How to Price Drain Relining: Labour, Materials & Margin

Quick Answer: UK drain and pipe relining (CIPP — cured-in-place pipe) typically costs £150-450 per linear metre for 100-150mm domestic drain, all-in. A standard 8m residential lateral drain reline lands £1,500-3,500. Cost components are CCTV survey (£100-300), access excavation if needed (£300-800), liner material (£40-80/m), and resin + cure (£60-120/m). Margin sits in correct survey-to-spec discipline; underquoting at survey stage on the wrong diameter or unexpected branch is the classic loss-maker.

Summary

Pipe relining (CIPP — cured-in-place pipe, also called drain lining or no-dig drain repair) is one of the highest-margin product lines available to small drainage contractors. The customer-facing pitch is "fix it without digging up the garden" — for the right kind of fault (longitudinal cracks, root intrusion, displaced joints) it works, lasts 50+ years, and costs less than excavating. For the wrong fault (collapsed pipe, fully separated joint, severe deformation) it doesn't work and a contractor who tries to force it gets a warranty problem.

This guide is for the small drainage contractor or general plumber pricing relining work. It covers the diagnostic workflow, the system choices, the productivity rates, and the margin discipline that makes this a profitable add-on. It is not a how-to-install guide — CIPP installation is a specialist skill with training and equipment requirements.

For diagnostic and inspection see drainage cctv surveys (if available). For excavated drain repair see foul drainage repair (if available). For the wider drainage scope see condensate pipe installation and suds and surface water.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Job type Length Typical price
Spot patch (single defect) 0.4-1m £450-900
Short lateral reline 3-6m £900-1,800
Standard residential lateral 8-12m £1,500-3,500
Full back-garden run to chamber 15-25m £3,000-6,500
Multi-property drain (shared) 30-50m £6,000-15,000
Vertical/stack reline 6-12m £2,500-5,500
Patch + open branches × 3 varies £1,200-2,800

Pricing includes CCTV pre/post, liner, resin, cure, and one access chamber works. Excavation for new chambers, deep excavation, or major access works priced separately.

Detailed Guidance

When relining is the right answer

Relining is suitable for:

Relining is NOT suitable for:

The diagnostic skill is in the CCTV survey — being honest with the customer when relining isn't the right answer. A reline that fails because the host pipe is collapsing under it is a warranty disaster and a reputation killer.

CCTV survey workflow

1. Customer reports symptom (slow drain, smell, garden subsidence)
2. Smoke test or dye test (optional) — locates the affected run
3. Camera survey from accessible point (manhole or rodding eye)
4. Survey records: dropdown, sketch, fault list with chainage, photo/video
5. Customer quote based on survey findings
6. If relining specified — pre-clean (high-pressure water jet, root cut)
7. CCTV confirmation pre-install
8. Install liner, cure, open branches
9. CCTV post-install (proof of completion)
10. Issue report and warranty

CCTV survey alone is typically £100-300 for a standard residential job — and that's a separately-quoted product. The post-install CCTV is usually included in the relining price; the pre-survey is often charged then credited against the install if the customer accepts the quote.

Liner system choice

Three mainstream options:

Felt liner with hot-cure resin — The traditional system. Felt sleeve impregnated with epoxy or polyester resin, inverted into the pipe, cured with hot water or steam circulated through. Reliable for typical residential 100-150mm at 5-25m lengths. Cure time 60-90 minutes.

Felt liner with ambient-cure resin — Same physical product, slower-curing resin. Useful when steam/hot water infrastructure isn't practical. Cure 4-8 hours. Site dwells longer.

UV-cured GRP liner — Glass-fibre-reinforced liner with UV-sensitive resin; train of UV lamps drawn through to cure. Fast (10-30 min cure for short runs), high strength, more expensive equipment outlay. Increasingly popular for commercial work.

For a domestic operator entering the market, felt-and-resin systems are the route in — equipment outlay £15-40k, training 2-5 days. UV systems are £40-100k+ equipment outlay; right for established operators doing 100+ jobs/year.

Pricing structure

Standard residential reline pricing structure:

Survey fee (often credited):                   £150-250
Pre-clean (HP jetting):                         £200-400
Excavation for access (if needed):              £300-800
Liner material (per metre):                     £25-50/m
Resin (per metre):                              £25-50/m
Cure consumables (per metre):                   £10-20/m
Robotic cutter for branches (per branch):       £80-150
Labour day rate (2-person team):                £400-700
Post-install CCTV (often included):             £100-200
Reinstatement (if excavated):                   £150-400

A typical 10m reline through an existing manhole, with 2 branches needing re-opening:

Direct cost £2,050. Overhead 12% £246. Profit 30% £688. Quote £2,984 (~£300/lin m, all-in).

Worked example: 12m lateral reline with one branch

Customer: tired Victorian terrace, vitreous clay drain, root intrusion at 6m and 10m, slight joint displacement at 8m. CCTV shows pipe is structurally sound between defects. Existing rodding eye in front garden, manhole at boundary.

