Both are trenchless. Both save your yard. The camera decides which one fits your pipe — and we present both options with pricing before you choose.
Pipe bursting is a trenchless method that replaces the existing pipe completely. A conical bursting head is pulled through the old line using a hydraulic cable anchored in an exit pit. As the head travels through the line, it fractures the old pipe outward into the surrounding soil. Simultaneously, a new HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe attached behind the head is pulled into the space the old pipe occupied.
Two access pits are required — one at the entry point (typically the cleanout) and one at the exit point near the main connection. The surface between the two pits is untouched. The new HDPE pipe is continuous, jointless, and highly resistant to root intrusion. Standard diameter is maintained or can be slightly upsized in favorable soil conditions.
Pipe bursting works on clay, cast-iron, and PVC pipe that retains a passable interior. It is not suitable for completely collapsed sections, severe misalignment, or Orangeburg pipe (which lacks the structural integrity to allow a bursting head to push against it).
Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining rehabilitates the existing pipe from the inside without removing it. A flexible liner saturated in thermosetting resin is inverted into the pipe using water or air pressure and inflated against the interior walls. The resin cures — either with ambient temperature, hot water, or UV light depending on the system used — and the liner hardens into a new, jointless pipe inside the old one.
CIPP does not require the pipe to be fully removed or the soil around it to be disturbed. The liner conforms to the shape of the existing pipe, including bends and moderate misalignments. After curing, the liner is trimmed at each end and the line is camera-inspected to verify proper installation.
CIPP is well-suited to lines with cracking, corrosion, and root intrusion where the pipe retains a recognizable interior shape. It is not suitable for Orangeburg pipe (too irregular), severely offset or misaligned joints (the liner cannot bridge major angular changes), or sections with active infiltration that would prevent resin adhesion.
In practice, the pipe's existing material and condition determine eligibility for each method. Clay pipe with root intrusion and hairline cracks — the most common situation in Denver's mid-century neighborhoods — is typically an excellent candidate for both methods. Cast-iron with heavy corrosion and pitting is usually bursting-eligible. ABS or PVC that has separated at joints is more complex and may favor lining if the joints can be spanned.
The camera footage answers the question definitively. We present both options with pricing where both are eligible and explain on video why only one method applies when that's the case. The homeowner makes the final choice with full information.
Denver's Front Range soils — ranging from clay-heavy expansive ground to rocky sections — affect the pipe bursting process. In clay soils, the fractured old pipe displaces outward easily. In rocky sections, bursting may require more pulling force and occasionally cannot achieve full penetration, making CIPP the better fallback. Denver's 60-inch frost line means residential sewer laterals are buried at a depth (typically 6–10 feet) where freeze-thaw does not affect the cured liner or new HDPE pipe after installation.
Key differences between the two trenchless methods for Denver homeowners:
Pipe bursting and CIPP lining for Denver homes — full service page.
Learn more →When trenchless is right — and when open-cut is the only answer.
Learn more →Full pricing breakdown for all Denver sewer repair methods.
Learn more →The camera tells us. Book the $19 consultation — we scope the line, review footage with you, and present pipe bursting and CIPP options side by side with firm pricing where both are eligible.