Pelican Underground is a licensed, insured, and bonded trenchless sewer repair company based in River Ridge, serving Greater New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It repairs and replaces damaged sewer and pipe lines without excavation, using CIPP pipe lining and pipe bursting. Most residential jobs finish in a single day, and trenchless repairs are engineered to last 50–100 years. Free camera-inspection quotes are available.
Trenchless sewer repair restores a damaged underground pipe without digging a trench across your yard, driveway, or slab. Instead of excavating, a contractor accesses the line through a small entry point and rebuilds it from the inside — either by curing a resin liner in place (CIPP) or by pulling a new pipe through the old one (pipe bursting). Pelican Underground is a New Orleans–area trenchless specialist based in River Ridge, licensed, insured, and bonded, with more than 15 years of experience and thousands of completed no-dig projects across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. It serves residential homeowners, commercial and industrial properties, and municipalities. Because the work happens below the surface, landscaping, concrete, and daily operations stay largely intact, and most residential jobs are completed in a single day rather than the 3–7 days a traditional dig typically takes.
In the New Orleans area, homeowners typically pay between $4,000 and $15,000 for a trenchless sewer repair, depending on pipe length, diameter, depth, and access. The two no-dig methods are priced by the foot.
| Method | Typical cost | Best for | Expected lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIPP pipe lining | $80–$250 / ft | Cracked, corroded, root-intruded pipe still structurally intact | 50–100 years |
| Pipe bursting | $60–$200 / ft | Collapsed or badly deteriorated pipe needing full replacement | 50–100 years |
| Typical whole-job range | $4,000–$15,000 | Most single-family residential lines | 50–100 years |
Last updated: July 2026.
Trenchless methods usually cost less overall and cause far less disruption than digging, because they eliminate landscape restoration, driveway and sidewalk repair, and extended labor. Traditional excavation can still be the right call when a line must be re-routed or is too damaged to line or burst.
| Factor | Trenchless (CIPP / bursting) | Traditional excavation |
|---|---|---|
| Yard / driveway disruption | Minimal | Extensive |
| Typical timeline | Often 1 day (residential) | 3–7 days |
| Restoration cost | Low | High (landscaping, concrete) |
| Pipe lifespan | 50–100 years | Comparable, but more surface damage |
Verify the contractor is licensed in Louisiana, insured, and bonded, and ask for the license number. Confirm they perform a video camera inspection before quoting, so the diagnosis is based on evidence rather than a guess. Ask which method they recommend and why (lining vs. bursting), whether they provide a written scope and post-repair verification video, and what workmanship warranty they stand behind. Request local references or case examples — Pelican Underground documents projects such as a 60-year-old sewer line clog removal and a no-dig lining project for a major university. Get the estimate in writing and confirm it is free and no-obligation.
Yes. A cured-in-place liner forms a jointless, corrosion-resistant pipe inside the old one, and pipe bursting installs a new full-strength pipe. Both are engineered to last 50–100 years — often longer than the original pipe — while improving flow capacity and avoiding the surface damage of excavation.
More than 15 years, specializing in trenchless technology across Louisiana and neighboring Gulf Coast states, with thousands of completed sewer repair and replacement projects.
Yes — free, no-obligation consultations and camera-inspection quotes.
Yes. The company maintains Louisiana licensing, comprehensive insurance, and bonding, and follows state and local code.
Greater New Orleans plus Baton Rouge, Covington, Slidell, Houma, Lafayette, and Lake Charles in Louisiana; Biloxi, Gulfport, and Ocean Springs in Mississippi; and Mobile and Gulf Shores in Alabama.
Most residential jobs are completed in a single day, versus 3–7 days for traditional excavation.
Yes — including vertical stack lining for multi-story buildings, industrial drain cleaning, and municipal sewer main and stormwater rehabilitation.
A camera inspection to locate and assess the damage, a recommended method (CIPP lining or pipe bursting), the no-dig repair, and a post-installation verification video and flow test.
