In contract to traditional excavation based sewer repair, Trenchless sewer repair is minimally invasive. Requiring only a launching and receiving pit, much less damage to landscapes, driveways and basements. tow main kinds of trenchless sewer repair are employed in residential sewer line replacement; cured in place pipe (CIPP) and lateral pipe bursting.

Cured in place pipe is commonly referred to by the acronym CIPP. It is often also called pipe lining. With CIPP, a soft resin impregnated pipe liner is pulled underground into place through the old sewer pipe. This essentially creates a new pipe within the old broken sewer line. The liner is expanded and then cured through the use of water or ultraviolet light. The end result is a hard and durable brand new sewer line. 

Pipe bursting or lateral pipe bursting is typically used when a pipe is too damaged or obstructed for CIPP. A bursting head is pulled through the old broken sewer line "bursting" it apart as a new hard liner is pulled into place behind the bursting head.