Trenchless Water Line Replacement in Bellevue, Seattle and the North End
Replace your water line without destroying your yard
Your Yard Doesn't Have to Be a Construction Zone
A failing water line used to mean one thing: a backhoe in your driveway and a trench across your lawn. Not anymore.
Done Right Plumbing specializes in trenchless water line replacement, a modern approach that gets your water flowing again with minimal digging, less mess and faster results. We own our own directional drilling rig (no subcontractors), so we control the quality and the timeline from start to finish. A new line runs from the meter to the house through a bored path, and the only digging is a few small pits where the line starts, where it enters the house and wherever it crosses another utility.
Real Work in Bellevue
A new line under a Newport Shores yard, August 2026
In August, a home in Newport Shores in south Bellevue needed its water service replaced from the meter to the house. Malikai, Joshua, Ashton, Joseph P. and Theoren had every utility marked through 811 first, then bored a new path and pulled through a new one-inch PEX A water line inside a two-inch HDPE conduit, which the city's code called for on this job, with a tracer wire alongside so the line can be located from the surface later.
The only excavation was at the meter, where the line enters the house and wherever another utility crossed the drill's path. The crew tied the existing irrigation into the new service so the sprinklers kept working, backfilled the pits and cleaned up. We pulled the permits and scheduled the inspections, and the new underground pipe carries our 15-year warranty.
Near Phantom Lake, July 2026
A month earlier, the same five technicians replaced another Bellevue water service near Phantom Lake the same way: a new one-inch PEX A line bored from the meter to the house, a two-inch conduit and a tracer wire, digging only where the line met the meter, the house and the utilities in its path. One square of concrete beside the garage was cut open for the work and patched when it was done. The homeowner, Ben, left a Google review:
“Very efficient service and expertise in trenchless drilling. highly recommend”
Signs You Need a Water Line Replacement
Not sure if your water line is the problem? Watch for these warning signs:
- ✓An unexplained spike in your water bill, often the first sign of a hidden leak
- ✓Low water pressure throughout your home, not just at one fixture but everywhere
- ✓Discolored or rusty water, from sediment or corrosion in aging pipes
- ✓Wet spots in your yard, especially along the path from the street to your home
- ✓A leak in an old black poly or galvanized line. Houses built between the 60s and the 90s often have black poly pipe, which tends to fail at around 30 to 40 years old. Once it starts leaking it has reached the end of its life, and replacing the line is the better investment than patching it.
How Trenchless Replacement Works
Locate and plan
We confirm where the line runs, have every buried utility marked through 811, and plan the pits: one at the meter, one where the line enters the house, and one at each utility the drill has to cross.
Directional drilling
Using our own horizontal directional drilling rig, we bore a new path underground, beneath your driveway, landscaping and walks, without digging them up.
New PEX A water line installation
We pull through a new PEX A water line, a flexible, corrosion-resistant pipe built to last 50 years and more. For added protection, we offer an HDPE conduit sleeve: we run the PEX A line through a durable HDPE outer pipe, shielding it from rocks, soil movement and ground pressure. HDPE is rated to last 50 to 100 years or more, so this extra layer of defense can significantly extend the overall system’s lifespan. Some cities, Bellevue among them on our recent jobs, call for the conduit, and we include it wherever the code does.
Connection and testing
We connect the new line at the meter and at the house, pressure-test everything, restore the water, backfill the pits and clean up.
Why Trenchless Beats Traditional Excavation
Minimal yard disruption
Your driveway, lawn and landscaping stay intact. We only need small pits, not a trench across your property.
Lower total cost
Less excavation means less restoration. You’re not paying to re-pour concrete, re-sod the lawn or replant landscaping.
Faster completion
Many trenchless replacements are finished in a single day, and most within two. Traditional excavation and restoration can take three to five days or more.
Longer-lasting results
PEX A resists corrosion and handles ground movement without cracking. Add the HDPE conduit sleeve, rated to last 50 to 100 years, for even greater protection against roots, rocks and soil shifts. Your new water line will outlast the old one by decades.
Why Choose Done Right Plumbing?
- ✓We own our directional drilling rig, so there are no subcontractors, no middlemen and no delays
- ✓50+ years of combined experience in the greater Seattle area
- ✓300+ five-star Google reviews from real homeowners
- ✓Upfront pricing, with no surprise charges after we start
- ✓A 15-year warranty on the underground water pipe we install
- ✓WA Contractor License #DONERRP852N5, fully licensed, bonded and insured
See How We Helped a Woodinville Homeowner
When Rebecca's water bill tripled, she discovered a leak in her main water line. Instead of continuing to patch an aging pipe, she chose full replacement. Our crew completed the job the next day in under 5 hours.
“They came back the next day and were done within 5 hours. They cleaned up the area and it looks wonderful.”
Where We Bore New Water Lines
We replace water services this way across King and Snohomish counties. On the Eastside, that means Bellevue neighborhoods like Newport Shores and the streets around Phantom Lake, and Kirkland, Kenmore and Mercer Island. Up north, it means older neighborhoods like Alderwood Manor in Lynnwood and Lowell in Everett, where water lines running under driveways are now corroding and failing. Trenchless replacement saves the driveway and gets the job done fast. See also water line repair in Bellevue and in Seattle.
Related services: Main Water Line Repair | Trenchless Sewer Repair | Leak Detection
Learn more: Water Pipe Materials: Why We Install PEX A | Trenchless or Open Trench? | Trenchless Water Line Questions
FAQs About Trenchless Water Line Replacement
How much does trenchless water line replacement cost?
A full water service replacement from the meter to the house usually lands between $6,000 and $16,000 in our service area, whether it is bored or trenched. The length of the run, its depth, what it has to pass under, and the permits and conduit your city requires set where a job falls. We quote after locating the line.
How long does trenchless water line replacement take?
Many replacements are done in a single day, and most finish within two. Rebecca’s Woodinville line was replaced in under five hours. Longer runs, deeper lines and several utility crossings add time. Traditional excavation can take three to five days or more, plus the time to restore your driveway and landscaping afterward.
Do you have to dig up my driveway to replace my water line?
No, we bore beneath it. The digging is limited to small pits at the meter, where the line enters the house and where other utilities cross the path. If a pit has to sit under concrete, as one did near Phantom Lake, we cut one small square and patch it afterward rather than breaking out the driveway.
Can you do trenchless water line replacement same day?
For urgent situations, such as a line that has failed completely, we prioritize getting to you quickly, and many replacements are finished within a day once we are on site. The utility locates through 811 have to come first, so call us at 425-245-7552 as soon as you suspect the line and we will plan around your timeline.
My water bill spiked. Could it be my main water line?
Yes. An unexplained jump in your water bill is often the first sign of a leak in the line between the meter and the house. Other signs are low pressure throughout the house, wet spots in the yard and discolored water. With every fixture off, a meter that keeps moving points to a leak.
Ready to Skip the Trench?
If your water bill has spiked or you suspect a failing water line, let's talk. We'll walk you through your options, with no pressure and no obligation.