PlumbingCost of Drain Cleaning in Atlanta, 2026
Snaking vs. hydro-jetting, main-line pricing, and when a camera inspection is worth it.
Typical: $150 – $350
The short answer
Full sewer line replacement from house to street, professionally installed in Chicago:
Typical range
$2,000 – $7,500
What most Chicago homeowners pay for a full replacement
Average cost
≈ $4,500
National average is $3,319 (Angi, 2026); Chicago's deep lines and older pipe run higher
Per linear foot
$50 – $250
Open trench $50–$250/ft · trenchless $60–$250/ft, before restoration
Sewer quotes swing more than almost any other home project — line length, depth, method and what's sitting on top of the pipe all move the price. Never sign without a camera inspection first. Prices vary by home and contractor.
A failing sewer line announces itself in the least welcome ways: drains backing up across the house, a sewage smell in the basement, a mysteriously lush strip of lawn. Chicago makes the problem more common than most cities — huge numbers of homes here were built before 1950 with clay or cast-iron laterals that are now 75+ years old, and our freeze-thaw cycles and deep frost line work against them every winter.
Nationally, sewer line replacement runs $1,388–$5,323, averaging about $3,319 (Angi, 2026). Chicago jobs typically land higher — $2,000–$7,500 for a full replacement — because lines here are buried deeper to clear the frost line, and many run under driveways, parkways and sidewalks. This guide prices each method per foot, shows what a complete quote includes, and explains when a partial repair or lining is the smarter spend.
Sewer line replacement cost by method
| Method | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Open trench — full replacement | $50 – $250 / ft | The only option for collapsed or badly sloped pipe; total typically $2,000–$7,500 |
| Pipe bursting (trenchless) | $60 – $200 / ft | Pulls a new pipe through the old one; minimal digging, two access pits |
| CIPP pipe lining (trenchless) | $80 – $250 / ft | New pipe cured inside the old one; can't fix collapse or sags |
| Partial / spot repair | $150 – $3,800 | Fixes one damaged section when the rest of the line is sound |
| Section under a concrete slab | $300 – $350 / ft | Breaking and restoring concrete is what makes this section so expensive |
| Camera (video) inspection | $100 – $500 | Should come before any quote — get the footage and the written findings |
Per-foot prices include materials and labor from Angi and HomeGuide 2026 data. A typical 40-foot residential run prices at $2,000–$10,000 depending on method and depth (HomeGuide).
What a Chicago quote should include
| Line item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Camera inspection & written diagnosis | $100 – $500 |
| New pipe (PVC) + excavation or trenchless install | $50 – $250 / ft |
| City of Chicago sewer permit | $200 – $1,000 |
| Street / sidewalk opening & traffic control (if the line reaches the main) | $500 – $2,000 |
| Backfill, grading & basic yard restoration | $1 – $25 / sq ft |
| Sewage cleanup, if a backup already happened | $500 – $10,000 |
Ask who owns the line where. In Chicago the homeowner is responsible for the private drain from the house to the city main connection — including the stretch under the parkway and sidewalk — which is why street work can appear on your quote.
What drives the price up or down
Length & depth of the run
Price is quoted per foot for a reason. Chicago lines are buried deep — commonly 8 feet or more to stay below the frost line — and deep trenches need shoring and more machine time, pushing per-foot prices toward the top of the range.
What's on top of the line
A line under open lawn is the cheapest dig there is. The same line under a driveway, mature parkway tree, porch or garage slab adds demolition and restoration — and a slab section alone runs $300–$350 per foot.
Pipe material & condition
Chicago's oldest laterals are clay tile or cast iron. Root-cracked clay that's still round can often be lined; a collapsed or bellied (sagging) section can't — lining follows the old pipe's shape, so a sag stays a sag. Collapse forces excavation.
Trench vs. trenchless
Trenchless methods price higher per foot ($60–$250) but often lower per project: no driveway to rebuild, no landscaping to restore, and the job finishes in a day or two instead of the better part of a week.
Permits & street work
If the damaged section reaches the city main, the work enters the public way: Chicago permits, possible street or sidewalk opening fees, and traffic control. This is the line item most often missing from the first, cheapest quote.
Damage cleanup
If sewage has already backed up into a finished basement, cleanup is its own project — $500 for a small utility area, up to $10,000 with flooring, drywall and mold remediation. It's priced separately from the pipe work.
