The standard answer is 50 years design life — the figure CIPP liners are engineered and tested to. Here's what actually sits behind that number, and what determines whether your liner gets there.
| Repair | Expected life |
|---|---|
| CIPP epoxy liner (full run) | 50 years design life |
| Burst-in HDPE replacement pipe | 50 – 100 years |
| Sectional / spot liner | 50 years (that section) |
| Drain snaking or jetting alone | Weeks to months — it clears symptoms, not causes |
Ask two questions of any installer: "What's the design life of this liner system?" and "What does your warranty cover, in writing?" Confident answers to both, plus a post-install video, is what quality looks like.
Weigh the economics in our CIPP cost guide, or check whether your symptoms even need lining in 10 signs of a broken sewer line.
Tell us about your line problem and we'll connect you to one of our qualified trenchless service providers for your area.
As permanent as pipe gets. A properly installed CIPP liner is a structural pipe in its own right with a 50-year design life — comparable to brand-new PVC and far beyond the remaining life of the failing pipe it replaced.
Mostly things outside the liner: crushing damage from new construction over the line, or problems in sections that were never lined. Keep the post-installation video and warranty paperwork together.
The lined section is jointless, so roots lose their entry points. Roots can still attack unlined sections — which is why lining the full run, not just one bad spot, is often worth the difference in cost.
Ask for the post-installation camera video — a reputable installer provides it unprompted. You should see a smooth, uniform, fully cured liner from end to end with the branch connections cleanly reinstated.
Trenchless sewer repair typically runs $60–$250 per foot, with most residential jobs landing between $4,000 and $15,000.
Read the guide →CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) lining costs $80–$250 per foot in 2026 — most homes pay $4,000–$15,000 for a fully relined lateral that's warrantied for decades.
Read the guide →Pipe bursting replaces your line entirely; CIPP lining builds a new pipe inside the old one.
Read the guide →