Pipe relining is a trenchless repair method that creates a new pipe inside your existing one. Replacement means excavating your property to lay new pipe. Relining is the better choice for pipes running under driveways, retaining walls or established landscaping. Replacement is often cheaper for shallow, accessible pipes sitting in open dirt.
The decision usually comes down to what sits on top of the pipe, not the pipe itself.
What are the pros and cons of relining vs replacement?
Choose relining to save expensive landscaping, concrete and driveways. Choose replacement if the pipe has completely collapsed, has a bad belly holding water, or runs under bare ground that is easy to dig.
The decision flowchart
Work through these three questions in order.
Question 1: Is the damaged pipe under a concrete slab, driveway, tiled area, pool surround or retaining wall?
- Yes → Relining is almost certainly the cheaper total cost. Skip to the cost section below.
- No → Go to Question 2.
Question 2: Has a CCTV camera shown the pipe is fully collapsed, crushed flat or badly deformed?
- Yes → Excavation. A liner needs an intact pipe to form against, so it cannot rebuild a section that has already caved in.
- No → Go to Question 3.
Question 3: Does the pipe have a belly, a back-fall, or an incorrect gradient?
- Yes → Excavation. Relining follows the existing shape of the pipe, so a section that pools water will keep pooling water after it is lined.
- No → Either method will work. Compare the reline quote against the excavation quote plus the cost of putting the surface back.
Relining vs replacement side by side
| Criteria | Pipe relining | Pipe replacement (excavation) |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Higher per metre. Sydney market rates run $400 to $1,100 per metre | Often lower per metre in open, shallow ground |
| Hidden costs | Little to none. Nothing on the surface is removed | Concrete, paving, turf, garden beds, retaining walls, spoil removal. Regularly costs more than the plumbing |
| Time to complete | Most residential jobs finish in a day | Two to five days, longer if concrete has to be re-poured and cured |
| Disruption | Access through an existing inspection opening. Water back on the same day | Trenching across the property, machinery, spoil piles, restricted access |
| Lifespan | 50 year design life on the liner | A new PVC system with a comparable life, provided the bedding and fall are laid correctly |
Your immediate action item
Request a CCTV drain inspection from a licensed plumber before you agree to either service. Ask for the digital file or USB of the footage and keep it. Any quote given without camera evidence is a guess, and you have nothing to compare a second opinion against.
How much does pipe relining cost in Australia?
Pipe relining in Australia runs roughly $400 to $1,100 per linear metre in 2026. Most complete residential jobs land between $3,000 and $20,000. The per-metre rate is only part of it, because every job carries a fixed setup cost covering the CCTV inspection, high-pressure water jetting and preparation before any resin goes in.
That setup cost is why a 5 metre reline does not cost half of a 10 metre reline. It is also why there is a practical minimum. At Ready Set Reline, the smallest realistic full reline on a 100mm pipe is around $4,750. Anything shorter than that is a sectional patch rather than a full reline, and it is priced differently.
Junctions matter too. Every branch line that gets covered by the liner has to be reopened with a robotic cutter and then sealed back into the main line, and that is usually charged per junction. Two junctions on a job can add well over a thousand dollars.
Our full rate card, including per-metre pricing for 100mm and 150mm pipe and worked examples, sits in our pipe relining cost guide.
The quote evaluation checklist
Do not accept a flat number. Run every quote past these four questions:
- Does the quote include the initial CCTV inspection and high-pressure jetting? Some operators quote the resin work only, then add the preparation later.
- Is robotic cutting included, and are junction reinstatements priced separately? This is the single most common source of a bill coming in above the quote.
- Is the work compliant with AS/NZS 3500 and the Plumbing Code of Australia, and what warranty comes with it? Ready Set Reline backs installations with a 50 year warranty.
- What material and curing method is actually being used? Look for Brawoliner or an equivalent epoxy resin system, or a UV cured liner where the job suits it. Ask the installer what training they hold on the system they are quoting.
Try this now
Take your current excavation quote. Add the cost of replacing the concrete, paving, turf or retaining wall that has to come out. Compare that combined figure to the relining quote. Most people are surprised by which one wins.
Is pipe relining worth it, and why is it so expensive?
Relining is worth it when the cost of restoring your property after excavation is more than the premium you pay for the trenchless method. The technology is expensive because the epoxy resins, inversion drums, curing gear and robotic cutters are imported, and they need trained operators. A specialist relining setup runs well over $50,000 before anyone turns up to a job.
Key takeaway: You are not paying for cheap PVC pipe. You are paying to not destroy your yard.
A real-world example
Say excavation on your property is quoted at $2,000, but the trench runs straight through a retaining wall that costs $4,000 to rebuild. Your true excavation cost is $6,000. A $4,750 reline on the same section saves you $1,250 and a fortnight of your driveway being a hole.
Flip the numbers and the answer flips too. If the pipe runs under a strip of lawn that takes a day and a bag of seed to fix, excavation usually wins.
Work out your own numbers
Mark out the exact path of the damaged pipe on your property with marking paint. Then measure the square meterage of concrete, tile, paving or structure sitting directly above that line. That number, priced at local restoration rates, is the figure most homeowners leave out when they compare quotes.
Drainage excavation pros and cons
Excavation is the traditional method. Dig down to the pipe, cut out the damaged section, lay new pipe, backfill. It still has a place.
| Pros of excavation | Cons of excavation |
|---|---|
| Fixes incorrect gradients and bellies, which relining cannot do | Destroys whatever sits above the pipe, and restoration is on you |
| Usually cheaper per metre in accessible, shallow ground | Takes days rather than hours |
| Leaves you with a completely new PVC system rather than a repaired old one | Heavy machinery, noise, spoil piles and restricted access to your property |
| Deals with root-infested or crushed sections that are beyond lining | Not always possible under a slab, a boundary, or a neighbour’s property |
Self-check method
Ask your plumber to play the CCTV footage back for you and ask one specific question: does the pipe have a belly holding water? If the answer is yes, excavation is usually the only real fix, and any relining quote you have been given deserves a second look.
Can you reline a pipe yourself, and how long does it last?
No. You cannot legally or practically reline a sewer or stormwater pipe yourself in Australia. Drainage work is licensed work under state plumbing regulation, it has to meet AS/NZS 3500 and the Plumbing Code of Australia, and the machinery alone runs past $50,000. DIY kits sold online are for small pressure pipes, not for house drainage. If you are dealing with a single crack rather than a failing line, our guide on fixing a cracked PVC pipe without replacement covers what the realistic options actually are.
On lifespan: a professionally installed liner using a Brawoliner-style epoxy system has a 50 year structural design life. Ready Set Reline warrants installations for 50 years and backs the workmanship 100 percent.
One point people rarely hear until it matters. A pipe can generally only be relined once. Each liner takes a few millimetres off the internal diameter, so a second liner inside the first starts to restrict flow. That makes the quality of the first reline worth paying attention to.
Your next step
Get a CCTV inspection, take the footage with you, and run the quote evaluation checklist above past three licensed relining specialists.
Get a straight answer on your pipe
Ready Set Reline inspects the drain with a camera, shows you the footage, and quotes off what is actually there. The CCTV inspection is included when we quote, and we will beat any comparable written quote by 10 percent.
Call us or request a quote, and we will tell you honestly whether your pipe needs relining or replacing.