DIY vs. hiring a pro
Do it yourself
$1,500 – $4,000 in rentals & materials
- Mini-excavator rental, shoring, pipe and fittings add up fast
- Chicago requires permitted work by licensed sewer contractors for work in the public way
- Trenches 8+ feet deep are a genuine collapse hazard without shoring
- Wrong slope (too flat or too steep) fails inspection and clogs forever
- You still need a camera to know what you actually fixed
- Sewage exposure is a real health risk, not just unpleasant
Hire a licensed sewer contractor
$2,000 – $7,500 installed
- Camera diagnosis first, so you pay to fix the real problem
- Licensed for Chicago permits and public-way work
- Trenchless equipment (bursting heads, lining systems) you can't rent easily
- Correct slope, bedding and backfill — passes city inspection
- Restoration of yard, sidewalk or driveway included or quoted upfront
- Most jobs finished in 1–4 days with a workmanship warranty
Our take: this is the least DIY-able job in this entire guide series. The digging is deep, the permits are mandatory, and a sewer sloped wrong by half an inch is a permanent problem buried under your yard. Spend DIY energy on getting the camera footage and two competing quotes instead — that's where homeowners actually save money on this job.
How to pay less without cutting corners
- Never skip the camera inspection. It costs $100–$500 and routinely saves thousands: half of "full replacement" quotes shrink to a spot repair ($150–$3,800) once someone actually looks inside the pipe. Get the video file and the written findings — they're yours.
- Price trenchless against open trench honestly. Trenchless looks expensive per foot, but add the driveway or landscaping restoration to the trench quote before deciding — the totals often cross.
- Ask about repair and lining before replacement. Root damage in an otherwise round pipe may need only cleaning and a liner. A contractor who only sells excavation will not volunteer this.
- Confirm the line-item split on city work. Permit, street/sidewalk opening and traffic control should be visible in the quote. They're the classic day-two "discovery" charges.
- Check your homeowner's insurance. Standard policies exclude the pipe itself, but many cover the resulting water/sewage damage — and a service-line endorsement (often $30–$60/year) can cover the replacement itself on future failures.
- Time it, if you can. A slow drain in October is a scheduled job at scheduled prices. The same line fully collapsed in January, with sewage in the basement, is an emergency job at emergency prices — plus cleanup.
Frequently asked questions
How much does sewer line replacement cost in Chicago?
Most Chicago homeowners pay $2,000–$7,500 for a full replacement, with per-foot prices of $50–$250 for open trench and $60–$250 for trenchless methods. The national average is $3,319 (Angi, 2026); Chicago runs higher because lines are buried deeper and much of the housing stock has 75+ year-old clay laterals.
How do I know if my sewer line actually needs replacing?
The honest answer comes from a camera inspection ($100–$500), not from symptoms alone. Recurring backups, gurgling drains, sewage odors and soggy patches are warning signs, but the camera shows whether you're dealing with roots (cleanable), cracks (linable), a sag (repairable in sections) or collapse (replacement). Get the footage before approving any five-figure quote.
Trenchless or open trench — which is better in Chicago?
Trenchless wins when the pipe is damaged but still round and correctly sloped, and when the line runs under a driveway, porch or landscaping you want to keep. Open trench is required for collapsed or bellied pipe, and can be cheaper per foot on a short, shallow, open-lawn run. A good contractor quotes both and shows you why.
Who is responsible for the sewer line in Chicago — me or the city?
The homeowner owns and maintains the private drain from the house all the way to its connection with the city main — including the portion under the parkway and sidewalk. The city maintains the main itself. That's why permits and sometimes street-opening costs appear in a homeowner's quote.
How long does a sewer line replacement take?
Trenchless jobs (bursting or lining) typically finish in 1–2 days. Open-trench replacement usually takes 2–4 days depending on depth, length and how much surface has to be restored afterward. Your water and drains are usually back in service at the end of each working day or via a temporary bypass.
Does homeowner's insurance cover sewer line replacement?
Usually not the pipe itself — wear and tear is excluded on standard policies. Damage caused by a backup may be covered if you carry water backup coverage, and many insurers sell a service-line endorsement (often $30–$60 per year) that covers the line. Worth adding after this repair, while you qualify.
Disclaimer: Prices on this page are researched estimates compiled from published national cost data (Angi, HomeGuide — checked October 2026), shown as ranges, not quotes. Actual prices vary by home, contractor, and market conditions. Always confirm the full scope of work and the final price in writing before any work begins.