Abandoning cast Iron plumbing under slab

[austin78745]

I have only found 1 plumber who is willing to re-route my sewer pipe out around the house but he is charging the same as going under the slab. Going out and around would avoid about 20-25 feet of digging under slab. I just think it should be cheaper. City of Austin Code allows for that method and will inspect and pass it. My house is a 2 story and the plumbing is all stacked in line. Going around is a no brainer. Does anybody know anybody? Why is this so hard?

 

[Dj2]

If you knew how the slab is originally poured and what's under it, you would understand why it's better not to disturb it, if possible.
To run a new line around the house will create a new challenge of keeping the minimal drop required. It may also require more digging and laying down more pipes - hence the added cost. I'm for not disturbing the slab, unless you have no choice.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Consider the effects on the yard. Your soil conditions in your area will differ. In an area with top soil over clay, a friend who had new sewer lines put in got people who put the dug material onto tarps (using shovels) rather than the grass, and separated topsoil from clay subsoil. When putting the dirt back, they compacted the dirt with sledgehammers. There was minimal disturbance compared with using a trencher and mixing all of the dirt on top of the adjacent grass.

Check inbox for a search suggestion.

 

[xprtplumber]

It is hard to pinpoint exactly why one price is higher than another. As a third generation underground contractor I can elaborate on a few considerations that any underground excavator must consider when pricing a project. The fact is that anytime you excavate either underground or under a slab there is inherent unknown risk (hence the fact that the work is underground and as such not visible for inspection). A qualified local contractor will usually have some idea as to underground conditions in your area (i.e. high groundwater table, possibility of rocks or boulders at excavation depth, shoring needed to meet OSHA requirements... the list goes on and on. A successful contractor must mitigate for these variables via risk management, which may include risk premium and/or contingency funds. Any contractor that performs excavation services and does not include risk planning and/or risk premium will most likely not be in business for long. Bear in mind that any type of excavation is risky business, both for health and safety reasons as will as unknown time/cost considerations.

 

[austin78745]

It looks like I might be zeroing in on a plumber who has at least done this type of work before. Maybe I'll get lucky and turn out to be a good candidate. Thanks to everyone who responded.