe within a pipe — the old host pipe remains in the ground, and the new liner provides a smooth, sealed, structurally reinforced interior surface.

Get a Free Trenchless Pipe-Lining Quote

Send us your details and a Delaware County trenchless specialist will get back to you — no charge, no obligation.

Name *

Phone *

Email *

Service address *

What do you need?

Describe the issue

CIPP is used on residential sewer laterals, commercial drain lines, and storm drainage pipe. It is not a patch or a surface coating. When properly installed, the liner itself is load-bearing and chemically resistant to the conditions inside a sewer pipe.

How the Liner and Resin Work

The liner material is typically a felt tube — woven polyester or fiberglass mat — that has been saturated with a thermosetting resin, most commonly an epoxy or vinyl ester compound. In its pre-cure state, the resin-saturated liner is flexible and can be pulled or inverted through bends and gradual changes in direction inside the existing pipe. Once in position, the liner is inflated with air or water pressure, pressing the resin-saturated material firmly against the interior wall of the host pipe. Heat — from hot water, steam, or UV light depending on the system — triggers the resin to cure and harden. The cured liner bonds to the host pipe and becomes rigid.

The practical result: the liner goes in flexible, cures to a solid structural surface, and the resulting material is chemically resistant to the hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid that corrodes cast iron and clay sewer pipe from the inside. The cured surface is also smooth and continuous with no joints — which eliminates the gap points where roots enter clay tile and older cast iron lines.

The Installation Process Step by Step

Camera inspection: The pipe is inspected to document condition, confirm it holds its shape well enough to accept a liner, and identify any sections that need pre-treatment. Fully collapsed sections or large joint offsets are flagged at this stage and addressed before lining proceeds.
Cleaning: The pipe interior is cleaned — typically by hydro-jetting — to remove grease, scale, debris, and root material. A liner installed over contaminated pipe walls will not bond properly.
Liner insertion: The liner, pre-saturated with resin, is pulled or inverted into the pipe from an access point. For residential laterals, access is typically through an existing cleanout or a small excavated entry pit at one end of the run. No trench is cut along the pipe path.
Inflation: The liner is inflated with air or water pressure, pressing it uniformly against the pipe wall. The liner conforms to the interior surface of the host pipe, including bends and gradual directional changes.
Curing: Heat or UV light is applied to cure the resin. Cure time depends on the system and resin used — UV cure systems are generally faster than hot-water or steam cure systems.
Final camera inspection: After cure, the pipe is re-inspected by camera to confirm the liner is fully bonded, with no delaminations or folds, and that service connections along the run have been reinstated.

Which Pipe Materials CIPP Works In

CIPP can rehabilitate several host pipe materials:

Cast iron: The most common CIPP application in Delaware County’s pre-1960 housing stock. CIPP addresses H2S pitting, crown corrosion, and cracking without excavation. The liner reduces the interior diameter slightly — relevant for 4-inch lines but generally acceptable for residential drainage.
Clay tile: Common in laterals from homes built between 1940 and 1970. Clay tile joints are the primary entry point for tree roots. CIPP seals all joints continuously, eliminating that intrusion path going forward.
Orangeburg pipe: A compressed paper-and-pitch product used from the 1940s through the 1960s. Orangeburg deteriorates over time, losing its round shape and delaminating. CIPP can rehabilitate Orangeburg that has softened but not yet collapsed.
PVC: CIPP can be installed in PVC pipe, though PVC does not corrode and is less commonly lined unless it has been mechanically damaged or has joint problems from soil movement.

What CIPP Cannot Fix

CIPP is not appropriate for every pipe condition. There are specific situations where lining is not viable and excavation is the correct repair:

Fully collapsed pipe: A liner cannot be inserted or inflated through a section where the pipe has lost its shape. Collapsed sections require excavation and replacement before lining can proceed on the remaining run.
Large joint offsets: If pipe joints have shifted significantly out of alignment — one pipe end has moved laterally or vertically relative to the next — the liner cannot bridge the gap without creating a void or fold. Large offsets require physical realignment or replacement of the affected section.
Active intrusion through a broken pipe crown: If the top of the pipe has broken away and soil is actively entering, the liner cannot cure correctly against loose soil. The broken section needs to be excavated and stabilized before lining can proceed.
New branch connections needed: CIPP rehabilitates the existing pipe path. If the drain system needs a new branch connection added or relocated, that requires physical access to the pipe — not lining.

Expected Lifespan

CIPP liner manufacturers typically claim a service life of 50 years under proper conditions — that is a manufacturer claim based on testing and accelerated aging models, not a guarantee for any specific installation. Actual longevity depends on soil conditions, what flows through the pipe, and the quality of the installation. CIPP installations from the 1980s and 1990s — the early years of the technology — remain in service today, providing some real-world reference beyond manufacturer testing alone.

CIPP in Delaware County Context

Delaware County has a high concentration of pre-1960 homes throughout its boroughs and townships — Havertown, Drexel Hill, Upper Darby, Clifton Heights, Chester, Lansdowne, Sharon Hill, Yeadon, Collingdale, Norwood, Morton, and others. Cast iron interior drain pipe and clay tile or Orangeburg laterals are the norm in those homes, not the exception. Most of those pipe runs are candidates for CIPP lining if they have not already failed structurally.

A homeowner with a 1950s or 1960s Delaware County home who has never had the sewer lateral camera-inspected is operating without information about a system that is at minimum 55 to 75 years old. Camera inspection establishes the actual condition. If lining is viable, it extends the life of the lateral without the cost and disruption of full excavation. If the pipe is too far deteriorated, excavation and replacement is the correct path — and the camera footage establishes that too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CIPP lining require a permit in Delaware County PA?

Permit requirements vary by municipality. Some townships and boroughs in Delaware County require a permit for sewer lateral work including relining. We identify the applicable requirements before the project begins and handle the permit application where required. Do not assume lining is permit-exempt — check with the applicable township or borough before work starts.

Can CIPP lining be done in sections, or does it have to cover the full lateral?

CIPP can be installed in sections. If camera inspection shows that part of a lateral is in good condition and only a specific section is deteriorated, a partial-run liner can be installed covering only the affected section. This is more cost-effective than lining the full run when only a portion needs repair.

How long after CIPP lining before the drain can be used?

Return to service depends on the cure method and the resin system used. For most residential installations, the pipe is returned to service the same day — typically within a few hours of the cure being confirmed by final camera inspection. Your contractor should give you a specific timeline based on the system being used for your project.

Advanced Drains and Underground Solutions performs CIPP pipe lining on residential and commercial drain lines throughout Delaware County PA. We are based in Springfield and Aston. Call 1-855-DONT-DIG to schedule a camera inspection and find out whether your lateral is a lining candidate.