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Drains & sewer · Spokane and North Idaho

Open trench sewer repair in Spokane Valley, WA

When a sewer has a belly, a collapse or offsets nothing can pass, our sewer crew digs it up with its own excavator and re-lays it at the right slope. We dig only when nothing else will do.

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Free estimate
Open trench repair
Starting prices
  • Written estimate, camera includedFree
  • County sewer permitFrom $230
  • Trench shoring, when requiredFrom $1,302
  • Excavation equipmentFrom $3,521
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Every dig is priced on site, line by line from our book.
FreeWritten estimate
1DAYFor most spot repairs
2 to 4DAYSFor a full dug replacement
OwnExcavator and dig crew

What is included

What a dig covers.

  • The camera firstWe film and locate the damage, so the trench goes where the problem is.
  • Locates and permitsUtility locates, the sewer permit, coordination with the city or county and the inspection.
  • Our own crewGold Seal’s sewer and lining crew digs with its own excavator.
  • Spot repair or full lineOne broken section replaced, or the whole run, depending on what the footage shows.
  • Re-laid at the right slopeNew pipe bedded at the correct grade, so a belly is gone for good.
  • Backfill and restorationCompacted to limit settling, with restoration scoped and priced before we start.
Sewer camera monitor showing the inside of a pipe
The camera goes first

Starting prices

What goes into a dig.

No single book price covers a dig: depth, length and what sits on top all change it. These are the book’s starting prices for lines your free estimate can include.

Written estimate
Free
County sewer permit
$230
Spokane right-of-way permit
$225
Open trench line items · Gold Seal flat-rate book, 2026
ServiceWhat it coversStarting at
Sewer cleanout
4 or 6 inch
A cleanout where the city or county requires one.
From$322
Members from $290
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Debris haul-off
From the excavation
Haul away debris from the excavation.
From$431
Members from $388
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Backfill sand
Where required
Sand for bedding and backfill where it is required.
From$451
Members from $406
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Landscape protection pads
Lawns and walkways
Pads laid down to protect the landscape under the equipment.
From$663
Members from $597
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Trench shoring
Where required
Shoring that keeps a deep trench safe to work in.
From$1,302
Members from $1,172
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Excavation equipment
Excavator
Our excavator and digging equipment on site.
From$3,521
Members from $3,169
Get a quote →

Your estimate adds the pipe work itself, which depends on length, depth and what has to be crossed, such as a driveway or sidewalk. Member prices are for Quality Service Club members. Starting prices from our 2026 pricebook. A real person confirms your price before anything is scheduled.

Know the signs

When a sewer has to be dug.

Trenchless is better when it works. It does not always work, and we will say so rather than sell a method that will fail.

A belly

A low spot where waste pools. Lining and bursting follow the old path, so only re-bedding the pipe fixes the slope.

A full collapse

When the pipe has caved in, there may be nothing left to line or to pull a bursting head through.

Big offsets or bends

Joints shifted too far, or turns and connections a liner or bursting head cannot get past.

One bad section

When the rest of the line is sound, a dug spot repair replaces just the broken piece.

How it works

Film. Locate. Dig. Restore.

A spot repair often takes a day. A full dug replacement takes two to four, plus permits and inspection.

  1. 01

    Film

    The camera shows the damage and why trenchless will not fix it.

  2. 02

    Locate

    Utilities are marked and the permit pulled.

  3. 03

    Dig

    The trench is opened and the pipe repaired or replaced at grade.

  4. 04

    Restore

    The work is inspected, backfilled, compacted and restored.

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Questions

Open trench sewer repair, answered.

Answers from licensed plumbers. Still unsure? Call (509) 535-5946, 24 hours a day.

When does a sewer need open trench repair instead of trenchless?
When the pipe is fully collapsed, when a belly means the line has to be re-laid at the right slope, or when offsets, bends or connections block a liner or bursting head. When trenchless will work, we recommend it instead.
How much does open trench sewer repair cost?
It is priced on site after a free written estimate, because depth, length and what sits on top all change the work. Every line on the estimate comes from our flat-rate book, such as excavation equipment from $3,521 and the county sewer permit at $230.
Can you repair one section instead of the whole line?
Often, yes. A spot repair makes sense when the camera shows one damaged section and the rest of the line is sound. In a line of old clay or Orangeburg, fixing one spot just moves the next failure a few feet down, and the footage shows you which you have.
Will you restore my yard and driveway?
Yes. We backfill, compact to limit settling and restore the surface, and restoration is scoped and priced up front, so you know what goes back as it was and what may need follow-up such as new sod or concrete.
Is there a warranty on sewer work?
Yes. Gold Seal’s sewer repairs carry our own written sewer warranty. Ask us for its terms with your estimate.

Membership

What members get.

Priority scheduling for emergencies, 10% off services and materials, no minor diagnostic fee, a yearly plumbing and drain safety inspection and shut-off tags on your main water valve and water heater.

Members vs non-members →

Quality Service Club

Members save
For every home and business we serve
$149first year

Plus tax. Then $95 a year when you renew.

  • Priority scheduling for emergencies
  • 10% off services and materials
  • No minor diagnostic fee
  • A yearly plumbing and drain safety inspection
  • Shut-off tags on your main water valve and water heater

Line has to be dug? Dig it once, right.

Open trench sewer repair across Spokane and North Idaho, with a free written estimate.