Experienced Licensed Underground Plumber
“With over a century of experience serving Chicagoland, we pride ourselves on offering fast, affordable emergency excavation services.”
Chicagolands Plumbing Excavating Experts
We employ dedicated local expert operators who service HT Strenger plumbing clients exclusively.
We’ve established a reputation for quality performance and complete customer satisfaction, ensuring that every project is completed to the highest standards. We understand the urgency of excavation needs and always strive to get the job done right the first time.
Don’t settle for subpar excavation services when you can trust the experience and expertise of HT Strenger Excavation.
Give us a call today at 847-234-9440 to experience the difference for yourself.
Customer service excellence is at the heart of our operations and has earned us accolades such as A+ accreditation from Major Business and Customer Websites.
Our extensive experience in plumbing has allowed us to build a vast network of contractors, municipalities, industrial projects, and commercial clients. We are committed to providing top-notch services by leveraging our vast knowledge, skills, and expertise. With our focus on customer satisfaction and quality workmanship.
Chicagoland Soil and Frost Line Realities
Northern Illinois digs are not gentle. The region sits on heavy clay that swells when wet and shrinks in drought, which stresses old sewer laterals and cracks brittle pipe. Local plumbing code requires water service lines to be buried at least 5 feet 6 inches deep, well below the 42-inch frost depth used for structural footings, so any excavation reaches serious dirt. Residential sewer laterals typically run 4 to 6 feet down and pitch toward the municipal main. Crews plan around those realities before the first bucket comes off the trailer.
What Actually Gets Dug Up in Older Homes
Homes built before the 1970s in Barrington, Libertyville, Waukegan, and the older parts of Lake County often still carry the original sewer material: cast iron near the house, clay tile through the yard, and in a stretch of postwar construction, Orangeburg (a tar-and-paper pipe that deforms into an oval and collapses over time). Mature parkway trees compound the problem. Silver maples and elms send roots through every joint. A pre-dig sewer camera inspection tells the story, whether the line needs a spot repair at one bad joint, a trenchless liner pulled through the existing path, or full open-trench replacement with PVC SDR-35.
Choosing the Right Method
Not every job needs a wide-open trench. HT Strenger scopes each line and matches the method to the damage.
- Open trench for full replacements, deep repairs, or lines with multiple failure points. Highest disruption, most flexibility.
- Pipe bursting pulls a new HDPE line through the old pipe’s path, fracturing the old material outward. Good for full-length replacement with minimal yard damage.
- Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining slides a resin-saturated sleeve through the existing pipe and cures it in place. Best for structurally sound lines with cracks or root intrusion, no root balls, and clear access at each end.
Permits, Restoration, and Downtime
Most Lake County municipalities have their own permit process for water and sewer work in the right-of-way, and inspectors want to see the trench open before backfill. HT Strenger pulls the permits, coordinates the inspection window, and handles the tap at the main. Backfill is done in lifts with proper compaction so the yard does not sink two years later. Sod, driveway patch, and concrete restoration are scheduled as part of the job scope, not left as a homeowner problem. Most residential sewer or water service replacements are back in service within one working day, with yard restoration following shortly after.
Call HT Strenger to Scope the Job
Excavation is not the moment for a low-bid gamble. Licensed, insured, and rooted in Lake County since 1911, HT Strenger sends its own crews with its own equipment. Call 847-234-9440 or reach out through the contact page to schedule a camera inspection and get a written scope before the digging starts.