Minneapolis · Hennepin County · St. Paul to Edina
Sewer line repair and replacement in Minneapolis
A backed-up floor drain, roots in a 1920s clay lateral, or a line that finally collapsed under the boulevard. We put a camera down it first, tell you exactly what is wrong and where, and give you a written price for the repair — spot dig, full replacement, or trenchless lining — before anyone brings a shovel.
Sewer services across Minneapolis
Repair when a repair fixes it, replacement when it doesn't, and trenchless when the alternative is tearing up a street. We tell you which one and why.
Sewer Line Repair
Spot repair of a cracked, offset or root-broken section — in the yard, at the foundation wall or under the boulevard — with a camera before and after.
Sewer Line Repair →Sewer Line Replacement
A new PVC lateral from the basement wall to the city main when the clay or Orangeburg is failing everywhere. Open trench, permit, inspection, restoration.
Sewer Line Replacement →Trenchless Sewer Repair
Cured-in-place lining and pipe bursting through the old pipe — one or two small pits instead of a trench across the boulevard, the driveway or the street.
Trenchless Sewer Repair →Sewer Camera Inspection
A recorded video scope from the cleanout to the main, with every crack, root and offset located and its depth marked on the lawn. $250–$500, credited to the repair.
Sewer Camera Inspection →Hydro Jetting & Drain Cleaning
High-pressure water that strips roots, grease and cast-iron scale from the pipe wall — the right tool when the line is sound but choked, and the prep step before lining.
Hydro Jetting & Drain Cleaning →How a job goes
- You call or text
We ask what backed up, when, and how old the house is. If sewage is on the basement floor right now, say so — that goes to the front of the day. - We scope the line
A camera goes down from the cleanout to the main. You see the screen. We locate every crack, offset and root mass from the surface and mark the depth on the lawn. - You get a written price
Repair, replacement or trenchless, with the permit, restoration and any street work as separate line items. Good for 30 days, no same-day pressure. - We do the work
Spot repairs and lining are usually one day. A full open-trench replacement to the main is two to three. We pull the city permit and schedule the inspection. - We scope it again
Every job ends with a second camera pass so you can see the finished pipe. You get the video.
What is under a Minneapolis yard
Most of Minneapolis was built between 1900 and 1955, and almost every house from that era got a vitrified clay sewer lateral: two- and three-foot sections of fired clay pipe with a mortar or tar joint every few feet, running from the basement wall out to the city main in the street. Clay itself lasts a very long time. The joints don't. A century of frost heave, settling and root pressure opens them up, and once a joint is open the boulevard elm, silver maple or ash sends roots straight into it.
That is why the same three calls come in from Longfellow, Nokomis, Powderhorn, Northeast and North Minneapolis all year: the basement floor drain backing up, a slow line that a plumber has snaked twice already, and a sinkhole opening in the front yard where a section finally caved.
The second thing that makes sewer work different here is depth. Frost in a hard Minneapolis winter pushes past five feet, so laterals are buried well below that — often eight feet or more by the time they reach the main. Deep trenches need shoring and bigger equipment, and repairs under the street mean a permit and a city-licensed sewer and water contractor. That drives cost, and it is also why trenchless lining does so much of the work in this city.
What we do
Sewer line repair — spot repairs of a single cracked, offset or root-broken section, usually in the yard or at the foundation wall. Most run $1,500–$4,000 and take a day.
Sewer line replacement — a new PVC lateral from the house to the main when the clay is failing along its whole length. $4,000–$15,000 depending on depth, length and whether the street has to be opened.
Trenchless sewer repair — cured-in-place lining or pipe bursting through the existing pipe, with one or two access pits instead of a trench. $6,000–$20,000, and the way to go under a mature boulevard tree, a driveway or a city street.
Sewer camera inspection — $250–$500 for a recorded scope with the depth and location of every problem marked on the lawn. This is where every job starts.
Hydro jetting and drain cleaning — for roots, grease and scale when the pipe is sound enough to keep.
Minneapolis rules worth knowing before you call anyone
In Minneapolis the property owner is responsible for the sewer service line all the way to the connection at the city main, including the part under the street. The city does run a program that lets owners spread the cost of a qualifying private sewer lateral repair onto their property taxes as a special assessment; the terms change, so confirm the current details with Minneapolis Public Works through 311 before you count on it. More on both in our cost guide.
Minnesota requires sewer work to be done by a licensed plumbing contractor or a city-licensed sewer and water contractor, and the city requires a permit and inspection for the work. We carry the license and pull the permit. Ask any contractor to show you theirs.
Where we work
Minneapolis proper, St. Paul, and the first-ring suburbs: Edina, Richfield, Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Roseville, Brooklyn Park, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie. Area codes 612, 651, 763 and 952.
Questions we get asked
How much does sewer line repair cost in Minneapolis?
A spot repair of one broken section usually runs $1,500–$4,000. A full replacement from the house to the main is $4,000–$15,000 with an open trench, or $6,000–$20,000 trenchless. Depth is the big variable here — Minneapolis laterals sit below a five-foot-plus frost line, so trenches are deeper and cost more than in warmer cities. See the cost guide.
Who is responsible for the sewer line in Minneapolis, me or the city?
You are, from the house to the connection at the main, including the section under the street. The city maintains the main itself. Minneapolis does offer an assessment program that lets some owners pay for a private lateral repair through their property taxes over time; check the current terms with 311.
Can you fix a sewer line in winter?
Yes. Frozen ground adds a day and some cost — we use a ground heater or frost ripper before excavating — but sewer backups do not wait for April. Trenchless lining is often the easier winter option because the access pit is small. Emergency sewer repair in Minneapolis is a large part of our January and February.
Do I need a camera inspection before a repair?
Yes, and be wary of anyone who quotes without one. A $250–$500 scope shows whether you have one bad joint or a line that is failing everywhere, which is the difference between a $2,500 repair and a $12,000 replacement. We credit the inspection fee toward the job.
Is trenchless sewer repair possible on old clay pipe?
Usually. Cured-in-place lining works in clay that is cracked, root-invaded or offset, as long as the pipe still holds its shape. Pipe bursting works even when it doesn't. The camera tells us which. A fully collapsed or badly bellied section still needs a dig at that spot.
Are you licensed?
Minnesota licenses plumbing contractors through the Department of Labor and Industry, and Minneapolis licenses sewer and water contractors separately for work in the right-of-way. We hold what the city requires for the job and pull the permit in your name. If a contractor won't show you a license and a permit, that is your answer.
Need sewer line work in Minneapolis?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.