If your home was built before 1975, there’s a good chance you’re sitting on cast iron drain lines that are already past their lifespan. In Florida’s humidity and salt air, these pipes corrode faster than almost anywhere else in the country. What starts as a slow drain turns into recurring backups, then sewage in your yard, then thousands in water damage.
You can keep paying for repairs. Or you can replace the system once and be done with it.
We handle residential sewer line replacement from your home to the street. That means no more guessing whether the problem is fixed. No more calling us back six months later because the same pipe failed in a different spot. You get new lines, code-compliant work, and a system that’ll outlast the house.
Most homes in Brevard County with cast iron pipes are dealing with the same issue. The pipes weren’t designed to last this long, and Florida’s climate doesn’t help. Replacing them now means you avoid the emergency call when a pipe bursts under your slab or floods your bathroom at 2 a.m.
Drain Wizard is a family-owned plumbing company based in Brevard County. We’ve been handling cast iron pipe replacement, trenchless sewer repair, and full residential plumbing since 2007. Our owner, Carl, started in this trade at 16, digging trenches and learning the work from the ground up. He’s a State Certified Master Plumber with over 40 years of combined experience on the team.
We’re not a franchise. We’re not a call center. You’re working with the same crew from estimate to final inspection.
Courtenay sits in an area where most homes were built during the cast iron era. We’ve worked on hundreds of properties in this zip code alone. We know the soil conditions, the common pipe layouts, and how to get the job done without tearing up your entire yard. If you’re dealing with failing cast iron pipes, we’ve seen it before and we know how to fix it right.
First, we run a camera through your drain lines to see what we’re dealing with. That tells us where the corrosion is, whether the pipes are cracked or collapsed, and what sections need to be replaced. You get to see the footage yourself. No guessing, no upselling.
Next, we give you a written estimate that breaks down the scope of work. If you’re replacing the whole system, we map out the route from your house to the main sewer line. If it’s a partial replacement, we show you exactly which sections we’re swapping out and why.
Once you approve the estimate, we schedule the work. Depending on your property, we may use traditional excavation or trenchless methods. Trenchless sewer repair means we dig two small access points and pull new pipe through the old line—less digging, less mess, often less money. If we need to excavate, we do it carefully and restore your landscaping when we’re done.
After the new pipes are in, we test the system, pull permits if required, and make sure everything is up to code. You’re left with a sewer line that works the way it’s supposed to—no backups, no odors, no surprises.
Ready to get started?
When we replace cast iron pipes, we’re removing the old corroded lines and installing new PVC or ABS pipe that’s built to last. That includes the main sewer line, branch lines, and any sections under your slab or in your crawlspace. We also handle pipe descaling if you’re not ready for a full replacement but need to clear heavy buildup and buy some time.
In Courtenay and the surrounding Brevard County area, nearly 40% of homes were built before 1975. That’s when cast iron was the standard for drain lines. The problem is that those pipes were only designed to last 50 years, and most are already beyond that. Florida’s moisture and salt air speed up the corrosion, so pipes that might last 60 years up north are failing at 30 or 40 here.
We also see a lot of real estate deals fall apart because of cast iron. Buyers get an inspection, see the old pipes, and either walk away or demand the seller replace them. If you’re selling a home in Courtenay, replacing the cast iron before you list can save the deal and increase your home’s value.
Trenchless options are available for many properties. Instead of digging a trench across your yard, we use existing access points to install the new pipe. It’s faster, cleaner, and often cheaper than traditional excavation. Not every home qualifies, but if yours does, it’s worth considering.
Slow drains are usually the first sign. If multiple drains in your home are sluggish, or if you’re dealing with frequent backups, that’s a red flag. You might also notice a sewage smell in your yard or around your foundation, which means the pipes are leaking underground.
Another common sign is rust-colored water or visible corrosion on exposed pipes in your crawlspace or basement. Cast iron corrodes from the inside out, so by the time you see rust on the outside, the inside is usually much worse.
