School's Out: Why Summer is Perfect for CIPP Repair for Educational Facilities
Summer means maintenance and repairs for schools. With students out and minimal staff in the buildings, educational facilities can tackle major projects without interruption. With tight budgets and timelines, CIPP repair is an ideal solution for schools, universities, and educational facilities.
And when you know what it takes to win these projects, your repair business has an opportunity to grow. T3 Lining Supply has all the inside information you’ll need to get started in educational facility CIPP repair.
TL;DR
Summer's 8-12 week window is ideal for educational facility CIPP repairs
Win more bids by starting outreach in fall (9-12 months before target summer)
Avoid delays with detailed timelines and equipment backup protocols
Choose a supply partner with 24/7 technical support for summer deadline success
Why Summer Repairs for Educational Facilities?
Schools run from mid-August to mid-May in most places, with students filling the halls and classrooms 8+ hours a day. Disrupting class time isn’t possible. Students and instructors alike need fully functioning bathrooms, kitchens, and drinking fountains.
But when summer hits, schools empty out, giving the maintenance staff space to work on major projects that were delayed over the 9-month school year. With anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks with minimal traffic, facility managers can work on HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical, deep cleaning, and security problems uninterrupted.
This window is exactly when CIPP repair for educational facilities needs to happen.
The CIPP Advantage for School Repair Projects
Schools across the country have collectively earned a D+ rating from the ASCE, mostly due to issues with plumbing and other infrastructure components. These problems have become more and more common in recent years as the average age of educational facilities increases. CIPP repairs in educational facilities translate to fast, safe, and cost-effective solutions for aging buildings on tight budgets.
1: Minimally Disruptive
CIPP repairs don’t require extensive digging and trenching. That means no torn-up landscaping or parking lots around the building, and no destroyed classrooms, gyms, or auditoriums inside the building.
Translation: Facility managers don’t have to reroute or pause other repairs while pipes are being lined.
2: Fast
Instead of weeks to address broken or aging pipes, followed by weeks of rehab work, CIPP repairs typically take only days to complete. Even the most complex repairs will leave plenty of time for educational facilities to get ready for the upcoming academic year.
Translation: A whole-facility upgrade takes a couple of weeks instead of the entire summer break.
3: Cost-Effective
Without the expense of heavy machinery, landscape rehab, replacing floors, and extended travel requirements, CIPP teams keep costs much lower per linear foot than traditional trenching and replacing. For large projects, schools and universities could save thousands of dollars.
Translation: Schools can budget 25-50% less when they choose CIPP over open excavation.
4: Long-Lasting
Cured-in-place pipe lining adds 50-100 years to the lifespan of existing pipes, rivaling and sometimes surpassing the expected lifespan of pipe replacement.
Translation: Schools can revamp their plumbing infrastructure for decades without demolition and digging.
5: Versatile
Aging infrastructure comes in many forms: clay, cast iron, PVC, and even concrete pipes could sit under schools and universities. With CIPP repair, you can revitalize all of them safely and efficiently. With standard equipment covering anywhere from 3” to 8” pipe diameters, your crews will likely be able to address most pipes with what you already have in your shop.
Translation: Standard CIPP equipment can tackle almost any job, regardless of diameter or material.
6: Improved Flow
Old pipes can collect debris and buildup over decades of use, slowing the flow of wastewater to a near standstill. Cleaning and descaling can aid in recovering some of that flow, but a lined pipe provides an even smoother interior surface that prevents buildup from returning. Educational facilities will see improved draining anywhere a new liner is installed, decreasing basic maintenance needs for clogged or slow drains.
Translation: New liners mean better flow for slow drains, decreasing regular maintenance hours instantly.
7: Safe
CIPP repairs in schools and universities keep the environment safe from sewer and waste exfiltration while simultaneously protecting structural integrity. Buildings aren’t torn apart, and soil stays in place, valuable factors in historic facilities and campuses.
Translation: Educational facilities stay structurally sound and protect the environment when choosing CIPP over open excavation and replacement.
