Tree roots have grown into a break in my main sewer line in front of my home. Plumbers cleared it out and ran a camera up there and told me where it was located. Problem is it is about 6 inches inside, under my drive way.
I asked how much something like that would cost to fix, and this guy told me $2600. Maybe more depending on nearby utilities. GTFOH. So I'm going to attempt to fix it myself. The drain is about 2 foot down, and I know the location of the break. My plan is to dig down carefully until I locate the exact location of the pipe. Then dig about 18" on each side. I'll have to tunnel underneath the driveway a little, but again it's only about 6-8 inches. Cut the roots back that I come across. Cut the busted section of pipe out, and using two couplers, put a new section of pipe in. Check for leaks, then throw dirt back on top. Been to Lowes and I think I have all that I need.
Anyone ever do this? If so, any useful tips or error traps to avoid?
Also, seeking advice on repacking the dirt back under the driveway. I don't want there to be a soft spot that could eventually lead to settlement cracks, etc. To avoid this - this is my potentially flawed plan - I bought a 60lb bag of gravel, and I have about 100lbs of concrete mix. I was going to pour those in the dug out section under the driveway. Would that work? I figured if I just tried to pack dirt under there, it might not get packed enough or leave air pockets. But if I poured cement down then that wouldn't be a problem.
Any feedback is appreciated, amigos.