Bewley Plumbing offers plumbing tunnel repair in McKinney, Texas, and the surrounding area. Our plumbing tunnel repairs can minimize damage to your home by avoiding the need to break through a slab to access your pipes. We have years of experience performing tunnel repairs, and our team has the knowledge and equipment to do the job right. Here, we’ll discuss tunnel repair and some of the benefits it offers homeowners. 

What Is Plumbing Tunnel Repair?

A plumbing tunnel to fix a sewer line.

Plumbing tunnel repair is a technique for replacing, repairing, or removing pipes or sewer lines. Instead of breaking through the slab of a building, tunnel repair involves digging beneath it to access the pipes. Repairing a slab that has been broken through to access pipes and sewer lines can be costly. A tunnel repair is a less destructive alternative.

Tunnel repairs must be left to professionals, as they can be dangerous and destructive if done incorrectly.

When Tunnel Repair Is Needed 

The following are cases where tunnel repairs may be needed. Please note that, in certain cases, conventional repair methods may be better than tunnel repair. 

  • Significant repair or replacement is needed for plumbing lines under a slab. 
  • Building structure or flooring constraints restrict access to pipes. 
  • Foundation damage is suspected, but the building owner prefers a noninvasive method to investigate.
  • Moisture problems or persistent leaks occur under the slab.

We can advise you on whether we believe tunnel repair is right for your plumbing issue.

Plumbing Problems Commonly Fixed With Tunneling

Tunneling is used to resolve a variety of plumbing problems, including, but not limited to, the following: 

Slab Leak Tunnel Repair

Slab leaks often occur in difficult-to-reach areas. Tunnel repair can be used to resolve slab leaks without breaking through the slab. Tunnel repairs work well for slab leaks when the issue is isolated, such as a pinhole leak. 

Why Tunneling Is Used Instead of Breaking the Slab

Tunneling is used in place of breaking through the slab for various reasons, such as the following:

  • It helps protect the interiors of homes.
  • The slab is unaffected.
  • While often the case with breaking through a slab, residents of a home generally won’t have to move out while work is done.

Our Plumbing Tunnel Repair Process

Here, we’ll explain our process for plumbing tunnel repair. Please note that this is not a how-to guide for plumbing tunnel repair, but a brief overview of the steps we will be taking.

  • Find where the plumbing issue or issues are located
  • Plan the tunnel path or paths
  • Dig the tunnel
  • Repair the plumbing
  • Fill the tunnel we made

Safety and Structural Considerations

When doing plumbing tunnel repair, safety and your home’s structure are our top priorities. If not handled correctly, subsidence or a cave-in may occur. These events are not only dangerous but they can also damage a home’s structure. We work hard to have a safe workspace and protect your home’s structure.

A plumber working on repairing a pipe.
A plumbing tunnel is used to fix a sewer line.

Why Choose Bewley Plumbing for Tunnel Repair in McKinney

Here are a few reasons for you to choose Bewley Plumbing for your McKinney, Texas, tunnel repairs.

Serving McKinney and Surrounding Areas

We’re proud to serve the plumbing needs of McKinney, Texas, and the surrounding areas with tunnel repair and other plumbing services. If you’re in the area, we can help you with your plumbing issues.

Contact us to request service or an estimate for tunnel repair in McKinney, Texas, and the surrounding areas. 

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FAQs:

What Is Plumbing Tunnel Repair?

Plumbing tunnel repair involves tunneling beneath a building to access pipes for repair or replacement work.

When Is Tunnel Repair Better Than Breaking the Slab?

While you’ll ultimately want to speak with a plumber about the best course of action, here are several cases where tunnel repair may be better than breaking through the slab:

– When damage to pipes is isolated
– When an interior needs to be preserved
– If the location is easy to access
– If there is one pinhole leak to repair
– When residents want to avoid potentially having to leave their home

Is Plumbing Tunnel Repair Safe for My Foundation?

If done correctly, plumbing tunnel repair is safe for foundations.

How Long Does Plumbing Tunnel Repair Take?

The length of time plumbing tunnel repair takes can vary. The following is a rough guide to how long projects may take, depending on the workload. Once we have investigated your issue, we’ll have a better understanding of the timeframe required to resolve your issue.

– Smaller projects, such as work on a drain line branch involving 6 to 8 feet of tunneling, may take around a week.
– Medium-sized projects, like tunneling 16 to 18 feet and repairing a few pipe breaks, may take under two weeks.
– Large-scale projects that require extensive tunneling, such as replacing an entire under-home plumbing system, can take around a month.

Does Tunnel Repair Fix Slab Leaks Permanently?

While all pipes eventually require repair and replacement, a particular slab leak can be permanently repaired depending on how the repair is carried out.

Will Tunneling Damage My Yard or Landscaping?

While tunneling can damage your lawn or landscape, we will do everything we can to protect it while we work.