Sewer work here starts with a question most homeowners cannot answer: who actually owns the pipe your problem is on.
Two different utilities
North Charleston is split between service providers depending on your address, and the boundary does not follow city limits neatly. That decides who is responsible for the main and who pays for what. We establish that before any work starts, because it is the difference between a bill you owe and a repair the utility handles.
Clay laterals and roots
Pre-war neighbourhoods still have clay lateral lines. The joints leak slightly, roots find the moisture, and once inside they form a mat that catches everything. Cutting them clears it for a season. Lining the pipe removes the joints the roots are entering through, which is the durable answer.
Newer redevelopment, different problem
In the post-1996 areas the pipe is PVC and sound, but ground settlement over old fill can leave a low spot that holds water and collects solids. That is a repair to a section, not a whole line — and camera footage is how you tell the two apart.
Never quote a sewer job blind
Roots, a belly, a crack and a collapse look nothing alike on camera and cost very different amounts. If someone has quoted you without showing footage, ask to see it.