Five methods. Five conditions under which each is the right answer.
Every job we close under the Casebook uses one of the five methods on this page (or a documented sequence of two of them). Each method has a separate page with the standard, the toolchain, the conditions under which it's appropriate, the cost range, the cure or completion time, and the conditions under which we'd recommend something else.
The decision the survey produces
What the camera shows determines what we recommend.
The CCTV survey under RKT-MTH-04 is the diagnosis. Everything else is the treatment. We do not skip the survey. We do not quote a method without one. The decision tree below is the version we use in the truck.
| If the survey shows… | And… | We recommend |
|---|---|---|
| Hairline cracks, root intrusion, joint offsets <10%, no belly >¼″/ft | Bore is continuous; host pipe is not collapsed | CIPP lining (RKT-MTH-01) |
| Multiple major offsets, longitudinal cracks, undersized pipe, material mismatch | Path is winchable end-to-end | Pipe bursting (RKT-MTH-02) |
| One bad joint, rest of run is sound | Spot is reachable inside a 4×4 access pit | Spot repair + cleanout (RKT-MTH-03) |
| Diagnosis required | Anything from a slow drain to a real-estate inspection | CCTV survey (RKT-MTH-04) |
| Lead service line confirmed by curb-stop pull or LCRR inventory | EPA's 2024 inventory deadline applies | Full LSL replacement (RKT-MTH-05) |
| Fully collapsed bore, foundation entry compromised, geometry exceeds bursting head tolerance | — | Open-cut excavation (we sub the dig out; we do the plumbing) |
| Sound pipe, customer told otherwise by another contractor | — | No work. We give you the survey video and walk away. |
CIPP lining
A felt-and-resin sleeve, inverted by air pressure into the host pipe and cured in place to form a structural liner. 50-year design life. 4–24 hr cure depending on resin chemistry and ambient temperature.
RKT-MTH-02 · ASTM F1962Pipe bursting
A pneumatic or hydraulic bursting head, winched through the host pipe on a steel cable, fragments the host outward and pulls a new SDR-17 HDPE line into the bore behind it. Two access pits. One day.
RKT-MTH-03 · NYC PC 711.1Spot repair & cleanout
A single 4×4 ft access pit. Replace the bad joint with a Fernco shielded coupling or a fusion-welded splice. Install a code-compliant exterior cleanout. Restore. The right answer when 90% of the run is sound.
RKT-MTH-04 · NASSCO PACP v8Lateral locating & CCTV
PACP-coded camera inspection from the cleanout to the main, with sonde-traced location, depth, and material at every fitting. Recorded to MP4 and delivered with a written report and a marked plan.
RKT-MTH-05 · EPA LCRRLead service-line replacement
Full replacement of the ¾-in. or 1-in. lead service from main to meter, by directional bore or pipe-burst, with NYSDOH-compliant flush sequence and post-replacement water-quality verification at six points in the home.
What we do not do
Three method categories that exist in the trade and that we have chosen to refer out.
This is for transparency. If you came here expecting one of these, follow the link to a regional shop that actually does it well.
- Drain cleaning as a recurring service. We will run a cable through a clogged drain once, as part of a CCTV survey. We will not sell you a quarterly maintenance plan. T-Mark Plumbing and Cellino Plumbing both run good drain-cleaning operations in Buffalo.
- Hydronic heating & boiler service. We are a sewer-and-water shop. For boilers and radiant heat in Buffalo, see Roy's Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical.
- Drinking-water filtration & softening. We will replace your lead service. We will not sell you a whole-house filter. The Buffalo municipal water supply does not require softening at the household scale.
Sources cited on this page
- ASTM International. F1216-22 Standard Practice for Rehabilitation of Existing Pipelines and Conduits by the Inversion and Curing of a Resin-Impregnated Tube. astm.org/f1216-22.html
- ASTM International. F1962-23 Standard Guide for Use of Maxi-Horizontal Directional Drilling for Placement of Polyethylene Pipe. astm.org/f1962-23.html
- National Association of Sewer Service Companies. PACP Reference Manual v8. nassco.org/programs/pacp
- U.S. EPA. Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-and-copper-rule
- NYC Plumbing Code, § 711.1 (cleanout requirements; the most stringent municipal standard we work to in our service area). nyc.gov/site/buildings/codes