Every trenchless contractor started somewhere. For most, it was a conversation with a customer about a sewer line, a camera inspection that revealed more damage than a snake could fix, and a realization that the contractor who could offer a trenchless repair was going to win more jobs and charge more for them.
Adding trenchless services to a plumbing or drain cleaning business is one of the highest-leverage moves available in the trades today. The demand is real, the competition in most markets is limited, and the average job ticket is significantly higher than standard drain service. But getting started requires the right trenchless pipe lining equipment, a realistic picture of startup costs, and a clear sequence for building the capability without overextending your business.
This guide covers all three so you can make an informed decision and get into the trenchless market with the right foundation.
Why Trenchless Is One of the Best Service Lines a Plumber Can Add
Trenchless pipe rehabilitation addresses a problem that every aging residential and commercial property eventually faces: failing underground pipe infrastructure. Sewer laterals, drain lines, and water-adjacent pipe systems degrade over time through root intrusion, ground movement, material aging, and buildup. Traditional repair required excavation, which meant tearing up yards, driveways, and sometimes structures.
CIPP pipe lining changed that equation. A trained technician with the right pipe lining equipment and sewer access can rehabilitate a 60-foot sewer lateral in a single day without a shovel touching the ground. The result for the homeowner is minimal disruption. The result for the contractor is a higher-margin, lower-competition service that commands premium pricing.
Contractors who have already built out their trenchless capability consistently report that trenchless jobs represent a disproportionately high share of their revenue relative to the volume of calls. That spread is what makes the initial equipment investment worthwhile.
The Core Equipment Stack for a Trenchless Business
You do not need every piece of sewer lining equipment available on day one. What you need is the core stack that lets you perform the most common residential and light commercial jobs confidently and profitably. Here is how that stack breaks down by category.
1. Sewer Inspection Camera
The camera is not optional and it is not just a diagnostic tool. It is your primary sales instrument. A quality sewer inspection camera lets you document pipe conditions, show the homeowner exactly what is wrong, and justify the repair recommendation in real time on the job site.
The APS QuickSight HD sewer inspection camera is designed specifically for contractors who want to equip every truck without spending a fortune. It is field-repairable, equipped with a 10 inch display, and built to deliver clear visuals in residential drain and sewer environments. Contractors who put a camera on every truck find that their diagnostic capability and close rate both improve significantly.
Estimated startup cost for inspection: $1,500 to $4,500 depending on camera system selected.
2. Drain Cleaning and Descaling Equipment
Before any trenchless pipe lining job can proceed, the pipe needs to be clean and clear. Roots, grease, scale, and debris need to be removed so the repair bonds properly to the host pipe wall. This requires drain cleaning capability beyond a standard cable machine.
The APS Raptor Cutter is a high-speed drain cleaning machine with wireless controls, Smart Drive technology, and a QuickFit interchangeable reel system. It handles soft and hard blockages, pipe prep, reinstatements, and grinding with the speed and control that traditional machines cannot match. For contractors moving into trenchless, the Raptor Cutter replaces multiple pieces of equipment and reduces job site setup time significantly.
Once debris is broken up, it needs to be flushed from the line before lining can begin. A jetter is the most common tool for this step, though the method will depend on your setup and the job conditions. Chain knockers and descaling tools are also part of this category and should be selected based on the pipe diameters and materials you will be working with most frequently.
Estimated startup cost for drain cleaning and descaling: $3,000 to $8,000 depending on machine selection and tooling package
3. Point Repair System
Many contractors enter the trenchless market through point patching before they invest in full-length lining capability. A point repair system like Versa-Patch by APS allows you to perform targeted CIPP pipe repairs at isolated failure points, providing you with a swift ROI (usually accomplished within a few jobs), without the full investment of a complete lining system.
The Versa-Patch system covers pipe diameters from 2 inch through 6 inch and works with both fiberglass and flexible loop-stitched liner materials. It handles 90-degree bends transitions in pipe diameter, and P-traps depending on packer size. Starting with a point repair system lets you generate trenchless revenue while you build toward full-length lining capability.
Estimated startup cost for point repair: $3,000 to $9,000 depending on packer sizes and liner material.
4. Full-Length Lining System
The full-length lining system is where the highest-value jobs live. A contractor equipped for full-length CIPP pipe lining can rehabilitate entire lateral runs, command premium job prices, and offer a repair solution that no standard plumber can match.
A full lining system requires inversion equipment, liner handling capability, and a resin wet-out process. APS’s Protect and Pull system streamlines liner storage, transportation, and preparation, allowing a single technician to manage the liner through the wet-out process without a full crew. This is one of the most meaningful efficiency advantages available to smaller trenchless operations.
Liner inventory for full-length lining includes Houseliner FIX for straight runs, Houseliner FL for bends,Houseliner WO for complex pipe geometry, and fiberglass for applications requiring additional structural reinforcement. Resin selection depends on the curing method you are running.
Estimated startup cost for full-length lining: $25,,000 to $50,000 depending on liner system, inversion equipment, and initial material inventory
5. Curing Equipment
Every CIPP installation requires a curing method. The choice of curing equipment has a direct impact on your job throughput, labor efficiency, and the types of jobs you can take on.
