Drain Relining vs Excavation: Which Drain Repair Do You Need?

Drain relining repairs a cracked, leaking or root-damaged pipe from the inside by curing a resin-soaked liner in place, without digging. A patch repair does the same for one short defect. Excavation means digging down and replacing the damaged length. Choose relining where the pipe still holds its shape, and excavation where it has collapsed, is badly deformed or sits at the wrong fall. Our drain relining service always starts with a CCTV survey to show which applies.

This guide gives you a decision matrix by defect, explains when a liner won't work, sets out UK drain relining and excavation costs, and lists the questions to ask before you agree a repair.

What is the difference between relining, patch repair and excavation?

They differ in how much of the pipe is repaired and whether anything is dug up:

• Patch repair: a short sleeve of resin-soaked liner, pulled to the defect on an inflatable packer and cured against the pipe wall. It seals one crack, open joint or root entry point.
• Full relining (CIPP): a cured-in-place pipe liner runs the whole length between two access points, forming a smooth, jointless new pipe inside the old one.
• Excavation: the engineer digs down, removes the damaged length, lays new pipe on proper bedding at the right gradient, tests it, backfills and reinstates the surface.

Relining and patch repairs work from existing chambers, so driveways, patios and kitchen floors usually stay intact. Our relining is usually completed in a day, followed by a final camera check.

Which drain repair do you need? A decision matrix

Match the main defect in the survey report to the likely repair. Where several defects appear on one run, the most severe one usually decides the method.

This matrix reflects general trade practice rather than a formal standard, and your engineer should explain why a method suits your pipe. Our guide to reading a CCTV drain survey report explains the codes such as JDL (joint displaced, large) and D (deformed).

When is relining not suitable?

A liner follows the shape and line of the existing pipe, so it can't correct problems with either. Relining is usually the wrong choice when:

• the pipe has collapsed or has missing sections, leaving nothing to line against;
• the pipe is severely deformed, for example flattened pitch fibre that can't be re-rounded;
• joints are heavily displaced, leaving a step the liner can't bridge;
• there is a backfall or sag where water sits, which a liner won't cure;
• the drain needs a new route, a larger diameter or a new connection.

Pitch fibre pipes, used widely on homes built between the 1950s and 1970s, need extra care. Metrorod says deformed pitch fibre drains "can also be re-rounded before lining takes place". Where the pipe is too weak to re-round, excavation is the answer. See our guide to pitch fibre pipes.

How much does drain relining cost?

National price guides put drain relining at roughly £70 to £250 per metre. These are market ranges from other firms, not our prices:

Pipe diameter, length, depth and how much cleaning or root cutting is needed first all change the price. Ask whether the quote includes the pre-lining jetting, reopening of branch connections and the final camera survey.

How much does excavation cost?

MyJobQuote's drain repair guide puts excavation and replacement at £250 to £650 per metre, partial pipe replacement at £600 to £1,100 and a full collapse at £1,000 to £3,000 or more. It adds £500 to £2,000 where the pipe is under a driveway or patio, £200 to £500 for each extra metre of depth and £300 to £1,500 for surface reinstatement.

Those extras are why relining is often cheaper on deep pipes or pipes under hard surfaces, even where the per-metre price of lining is similar. Our drain repairs start from £250 + VAT, quoted from the survey footage.

How do relining and excavation compare overall?

Do drain repairs need Building Regulations or water company approval?

Most like-for-like repairs don't need Building Regulations approval. Gov.uk says you don't need approval for "most repairs, replacements and maintenance work", with listed exceptions. New connections, re-routed drains and extensions to the system are different, and Approved Document H covers building work within 3 metres of a sewer or drain shown on the sewer records.

If the damaged pipe is shared with neighbours or runs outside your boundary, it may be a public sewer. Severn Trent's sewer responsibility guide says the water company is responsible for those pipes, so report the defect before paying for a repair. See who is responsible for blocked drains.

Why should a CCTV survey come first?

You can't choose the method without seeing inside the pipe. A CCTV drain survey shows the type, size and position of each defect, the pipe material and diameter, and whether the pipe still holds its shape. Reports coded to the WRc Manual of Sewer Condition Classification (MSCC5) describe defects in a standard way, so another contractor or an insurer can check the recommendation. If you plan to claim, read does home insurance cover drain damage and speak to your insurer before any work starts.

What should you ask before agreeing a repair?

• What defects did the survey find, and how far along the pipe are they?
• Why is this method right for this pipe, and what are the alternatives?
• Will the drain be cleaned before lining and checked on camera afterwards?
• What does the price include: VAT, reinstatement, waste disposal, reopening branches?
• Is the damage in a pipe I'm responsible for, or in a shared public sewer?
• What guarantee comes with the work, and what does it exclude?

When to call a professional

If a drain keeps blocking or smelling, or a survey has already shown cracks, root entry or displaced joints, get it repaired before the damage spreads. We carry out CCTV drain surveys from £149 + VAT, then recommend the least disruptive repair that will last: no-dig drain relining where the pipe is sound enough, or excavation through our drain repairs team where it isn't. Drain repairs start from £250 + VAT and carry a 12-month workmanship guarantee, and we agree the price before any work starts.

We cover Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, 7 days a week from 6am to 8pm. Call 07300 600 950 or ask for a quote.

Sources

• gov.uk: when you don't need Building Regulations approval
• gov.uk: Approved Document H, drainage and waste disposal
• WRc: Manual of Sewer Condition Classification, 5th edition
• Severn Trent: sewer responsibility card
• MyBuilder: drain relining cost guide
• MyJobQuote: cost to repair a drain line breakage (updated 27 August 2026)
• Metrorod: pitch fibre drain pipes