· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Drainage and Excavation
A company that sells no-dig sewer repair has every reason to tell you digging is never the answer. That is what makes Prodigy Sewer & Drain worth a look if you are pricing sewer line repair in Nashville, and worth writing about on a site about excavation: the Franklin contractor calls itself trenchless-first and still publishes the cases where it will open a trench. In its words, “When excavation truly is the right call, we tell you honestly and do that too.”
When does sewer line repair in Nashville actually mean digging?
When the old pipe can’t serve as the path for a new one, or when the path itself is the problem. Prodigy’s excavation page names four situations, each one shown first on a camera:
- A line fully collapsed over a long run.
- A line that has to be re-routed.
- A bellied section whose grade has to be corrected.
- A pipe that must be upsized.
Why can’t a liner fix a belly?
Because a liner goes where the old pipe goes. The EPA’s manual on operating and rehabilitating sewer collection systems describes these methods as a “pipe-within-a-pipe,” installed through existing manholes or a few access pits. My reading of that is simple: a new pipe formed inside a sagging pipe sags with it, and one formed inside a badly placed pipe stays badly placed. The same goes for a run that has lost its shape over a long stretch, where there is nothing left to form against.
Prodigy’s rule of thumb fits: if the pipe still holds its shape, it lines or bursts instead of digging. A company that does both has no reason to push you toward either one.
Two jobs where the answer was no trench
The company’s case studies show the other side. At a rental in The Gulch, a sewer was failing at an offset joint where PVC met cast iron, directly under a marble patio, after another plumber had fixed one pipe and missed the cause. Camera, hydro jetting, then a cured-in-place liner: about three hours, by its report, with the patio untouched and an estimated $16,500 to $28,000 saved against digging. The owner, Adam Dassau, wrote on Google, “3 hours later we were flushing again and the tenants were super happy. They found an offset joint under the marble patio and saved the day.”
The second is a Nashville condominium community. Prodigy says another contractor spent three months excavating across occupied units, billed over $50,000 and left the sewer broken. It says it then ran a camera through the whole system, found three pipe types, matched UV cured liner, steam-cured liner and spray epoxy to them, and finished in four days for $22,000 to $24,000. What I take from it isn’t that digging is bad. A trench dug before anyone has mapped the pipe is the expensive mistake.
What does a sewer dig involve when it is the right call?
More steps than the trench itself. Prodigy’s published sequence is a camera inspection and sonde locate to confirm the dig and mark the line, a permit through Metro Water Services or the county’s water department, targeted excavation along the located path, replacement of the section or the full line, a final camera pass, and restoration of what was disturbed. Its page quotes $8,000 to $10,000 for a full dig-and-replace on a typical 80-foot residential line and $3,000 to $5,000 for a sectional repair, depending on depth, transitions and fittings.
Two rules apply to whoever holds the shovel. The Tennessee 811 FAQ requires at least three working days’ notice before digging, and each excavating company needs a ticket in its own name; our post on what comes before any excavation has the rest. Federal rule 29 CFR 1926.652 requires protective systems in a trench unless it is entirely in stable rock, or under 5 feet deep with a competent person finding no sign of a cave-in. Our post on trench safety covers what to ask about that.
What to ask before you agree to a trench
Prodigy says it hands customers the recorded camera footage, and that is the fair standard for any contractor recommending a dig on your property. These are the questions I would put to whoever is quoting:
- Can I keep the footage, and can you show me on it where the line fails?
- Which of the four reasons applies here: collapse, re-route, grade or size?
- Why won’t lining or bursting work on this particular line?
- Who pulls the permit, and whose name is on the 811 ticket?
- Is putting the yard, driveway or patio back part of this price?
Why call Prodigy about a failing sewer line?
Because it can do every answer on that list, so the camera gets to decide. The company says it runs five trenchless systems in-house, from MaxLiner and UV cured liners to spray epoxy, and it digs when digging is right. Its motto is “we diagnose before we sell.” Its About page names Mark Ellefson as founder and owner, with 21 years in the trade, personally training technicians on lining and camera work, and it offers a 10-year workmanship warranty on pipe lining.
It is based in Franklin, treats Nashville as its busiest market, and says it is open 24 hours. Google Maps showed 4.9 from 172 reviews on October 24, 2026. If you have been told your yard, driveway or patio has to come up, or you want trenchless sewer repair looked at first, this is a good company to have run the camera.
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Optimizing Operation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation of Sanitary Sewer Collection Systems — Section 7.2: trenchless methods as a pipe within a pipe, installed through existing manholes or limited access excavations.
- 29 CFR 1926.652, Requirements for protective systems — Cave-in protection in excavations and its two exceptions.
- Tennessee 811, Frequently Asked Questions — Notice period, ticket life and a ticket for each excavating company.
FAQ
Sewer Line Repair in Nashville: When Prodigy Says Dig — questions
Does sewer line repair in Nashville always mean digging up the yard?
No. Prodigy Sewer & Drain, a trenchless-first contractor based in Franklin, lines or bursts a pipe that still holds its shape. It excavates when a camera shows a long collapse, a needed re-route, a grade problem or a size problem, and it does both kinds of work itself, so the footage decides.
Can you line a sewer pipe that has a belly in it?
Not to fix the belly. A liner is a new pipe inside the old one, so it follows the same low spot. Prodigy Sewer & Drain lists a bellied section needing its grade corrected among the cases it excavates. The company hands customers the camera footage, so you can see the belly yourself.
Can a collapsed sewer line be replaced without digging?
Not when it has collapsed over a long run, by Prodigy Sewer & Drain’s account, which is one of the four cases it excavates. Its stated test is whether the pipe still holds its shape. If it does, the company lines or bursts it. A camera inspection shows which situation you actually have.
How much does it cost to dig up and replace a sewer line near Nashville?
Prodigy Sewer & Drain’s excavation page quotes $8,000 to $10,000 for a full dig-and-replace on a typical 80-foot residential line and $3,000 to $5,000 for a sectional repair. Depth, transitions and fittings move the figure, and the company says restoring the disturbed area is part of the job.
Does a sewer contractor have to call 811 before digging up my yard?
Yes. Tennessee 811 says state law requires notice before excavation, at least three working days ahead, and a homeowner’s call doesn’t cover the contractor, because each excavating company needs a ticket in its own name. Tickets run 15 calendar days after the legal start date, so a long job may need a new one.