CIPP vs. Traditional Excavation
| Factor | CIPP Repair | Traditional Excavation |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 2-5 days for typical projects 2-3 weeks for whole-building rehab |
6-12 weeks or longer for same scope |
| Cost | 25-50% less expensive ($80-150/linear foot typical range) |
Full replacement costs Heavy machinery, demolition, restoration |
| Disruption | Minimal: No excavation of parking lots, fields, or landscaping No interior demolition |
Extensive: Torn-up grounds, demolished interiors Rerouted activities and access |
| Site Impact | Single access point<br>Contained work zones | Multiple excavation sites Heavy equipment on campus |
| Lifespan | 50-100 years | 50-75 years (new pipe replacement) |
| Materials | Works on cast iron, clay, PVC, concrete, and more | Requires material matching or complete system replacement |
| Flow Improvement | Smooth interior surface improves drainage Prevents future buildup |
Restores original flow capacity Subject to future deterioration |
| Structural Preservation | No building or soil disturbance Ideal for historic facilities |
Requires demolition and reconstruction Soil displacement risks |
| Summer Coordination | Allows concurrent summer programs and maintenance | Often requires facility shutdown or access restrictions |
| Warranty | 50+ year performance when properly installed | Varies by contractor and materials |
What Plumbing Challenges Do Educational Facilities Face? (and How Does CIPP Solve Them?)
Challenge: Aging Plumbing Systems
Cast iron, clay, and concrete lines start to deteriorate after 50 years or so, resulting in significant repair or replacement needs, often requiring extensive excavation and demolition to complete.
The CIPP Solution: CIPP repair allows educational facilities to update almost any pipe without tearing apart buildings, parking lots, or landscaping.
Challenge: Root Intrusion
Established tree root systems infiltrate deteriorating pipes, and can even destroy clay pipes. And even with interior root removal methods, these same root systems can grow back in over and over again.
The CIPP Solution: CIPP liners completely seal and recondition pipes from the inside, preventing further root intrusion without altering underlying infrastructure.
Challenge: High Traffic Restroom Drains
School bathrooms get used and abused 180 days of the year. The pipes that keep them functional will wear more quickly than residential sewer lines, making it even more important to find a repair option that improves flow and lifespan.
The CIPP Solution: The smooth lining you get from cured-in-place pipe repairs actually improves throughput, making bathrooms in educational facilities more efficient. And with a 50+ year lifespan, a single repair can renew an entire restroom without replacing fixtures.
Challenge: Cafeteria Grease Lines
Commercial and industrial kitchens can come to a complete standstill when food waste problems are left unresolved. Clogged drains can be cleaned out, but temporary fixes only mean repeated issues down the road.
The CIPP Solution: Epoxy resins cure smooth, solid, and permanent, providing a better pipe system for grease to travel through. Its fast and noninvasive installation also minimizes downtime.
CIPP repairs make food service solutions simple. See how on our blog.
Challenge: Athletic Facility Shower Systems
Water supply and drainage systems for athletic facilities have multiple connections and experience heavy use. Repairing and replacing these systems with traditional methods could mean months of tear-out and rehab.
The CIPP Solution: Modern CIPP repair methods allow for multiple connections, up to 90º bends, and simple reinstatement through CCTV and digital mapping, as well as robotic cutting tools.
Challenge: Multi-Story Building Complexity
Multi-story schools and universities, much like high-rise buildings, add extra complexity to repairs. Some vertical stack repairs require access on multiple floors, resulting in the need to demo in several locations just to complete a single repair.
The CIPP Solution: CIPP can repair a single vertical stack through multiple stories with only one access point. This reduces rehab time, eliminates unnecessary downtime, and keeps buildings cleaner for maintenance staff.
Planning and Executing Summer School Projects Successfully
Schools and universities require specific timeline considerations when planning out repairs, starting with bidding the projects. Let’s walk through the process from end to end:
Bidding and Prep for Educational Facility CIPP Repairs
Timeline: Fall/Winter
School districts and universities typically finalize budgets for the upcoming school year in early spring (March or April). Outreach should start in the fall of the preceding year so you have plenty of time to inspect, estimate, and bid the repair while providing the time needed for governing boards to review and negotiate.
What to Do:
Contact superintendents and facility managers
Invest time for building relationships with stakeholders to better understand needs and processes for individual school districts or institutes
Conduct video inspections during school year to minimize disruptions
Develop comprehensive bids with detailed scopes of work, potentially in phases for larger proposed projects
Materials and Equipment for the Project
Timeline: Spring
Once the bid is won, it’s time to prepare for the project. You’ll need the right equipment and materials, as well as adequate inventory to complete the project.
What to Do:
Inventory check: liners, resins, inversion equipment, tools
Preventative maintenance on all equipment
Develop protocols for backup equipment with pipe lining supply company support
Used equipment can save you money upfront. But is it worth it?
Schedule and Workflow
Timeline: Spring/Summer
With your scope of work determined, your team should start planning the schedule and workflow for the project, determining hours, installation calendar, and contingency plans.
What to Do:
Establish availability window for school
Account for summer programs, maintenance schedules, and cleaning crews
Build contingency time for any delays or unexpected issues
Communication Best Practices
Timeline: During project
What to Do:
Daily updates to facility managers
Clear work zone designation and signage
Documentation with before/after photos and video inspection reports
Quality Assurance
Timeline: Conclusion of project
Schools and universities want to know their money has been well spent. Your teams need to provide regular documentation to demonstrate your results and keep your company covered for any warranty issues or concerns.
