Cost of Under Slab Plumbing Repair

One of the most frequent questions we encounter on a foundation repair job is “what is the cost of under slab plumbing repair?” That depends on the plumbing company you select and the complexity of the repair job. Fortunately Dawson Foundation Repair can provide all of your plumbing repair needs including digging trenches to the city hookup, tunneling under the house, replacing sewer and drain lines under the slab, and more.

Often when a building or home experiences foundation movement and damage the attached under slab plumbing pipes have suffered damage also. These plumbing pipes must be repaired because any water leakage under the concrete slab foundation can cause future foundation problems. It should be mentioned that many times the foundation damage is distant enough from the plumbing pipes that the plumbing pipes have not been affected. However, it is always a wise decision to have a hydrostatic plumbing test performed after any foundation repair work to confirm the integrity of the under slab plumbing system.

Damaged drainage pipe caused by ingress of tree roots.
Tree roots can easily find drain line leaks and then enter the line and grow.

There are other factors that can cause under slab plumbing leaks. Tree roots can obstruct any portion of a plumbing line. Age is another cause of plumbing line failure with cast iron and concrete pipes that are in excess of 40 years. But the overwhelming cause of premature plumbing pipe failure under concrete slabs is soil movement.

To give the reader a better idea of the cost of under slab plumbing repair we have presented 3 possible scenarios, based on the distances or lengths of trenching and tunneling that must be done.

Cost of Under Slab Plumbing Repair
Small Distance
Average Distance
Large Distance
Trenching outside slab + new plumbing pipes – 30 to 150 feet at $40/ft (cost could be $80/ft in rocky or difficult areas)
$1200
$3600
$6000
Tunneling under slab + installation of plumbing pipes – 5 to 50 feet at $225-$250/ft (cost could be $375/ft or more in some situations)
$1250
$6531
$12,500
Permits + Engineering Reports $250-$425
$425
$425
$425
Total
$2875
$10,556
$18,925

The cost estimates above were calculated by Dawson Foundation Repair and an independent plumbing company.

Note: These contractor costs are based on a hypothetical job. Under slab plumbing repair costs could vary approximately 50% or more because of different conditions. Repair costs are influenced by other factors such as trees, landscaping, driveways and patios, number of plumbing line breaks, cost of materials, the overall length of trenching and tunneling, etc.

One Final Point

Dawson Foundation Repair installs only Bell Bottom Piers for homeowners and commercial property owners because they are PROVEN and PERMANENT. Bell Bottom Piers resist soil movement known as uplift and settlement and they do it far better than any other repair method. It is a single piece construction and Bell Bottom Piers can support 5 to 10 times more weight than required – this is called “factor of safety.” They have far more advantages over any other method of foundation repair and we feel the homeowner should receive the best option available. Bell Bottom Piers will provide your under slab plumbing system better protection from soil movement in the long term.

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  1. Pingback: Failed Home Foundations Are Now The Norm In Texas | SproutNews

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