Aging cast iron lines in Boca Raton, replaced once and done right.
Homes built before the mid-1970s across South Florida were plumbed with cast iron drain pipe, and that iron is now decades past its useful life. When you're stuck re-snaking the same clog or living with sewer odor that won't quit, we scope the line, show you the damage on screen, and replace what's failed with a system built for the next fifty years.
How a failing pipe shows itself
Cast iron ruled residential plumbing across Palm Beach and Broward counties well into the 1970s, and every one of those pipes is now closing in on the end of its service life. In Boca Raton that history sits mostly east of I-95: the 33432 has a median build year of 1977 and the 33486 a median of 1979, with the oldest pockets, Old Floresta and Pearl City, going back to the 1920s and 30s. Rust and mineral scale eat away at the interior walls until the pipe loses its shape or opens up beneath the slab. Most homeowners spot one of these six signs long before they ever see the pipe itself.
A clog that never really clears
Snaking the line brings relief for a week, then the drain slows again. Rust flakes and scarred interior walls give waste something to grab onto every time, so cabling only masks the real problem.
A sewer smell that lingers
If a musty, gassy odor keeps surfacing near a bathroom or utility room no matter how much you clean, a hairline crack is probably letting sewer gas escape into the living space instead of venting outside.
A wet spot that won't dry out
A soggy or oddly green section of lawn with no sprinkler nearby often sits directly over a broken lateral that's been quietly leaking wastewater into the soil for months.
Bugs or rodents showing up indoors
Sewer lines are highways for roaches and rats. A sudden uptick of either near a bathroom drain is often a sign they've found their way in through a gap in the failing pipe.
Hairline cracks appearing in tile
On a slab-on-grade foundation, a collapsed section of drain pipe can slowly wash away the sand base underneath the concrete. New cracks in tile or a floor that feels slightly uneven can point to a void forming below.
Gurgling toilets, slow tubs
A tub that empties in slow motion, or a toilet that bubbles when the washing machine drains, usually means the pipe's interior diameter has shrunk from years of buildup and corrosion.
What to expect from start to finish
Video line inspection
A waterproof camera runs the full length of the drain line, mapping cracks, offsets and low spots while we record footage you can keep for your own records or an insurance claim.
Written, fixed-scope quote
We lay out exactly which sections need to come out, whether any healthy runs qualify for a reline instead, and how we plan to access the pipe with the least mess possible.
Permit pulled before we cut
We file for the local plumbing permit before any tile or soil is disturbed. Work follows Florida plumbing code so it passes final inspection and stays part of your home's official record.
Careful access
We saw-cut only the section of slab we need, or open a narrow exterior trench, and lay down protective coverings for floors and landscaping before the old cast iron ever comes out.
Fresh PVC, set to grade
The new line goes in with correct slope and fittings, tied properly into the rest of your system, then pressure-tested before anything gets covered or closed up again.
Restoration and final sign-off
Concrete gets re-poured or soil and sod restored, the inspector signs off, and you receive the closed permit along with your written warranty paperwork.
Reline it or replace it? We show you why
A liner can be the smarter, less invasive choice when a pipe still has its round shape and correct slope; the epoxy bonds to solid iron and buys the line new decades of service. But once a section has sagged into a belly, separated at a joint, or lost its bottom to rust, there's nothing left for a liner to grip and replacement becomes the only real solution.
We run the camera first, walk you through the footage on the spot, and recommend based on what we actually see in your pipe. If the run turns out to be a candidate for trenchless rehab, we'll say so rather than quoting a dig you don't need.
Book the video scope(561) 760-1677No two cast iron jobs cost the same
There's no flat rate for this work because every home has a different layout, depth and access point. Below are the real variables that move your number, and we walk through each one with you once the camera scope is complete.
Total length and fixture count
How many feet of failed pipe and how many drains tie into that run.
Indoor slab versus outdoor trench
Saw-cutting and re-pouring concrete inside adds cost compared to opening ground outside.
Depth and water table
Deeper runs and the region's high water table can call for extra shoring and pumping.