What to Do:
Define post-installation inspection protocols
Provide warranty documentation
Create regular maintenance recommendations, as well as potential future repairs outside of original scope of work
Project Timeline at a Glance
| When | What | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fall/Winter | Outreach, inspections, bidding | Budget decisions happen in spring; start early |
| Spring | Equipment prep, material procurement | Avoid summer supply shortages |
| Late Spring | Schedule coordination, workflow planning | Lock in your summer window |
| Summer | Project execution with daily communication | Deliver results while school is empty |
| Before School Starts | Final inspections, documentation, warranty | Everything must work when students return |
How T3 Supports Your Educational Facility Projects
Ready to expand into the educational facility repair market? We’re ready to help you make that expansion a success! We’re the one-stop shop for small and midsize pipe repair companies, with top-notch training, support, supplies, and resources that support your business goals from start to finish.
Industry Expertise
Our team brings 50+ years of trenchless pipe repair experience to your business, so you know your investments in CIPP repair will come back as profit for your business.
Comprehensive Training
Only a few pipe lining supply companies provide training for their customers, and few of them offer more than cookie-cutter programs. At T3, we want to make your training as valuable as possible, so we only train on what your team needs to learn.
Top-Quality Equipment
We offer custom-built and leading branded equipment so you can be confident in your work. Our catalog includes hot water and UV inversion systems, spray-in-place systems, CCTV systems, and a full line of cleaning equipment.
Industry-Leading Materials
Our resins go beyond ASTM minimum standards with third-party testing and benchmarking. T3 provides extensive documentation on curing times and conditions, and strength and corrosion resistance information. No guessing, no mistakes. Only warranty-worthy results.
Technical Support
Say goodbye to long holds, automated message systems, and operators without technical expertise. At T3, you always get our CIPP experts when you call our support number, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including bilingual support!
Business Partnership
Selling you equipment and materials is just the start with T3. We’re here to help your business grow through expert support, customized training, and an online resource center to explore new market opportunities and common challenges for CIPP repair businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Most educational facility CIPP projects take 2-5 days to complete, depending on the scope and complexity. Even comprehensive whole-building pipe rehabilitation can typically be finished within 2-3 weeks, leaving plenty of time before students return. Traditional excavation and replacement can take 6-12 weeks or longer for the same scope of work.
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Schools and universities typically save 25-50% by choosing CIPP over open excavation and replacement. These savings come from eliminating the need for heavy machinery, landscape restoration, interior demolition, and extended labor costs. For large projects, this can translate to tens of thousands of dollars in budget relief.
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Yes. CIPP repair works on cast iron, clay, PVC, concrete, and other common pipe materials found in educational facilities. Standard equipment covers 3"-8" diameter pipes, which addresses the majority of school plumbing systems. For larger diameter pipes, custom solutions are available.
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CIPP is designed for minimal disruption. Since there's no excavation of parking lots, athletic fields, or landscaping, and no interior demolition of classrooms or gyms, other summer activities can continue alongside the repair work. Work zones are clearly designated and contained, allowing facility managers to maintain their other summer schedules.
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Properly installed CIPP liners add 50-100 years to the lifespan of existing pipes, often exceeding the expected lifespan of complete pipe replacement. This means schools can address infrastructure concerns for multiple generations without the need for future excavation or major disruption.
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Start your outreach in fall, 9-12 months before your target summer repair window. School districts typically finalize budgets in early spring (March-April), so contractors need time to conduct video inspections, develop comprehensive bids, and work through the procurement process. Early planning ensures equipment, materials, and scheduling are locked in before the summer rush.
Seizing the Summer Advantage
Summer represents your best opportunity to serve educational facilities with CIPP repair, but the window for preparation is narrower than you think. School districts are making their repair decisions right now for next summer's projects, and the contractors who plan ahead are the ones who win the bids.
If you're ready to expand into the educational facility market, or execute this summer's projects with confidence, we're here to help you succeed. Whether you need to price out a complete CIPP system, upgrade your current equipment, or schedule hands-on training before the busy season hits, T3 has the expertise and support to get you ready.
Don't wait until schools break for summer to prepare. Contact our team today to discuss your educational facility project needs, explore our training schedules, or build out your equipment inventory. The summer advantage belongs to contractors who start planning in fall.
Ready to get started? Call T3 or visit our contact page to connect with our CIPP experts, ready with the technical knowledge and partnership approach your business deserves.