Initial CCTV survey                                      £180
Pre-clean (HP jet, root cut)                             £350
Hand-excavate small access pit at rodding eye   0.5 day  £180
Liner 100mm × 12m                                12 × £40 £480
Polyester resin                                  12 × £35 £420
Cure (steam unit hire + diesel)                          £200
Robotic cutter — 1 branch reopen                         £120
Install + cure                                  0.5 day  £350
Backfill and reinstate                          0.25 day £100
Post-install CCTV + report                               £100
                                                         -----
Direct cost                                              £2,480
Overhead (12%)                                           £298
Profit (35%)                                             £972
                                                         -----
Quote (excl VAT)                                         £3,750
                                                    (~£310/lin m)

This is mid-market. Larger contractors with their own steam unit and on-going jet truck overheads can price lower; smaller operators sub-hiring kit may need higher prices.

The lateral connection question

A typical residential drain has branches every 3-6m (each house gully, downpipe, soil stack). After the liner cures, every branch is sealed by the new pipe wall. A robotic cutter (also called a "junction cutter") is sent down the lined pipe, located at each branch, and used to cut a clean opening through the liner into the branch.

This is skilled work — cutting too aggressively damages the liner; cutting too tentatively leaves a constriction. Modern cutters with HD CCTV cost £15-30k. Hire is £200-400/day.

For a quote: count the branches at survey stage, price each opening, include in the quote. Forgetting a branch is the most common quote error — a £1,500 quote becomes a £2,000 quote at install with two extra £150 branch opens.

When to recommend excavation instead

If CCTV shows any of:

— recommend excavation. CIPP cannot fix structural collapse and trying turns a £2,000 reline quote into a £6,000+ dig-and-replace emergency.

Pitch fibre pipes (UK 1950s-1970s) are a special case. They deform under root pressure into a flattened oval. CIPP can sometimes correct deformation if the pipe is round-shaped first ("re-rounding") — specialist process, premium price, success rate not guaranteed. For most pitch fibre, excavation is the answer.

Margin traps

  1. Under-priced branch openings. Count every branch at survey. Quote each separately.
  2. Pre-clean understated. Heavily rooted or fat-blocked pipes need 2-3 hours jetting before liner work can start. Price the jetting.
  3. No allowance for failed install. ~5% of jobs need a second attempt or section excavated. Build a contingency into your overall margin.
  4. Survey-to-quote unbilled. If you do free surveys and your conversion rate is 60%, you're absorbing 40% of survey time and equipment cost. Either charge for the survey or credit it.
  5. Equipment hire vs. own. If you do >50 jobs/year, own the steam unit and HP jetter. Hire eats margin.
  6. Confined space. If your work involves entering a manhole >1.2m deep, that's confined space — gas test, harness, rescue plan, trained operator. Build the time and certification into your overheads.
  7. Insurance and warranty. Standard PL £2-5M; warranty 25-50 years typical industry; document with photos and CCTV at handover.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a relined pipe last?

Industry standard claim is 50+ years; Water Industry Specifications (WIS 4-34-04, etc.) treat CIPP as equivalent to new pipe for asset life calculations. Real-world: installations from the 1990s are still serviceable, and the failure modes are usually around the joints at branch openings rather than the liner body itself.

Can I reline a pipe under a building?

Yes — that's a major use case. A drain under a kitchen extension that has displaced joints can be relined through an external chamber, no internal excavation. Confirm structural soundness via CCTV first.

Does relining reduce flow?

Marginally. A 100mm pipe becomes ~92mm internal diameter after lining. For typical domestic flows, this isn't an issue. For sewers handling heavy loads, hydraulic calculations are needed.

What about pipe diameter changes?

Some liners can accommodate a moderate diameter step (100mm to 150mm). Most jobs are single-diameter. Tapered liners exist for specialist applications. For most domestic work, the host pipe is consistent diameter and standard liners apply.

Is relining cheaper than excavation?

Often — especially in built-up gardens, under driveways, near trees. A 10m excavation + new pipe + reinstatement in a typical front garden is £4,000-8,000. A 10m reline is £2,000-3,500. Where excavation is straightforward (open field, no surface to reinstate), excavation can be similar cost.

Do I need to be qualified?

CIPP install is a competency-based skill. Industry training courses (typically 2-5 days) cover the install procedure, defect diagnosis, system safety. Most insurers and water authorities now expect formal qualification — Water Jetting Association and Drain Repair Operators schemes are the main routes.

Can I reline a vertical stack?

Yes, with specific products. Vertical CIPP requires a calibrated install pressure and specialist liner support. Not all systems work vertically — confirm with your supplier.

What if it cracks during cure?

Cure failures (insufficient temperature, wrong resin ratio, mechanical damage during install) cause delamination or cracking. The remediation is usually a second liner installed inside the first (if diameter allows) or an excavated cut-out at the failed section. Build warranty cost into pricing — typically 1-3% reserve.

Regulations & Standards