The situation
Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.
A homeowner's drains stop entirely. A plumber can only partly clear the line. The camera travels part of the way from the cleanout and stops at a section where the clay pipe has broken and soil fills the opening.
- The locator marks the camera's stopping point and depth on the lawn.
- Nobody can see what lies beyond the collapse.
- The homeowner is told the line will need to be opened at that point.
The collapse has to be dealt with by digging before anyone can plan the rest of the line.
The combined plan
- Mark utilities.Utilities are marked through 811 before the pit is dug.
- Dig at the collapse.A pit is opened at the marked spot and the broken section is exposed and removed.
- Film both directions.With the pit open, the camera inspects toward the house and toward the street.
- Choose methods per section.The far section turns out to be cracked with roots but round, so lining or bursting is discussed for it, using the pit as access.
- Join and verify.New sections are joined with suitable couplings, and the whole line is filmed before backfill.
Section by section
| Section | Condition | Approach discussed |
|---|---|---|
| House to collapse | Cracked clay, roots | Line from the cleanout or burst to the pit |
| Collapse | Broken, soil-filled | Excavate and replace |
| Collapse to street | Roots at joints, round | Line or burst from the pit |
Why this matters
A collapse is the point where a purely trenchless plan usually breaks down, because there is no clear path for a liner or a bursting cable. But the pit dug to fix the collapse often becomes the access point for trenchless work on the rest of the line, so the overall disruption can still be modest.
The key moment in this example is filming in both directions from the open pit. Until then, half the line was unknown, and any quote for the whole run would have been a guess.
Common questions
Can bursting go through a collapse instead of digging?
Sometimes, if a cable or rods can be passed through. In this example nothing could pass, so digging came first.
Does the pit need to be inspected?
If a permit applies, the inspector may need to see the work before backfill. Check with the City of Fullerton.
Is this a real job?
No. It is an invented example.
General information for Fullerton, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.