If your home was built before 1975 and you’ve never had the sewer line inspected, it’s worth running a camera through it. That’ll show you exactly what condition the pipes are in and whether you’re looking at a repair or a full replacement. Most insurance companies won’t cover the replacement itself, but they may cover damage caused by a sudden pipe failure—so catching it early can save you a lot of headaches.
If the damage is isolated to one small section and the rest of the system is in decent shape, a repair might make sense. But if you’re dealing with corrosion in multiple spots, or if your pipes are over 50 years old, replacement is almost always the smarter move.
Here’s why: cast iron doesn’t fail in just one place. Once it starts corroding, the whole system is on borrowed time. You might fix one section today and have another section fail six months later. At that point, you’re paying for multiple repairs when you could’ve replaced the system once and been done.
In Florida, cast iron pipes tend to fail earlier than in other parts of the country because of the humidity and salt in the air. If your home is in Courtenay or anywhere in Brevard County and the pipes are original to the house, replacement is usually the right call. You’ll avoid the cycle of emergency repairs, and you’ll have a system that’s code-compliant and built to last another 50+ years.
Traditional excavation means we dig a trench along the path of your sewer line, remove the old cast iron pipe, and install new pipe in its place. It’s the most straightforward method, and it works for every situation. The downside is that it requires digging up your yard, driveway, or landscaping, which we then restore after the job is done.
Trenchless sewer repair is a newer method where we dig two small access points—one at each end of the pipe—and pull new pipe through the old line. There’s no need to dig up your entire yard. It’s faster, less disruptive, and often less expensive because there’s less labor and less restoration work.
Not every property qualifies for trenchless. If your pipes are completely collapsed, or if the layout of your property makes access difficult, we may need to use traditional excavation. We’ll assess your situation during the estimate and let you know which method makes the most sense. Either way, you’re getting new pipes that are built to last.
The cost depends on how much pipe needs to be replaced, how deep it’s buried, and whether we can use trenchless methods or need to excavate. On average, homeowners in Florida spend around $10,000 for a full residential sewer line replacement, but that number can be higher or lower depending on the specifics of your property.
If you’re only replacing a section of pipe, the cost will be less. If your sewer line runs under a driveway or through difficult terrain, it may cost more. Trenchless options are often cheaper than traditional excavation because there’s less digging and less restoration work.
We offer free estimates, so you’ll know exactly what the job will cost before we start. We’ll also walk you through your options and explain why we’re recommending a certain approach. Some homeowners qualify for financing, and we offer a 5% senior discount. The goal is to give you a clear picture of what you’re paying for and why, so there are no surprises when the bill comes.
Most homeowners insurance policies don’t cover pipe replacement itself because it’s considered normal wear and tear. Insurance is designed to cover sudden, unexpected damage—not the gradual deterioration of aging pipes. That said, if a cast iron pipe bursts and causes water damage to your home, your insurance may cover the damage, just not the cost of replacing the pipe.
Some insurance companies in Florida are starting to deny coverage or drop policies for homes with cast iron pipes, especially if the pipes are over 50 years old. If you’re buying or selling a home, this can become a real issue. Buyers may have trouble getting insurance, and sellers may need to replace the pipes before closing.
If you’re filing a claim for water damage caused by a pipe failure, document everything. Take photos, keep receipts, and get a written report from your plumber. Insurance companies are notorious for lowballing claims or denying them outright, so the more documentation you have, the better your chances of getting a fair payout. Replacing the pipes proactively can also help you avoid the whole insurance headache in the first place.
Most residential sewer line replacements take between one and three days, depending on the scope of the work. If we’re using trenchless methods and the job is straightforward, we can often finish in a day. If we need to excavate and replace a long section of pipe, or if we run into complications like tree roots or unexpected soil conditions, it may take longer.
We’ll give you a timeline during the estimate so you know what to expect. We also do our best to minimize disruption. You’ll still be able to use your plumbing during most of the job, though there may be short periods where water needs to be shut off.
Once the new pipes are in, we test the system to make sure everything is flowing correctly. If permits are required, we handle that too. By the time we’re done, you’ll have a fully functional sewer line that’s up to code and ready to last for decades. We clean up the work site, restore any landscaping we disturbed, and make sure you’re satisfied with the finished job before we leave.
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