Sewer Camera Inspection
Sewer camera inspection for Houston homes: our master plumbers watch the live picture from inside your sewer line.
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Cast iron pipe replacement in Houston takes out old cast iron drain lines and puts in new PVC. We replace the drain and waste lines inside and under the house, plus the stacks in the walls. Those are the pipes every sink and toilet empties into. Angi says cast iron can last between 50 and 75 years. The water supply lines are a different job: whole-house repiping with new PEX run through the attic.
VCS Construction and Remodeling has worked on Houston homes since 2007. Master plumbers on our team run every cast iron job. Our own crew then puts back the concrete, floors and walls the job opens up. One contractor handles the pipe and the finish work. Estimates are free, and we set a date after the estimate. We work in places like the Heights, Montrose, River Oaks and Bellaire, all in Harris County.
Tell us about your project and we’ll get right back to you.
Census Bureau figures show nearly half of Houston's homes and apartments were built in 1979 or earlier. Those numbers come from the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey. More than a quarter were built before 1970. Plastic drain pipe only became common by the end of the 1970s. Cast iron was still used for the larger drain pipes in the first half of that decade. That means many Houston homes built before the 1970s were plumbed with cast iron drains.
Angi says cast iron is not common in newer construction. It is prone to rust and corrosion, blockages and breakage over time. Scale builds up inside and thickens the pipe walls. You notice that as drains that run slow and clogs that keep coming back. Any cast iron drain put in before 1970 is now more than 50 years old. That puts it past the low end of Angi's 50 to 75 year range.
The signs start small. A tub drains slowly, or a toilet clogs again soon after you cleared it. Two fixtures back up at the same time, or a sewer smell hangs in one room. A floor that stays damp can point to a leak below. HomeGuide lists corroded cast iron and other metal pipes among the causes of slab leaks. A camera run shows where the pipe failed and how much of it has to go.
Every cast iron pipe replacement starts with a camera run through the drain lines. It is the same sewer camera inspection we run at the start of every sewer job. Our master plumbers watch the live picture for scale, rust, cracks and breaks. This Old House plumbing expert Richard Trethewey recommends video inspections to locate slab leaks, so less slab gets opened. The picture shows which runs have to come out and where to reach them.
On a slab house, the drain lines run under the concrete. We reach them with a tunnel dug from outside, under the foundation. The floors and cabinets above stay in place, because the work happens below the slab. The USDA says Lake Charles clay is extensive across Southeast Texas, mainly between the Colorado and Trinity rivers. When dry, it cracks half an inch to 2 inches wide at the surface, and 12 inches deep or more. So we backfill and pack each tunnel to keep the ground under the house supported.
A pier-and-beam bungalow in the Heights or Montrose sits up off the ground. There our crew works from the crawl space under the floor. A stack is the upright drain pipe inside a wall, and we open the wall to reach it. In each case we cut out the old cast iron and set new PVC. Angi names PVC as a budget-friendly replacement material for cast iron. The new pipe gets tied in to the drains that stay.
Master plumbers on our team pull the plumbing permit, and we meet the inspector. The Houston Permitting Center says a master plumber registered with the city buys a Houston plumbing permit. It says all work that needs a plumbing permit must be inspected and approved before the project is finalized. The city's plumbing inspectors run ground, rough, sewer and final inspections. Then our own crew pours back the concrete and repairs the floors, drywall, tile and cabinets the work touched. Plumbing-only companies often leave that part to someone else.
A camera run settles repair versus replacement. One cracked section in a run that is otherwise sound can be cut out and replaced. That is cast iron pipe repair. When scale and rust show up along the whole run, replacing it makes more sense than patching. Angi's rule of thumb: if repairing cast iron would cost more than 50% of replacing it, replace it. Some companies sell a lining for the inside of old cast iron. We replace the pipe itself.
Angi's cost guide groups cast iron replacement costs by where the pipe sits. Its range for pipe under a slab runs about $3,000 to $20,000. We price your own job at a free estimate, after the camera run. Sometimes the camera finds one leak in a line that is otherwise sound. Then the job is slab leak repair at that one spot. The rest of the old run stays in service.
The drains inside and under the house feed the main sewer line, which runs out to the cleanout. Houston Public Works says the cleanout marks where the city's public sewer system ends. It says private wastewater pipes, typically the ones closer to the home, are the homeowner's responsibility. When the camera shows the main line has failed too, that part is main sewer line replacement. Call (713) 828-3097 for a free estimate.
Free, no-obligation estimates across Houston, inside Loop 610 and out.
(713) 828-3097From the first call to the last pass of the rake, here is how it goes.
Tell us about the house and the project. We set a time to come see it, usually within a few days.
We look at the space and the systems in person and talk through the plan. You get a real number before any work starts.
Drawings get done, permits get pulled, and the build starts on a set schedule. We review progress with you week by week.
Our own crew does the sheetrock, trim and paint, then walks the finished job with you. The project ends when you sign off on it.
Common questions about cast iron pipe replacement across Houston, inside Loop 610 and out. Don't see yours? Give us a call and ask.
Sewer camera inspection for Houston homes: our master plumbers watch the live picture from inside your sewer line.
We replace failed sewer lines under Houston yards and slab homes. Master plumbers run the work, and we repair the concrete and floors the dig disturbs.
Slab leak repair for Houston homes, from locating the leak under the slab to the pipe repair and the concrete we pour back.
We replace old galvanized supply lines with new PEX, usually in a few days. Then we repair and paint every wall we opened, one contractor start to finish.
We remodel kitchens across Houston, from Heights bungalows to postwar ranch homes. One contractor handles design, structure, trades, and finish work on every job.
We remodel bathrooms across Houston, from 1920s bungalows in the Heights to newer homes outside the Loop. Our master plumbers and our own finish crew take each bath from demo to paint.
The team that opens your walls is the team that closes them. Trades, sheetrock, tile, cabinets, trim and paint all run under one contract, so nothing falls between companies.
Repipes, sewer lines, water heaters and remodel plumbing stay in house. That is rare for a remodeling contractor, and it is why pipe problems do not stall our jobs.
An architect, two engineers and interior designers work with us on plans, or we build from your designer’s drawings. Permits and city inspections are handled for you.
Pier and beam bungalows, slab ranches on clay soil, galvanized pipe, cast iron drains, deed restrictions and flood maps. We have worked these streets since 2007 and plan for all of it.
Real feedback from Houston homeowners we've remodeled and built for.
VCS did an outstanding job on our kitchen and master bed/bath remodel. What made them different was their attention to detail from start to finish. Trey would meet with us on a weekly basis to review completed work as well as scheduling and work for the following week. His team was extremely professional, knowledgable, and courteous. They went above and beyond for us and the quality of work was fantastic. They focused and kept to the scheduled timeline. I would highly recommend VCS Construction and Remodeling.
VCS Construction was as professional as it gets. Our exterior project was completed on budget and on time with the attention to detail on quality. Any issues or concerns were handled quickly and professionally. I would recommend them to everyone.
We hired VCS for a custom garage buildout and they delivered to the highest degree. Trey went over countless ideas for what I wanted and I could not be happier with the outcome. He is a well respected car guy in the community so he does know his stuff when it comes to custom Garages. Well Done!
A kitchen that needs to open up, a bath past its prime, an addition, or pipes that are done? Call or send the form. We come to look at the house in person, and the estimate and design consultation are free.
Tell us about your project and we’ll get right back to you.
