Pipe Bursting in Denver
An independent, licensed plumbing contractor. Not affiliated with Denver Water or the City and County of Denver.
Pipe bursting replaces a sewer line end to end by pulling a bursting head through the old pipe, fracturing it outward, and drawing a new HDPE pipe into the same corridor behind it. It is full replacement without a full-length trench.
- New pipe, not a liner over an old one.
- Two access pits instead of a continuous trench.
- Can upsize diameter on the same path.
- Handles lines a liner cannot save.
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What Pipe Bursting Is
A cable or rod is run through the existing sewer line from an exit pit back to an entry pit. A conical bursting head is attached, along with the new pipe behind it. As the head is pulled through, it fractures the old pipe outward into the surrounding soil and the new pipe follows immediately into the void.
The result is a new continuous pipe, usually fused HDPE with no joints for roots to enter. Because the old pipe is displaced rather than removed, the new line follows the original path and grade.
Bursting is the trenchless method that handles the worst pipe. Where lining needs a host pipe in reasonable shape, bursting only needs a path it can follow.
(720) 935-6221Pipe Materials Bursting Handles Well
- Clay tile, which fractures cleanly.
- Cast iron with corrosion and scale.
- Orangeburg and other failing fiber conduit.
- Thin wall PVC and ABS.
- Concrete in many, though not all, conditions.
How We Diagnose It
When Pipe Bursting Is the Right Method
Pipe bursting is the right method when the entire line needs replacing rather than one section, when the existing path and grade are correct, and when the surface above the line is a driveway, mature landscaping, or a finished area you do not want to lose.
It is also the right call when you need a larger diameter. Bursting can upsize a four inch line to six inches on the same route, which lining cannot do because a liner always reduces internal diameter.
It is the wrong method when the line is bellied and grade has to be corrected, when the pipe has already collapsed with no path to follow, or when surrounding utilities sit too close to absorb the ground displacement safely.
Conditions That Rule Pipe Bursting Out
- Complete collapse leaving no continuous bore.
- Bellied or back-pitched line where grade must be reset.
- Utilities or foundations too close to the displacement zone.
- Rock, ductile iron, or pipe encased in concrete.
- Prior point repairs that leave an unburstable hard section.
- No room for an entry or exit pit at either end.
How a Pipe Bursting Job Runs
- 1
Inspect, Locate, Clear
Camera and locate confirm path, depth, material, and that a continuous bore exists. The line is cleaned so the cable can be run.
- 2
Dig Two Pits
An entry pit at one end and a receiving pit at the other, sized for the pipe and the pulling rig rather than for the length of the run.
- 3
Fuse and Pull
New HDPE is heat fused into one jointless length above ground, then the bursting head is pulled through, fracturing the old pipe and towing the new pipe in behind it.
- 4
Tie In and Verify
Connections at each end are made, a camera pass confirms the finished line, then pits are backfilled and compacted and the surface is restored.
Talk Through the Method Before Work Starts
Disruption, Timeline, and Cost Drivers
A typical residential burst is completed in one day on site, sometimes two when the tie-in is complicated or a street cut is involved. Disruption is concentrated at the two pits, so lawn, driveway, and trees between them are undisturbed.
Cost drivers are run length, depth of the pits, diameter and whether you are upsizing, soil conditions and shoring requirements, distance from the rig setup to the line, any permit and inspection requirements from the local jurisdiction, and restoration at the pit locations.
Bursting usually costs more per foot than lining and less than a full-length trench across a hard surface. On open lawn with a shallow line, open cut can be the cheaper answer.
- Long lawn runs with no alley access are where bursting saves the most, which is set out on our University Hills page
- On a small rear yard, two pits instead of a trench is the difference between keeping and losing the garden, as described on our Platt Park page
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Methods and Services
Trenchless Sewer Repair
The umbrella page covering every no-dig and low-dig repair method we run.
Explore Trenchless Sewer RepairCIPP Cured-In-Place Lining
A resin liner cured inside the host pipe to form a new jointless pipe wall.
Explore CIPP Cured-In-Place LiningOpen Cut Excavation
Traditional trenching when the line has to be exposed and physically replaced.
Explore Open Cut ExcavationMethod Comparison and Cost Guide
Side by side comparison of every method, what drives cost, and what rules each out.
Explore Method Comparison and Cost GuideAsk Whether Your Line Can Be Burst
We inspect first and tell you honestly if bursting fits or if another method is the better call.