Ambient curing: No additional equipment required. Uses standard epoxy resin that cures at ambient temperature. Slowest method, most temperature-sensitive.
Hot water curing: Requires a boiler and hot water recirculating unit. Faster than ambient.
UV curing: The most controllable and dependable method available. The UV XAIR, exclusively offered by APS, is a precision UV curing system that handles multiple pipe dimensions with a single light head, including T-liners and patch repairs. UV curing dramatically increases job throughput and is the direction the trenchless market is moving. Contractors who invest in UV curing early tend to outcompete on speed and capacity.
Estimated curing equipment cost: $0 for ambient beyond just epoxy resin cost to $150,000 or more advanced equipment for UV curing systems
Equipment Startup Cost Summary by Service Tier
The table below summarizes estimated startup costs by service tier for a contractor entering the trenchless market. All ranges are estimates and will vary based on the specific equipment selected, condition of any used pipe lining equipment purchased, and market pricing at time of purchase. Contact APS for up-to-date pricing on specific equipment.
| Service Tier | What You Can Offer | Core Equipment | Est. Startup Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1: Inspection Only | Camera inspection and diagnosis, refer further work to contractors offering trenchless services | Inspection camera | $1,500 to $4,500 |
| Tier 2: Point Repair | Inspection plus point repair | Camera, drain cleaning, Versa-Patch | $15,000 to $25,000 |
| Tier 3: Full CIPP | Full-length lining plus point repair | All above plus lining system and curing | $25,000 to $50,000 |
| Tier 4: UV Full CIPP | Full-length UV curing for maximum throughput | All above plus UV curing system like Versa-Light, Sewerbot, or UV XAIR | $35,000 to $175,000 |
*Price ranges are generic and subject to change, contact APS for updated, specific pricing.
These are not fixed prices. They are directional ranges to help you understand the investment required at each capability level. Many contractors start at Tier 1 or Tier 2 and grow their equipment investment as the revenue from trenchless jobs funds the next tier.
Should You Buy New or Used Pipe Lining Equipment?
Used pipe lining equipment for sale from reputable sources can be a legitimate way to reduce startup cost, particularly for inversion equipment and camera systems. The key considerations when evaluating used sewer lining equipment are the service history, the availability of parts and support, and whether the seller can verify the equipment has been properly maintained.
APS recommends being cautious with pre-owned liner material and resin. Shelf life, storage conditions, and resin chemistry are critical to a successful installation, and material that has been improperly stored or is past its useful life will affect repair quality regardless of how good the installation crew is.
For equipment categories where manufacturer support and repair access matter most, starting with new trenchless sewer equipment is often the better investment even at a higher initial cost. APS offers equipment repair services and parts support for all products we sell, which is a meaningful advantage when equipment downtime directly affects your job schedule.
Training: The Investment That Protects Everything Else
Equipment is only as good as the crew running it. Every piece of trenchless pipe lining equipment on your truck represents an investment that depends on proper installation to generate the return you are expecting.
The APS Training Academy, known as APSTA, offers hands-on training programs for every level from contractors who have never touched a liner to experienced installers looking to add UV curing or complex geometry repair capability. Training covers liner selection, wet-out process, inversion technique, curing, reinstatement cutting, and camera inspection. Certification programs are available across multiple trenchless disciplines.
Contractors who complete APSTA training before their first paid installation typically experience fewer callbacks, faster job completion, and higher customer satisfaction. The training investment is a fraction of what a single failed installation costs in materials, labor, and customer trust.
How APS Supports Contractors Starting in Trenchless
APS is not just a supplier of trenchless sewer equipment for sale. We are a long-term partner for contractors at every stage of building a trenchless business. When you are starting out, that means helping you identify the right equipment sequence for your market and budget, connecting you with training that matches your experience level, and providing after-sales support when jobs get complicated.
Our team has built operations in the trenchless industry from the ground up, and we know what the first year looks like for a contractor adding lining to their service offering. We can help you avoid the mistakes that cost time and money and help you build toward a profitable trenchless operation faster than going it alone.
If you are ready to start the conversation about which pipe lining equipment makes sense for your business, call us at (888) 258-9359 or reach out at sales@pipeliningsuppliesusa.com. We will walk through your current capability, your target market, and the equipment investment that matches both.
Quick Reference: Trenchless Startup Equipment Checklist
- Sewer inspection camera with HD display (QuickSight HD recommended)
- High-speed drain cleaning machine with descaling tooling (Raptor Cutter recommended)
- Point repair system covering 2 inch through 6 inch pipe diameters (Versa-Patch)
- Liner inventory: Houseliner FL, Houseliner FIX, Houseliner WO as applicable
- Wet-Out, Installation, and Reinstatement Equipment: Inversion Drum, Compressor, Robotic Reinstatement Cutter recommended
- Resin matched to curing method selected
- Curing equipment: ambient, hot water, or UVdepending on service tier (Versa-Light or UV XAIR recommended)
- APSTA training enrollment for lead installer and crew