Re-lining a sewer is when a liner is placed in the existing sewer line and is adhered to the walls of the pipe. The liner takes the shape of the existing line, so if the condition of the sewer line is poor, this may not be a good option to fix the sewer line. You should have a sewer camera run down your sewer line to make sure the liner will fix your sewer problem. if there are bellies, breaks or displaced joints you may want to consider other options. Pipe Bursting a sewer line is when your existing sewer line is completely replaced by a new, seamless, stronger pipe. The pipe is made of HDPE (high density polyethylene) and is stronger and thicker than PVC pipe. Two small open pits are excavated, one at the connection by the main and one at the house. Using a small machine and a bursting head, the new pipe is pulled through the old sewer line. The old sewer line is pushed into the bank of the ground out of the new pipe. New connections are made at the house and at the main. In most cases, pipe bursting is less expensive than traditional open trench and re-lining methods. The reason is that the time and materials required for pipe bursting are significantly less; therefore the savings can be passed on to the homeowner.