Partial reline versus full removal
Sound sections that qualify for lining reduce the amount of digging needed.
Local permit fees
Set by your city or county building department and passed to you at cost.
Finish restoration
Putting flooring, tile and yard back the way you found it once the pipe work is done.
Older communities we serve regularly
Palm Beach County
Broward County
Northern Miami-Dade
Other work we take on
Trenchless sewer repair
For the iron that still holds its shape: a jointless liner instead of a slab cut.
See trenchless repair →Sewer line repair
A single separated joint or a collapsed run replaced through a narrow dig.
See sewer line repair →Whole-home repiping
The supply side of the same problem, in the homes west of I-95 built on polybutylene.
See repiping →Hydro jetting
Scale stripped back to bare pipe, when the camera says the iron can still take it.
See hydro jetting →Drain cleaning
The visit that usually comes first, and the camera pass that names the real cause.
See drain cleaning →Homeowners who put this behind them
Every few months we had a backup in the same bathroom. They ran a camera, showed us the cracked section on a laptop, and replaced it under the slab within a week including the permit and inspection. Zero issues since.
Emilio Z. · Boca Raton
The video they gave us made the insurance claim so much simpler. They were upfront that one section could be relined but the collapsed part had to be dug out, and they explained the reasoning without pressuring us either way.
Ines A. · Deerfield Beach
We had a soggy patch in the side yard that turned out to be a broken pipe under the grass. They trenched it, ran new pipe, and re-sodded so cleanly you'd never know they'd dug there. Quote matched the final bill exactly.
Neftali H. · Delray Beach
We never had to leave the house. They phased the bathrooms so we always had one working, kept the site clean each night, and handed us the closed permit along with the warranty paper on the last day.
Sandra P. · Boynton Beach
Cast iron replacement, answered
Why is a full replacement quoted differently for every house?
The amount of pipe that has failed, and how we need to reach it, drives most of the cost. A trench through open ground outside is a far simpler job than saw-cutting concrete inside a finished home. Depth, the number of bathrooms or fixtures on that line, and how much flooring or landscaping we restore afterward all factor in too. Once the camera scope is done, you get a written quote with a fixed scope so there's nothing left to guess at.
Will my homeowners policy help pay for this?
That's between you and your carrier, but many policies do cover the water damage and access repairs even when they exclude the aged pipe itself, and a sudden collapse is sometimes treated differently than gradual wear. We record the full camera scope and provide a written report specifically because that's the documentation most adjusters request. Ask us for a copy and we'll get it to you the same day.
Roughly how many days will this take?
A short exterior run for one bathroom can often finish in a day or two. A whole-house under-slab job usually falls somewhere between four days and a week and a half, depending on how much concrete needs cutting and re-pouring. Permit turnaround with your city or county can add time before or after the physical work. We give you a day-by-day plan in writing before we ever break ground.
Do we need to move out during the work?
Most homeowners stay put. We schedule the work in phases so a bathroom is usually available and restore water each evening. There may be a stretch of a few hours during concrete cutting where you'll want to keep clear of the work zone for dust and noise, and we section that area off and clean thoroughly at the end of each day. If a brief water shutoff is unavoidable we tell you in advance.
What's actually covered under the warranty?
Every cast iron job we complete comes with a written warranty covering both the materials and the labor, delivered to you when we sign off. Because the new pipe is code-spec PVC set to proper slope and pressure-tested before backfill, it's built to run for decades beyond what the original cast iron managed. You also keep the closed permit and inspection record, which future buyers and appraisers will want to see. We're a licensed and insured South Florida plumbing company.
Your cast iron won't fix itself.
If your South Florida home dates back before the mid-1970s and the drains keep giving you trouble, the pipe underneath is only getting worse. A video scope shows you exactly where things stand, and a properly permitted replacement puts the problem to rest for good. Reach out today and get real footage of what's happening under your slab.
Call now · 24/7(561) 760-1677Licensed & insured · FL CFC1433655 · Boca Raton Emergency Plumbing SFL, 1220 Southwest 1st Way, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441 · Permitted work, written warranty on labor and materials.