If it was mine, digging the 3 foot area would be my choice. How deep is the pipe? If 2' or less, you could excavate by hand in a couple of hours and save tons of money. That size excavation will not damage the trees much. The quote seems very high.

The pipe is 4-5 ft deep. The distance from the house to the street is less than 100'. The trees are over 20 ft high.

You say the quote seems very high. How much do you think this job (fix) should cost? Should the company be bothering to charge me anymore than I've already paid to 'correct' their mistake? They said the auger poked through a tile and thats why they can't get it out.

I warned them about this when they first showed up. I said the sewer inspector said it was clogged with roots and that he was unable to get his camera through without it getting stuck (necessitating trenching). Knowing this, could they have used a different method/cutting bit?

Do you think I should go ahead and replace the entire line or let them (or someone else) just dig deep enough to retrieve the auger/replace the pipe in that section. I had a quote to do a trenchless pipe with fiberglass but they want $6,000 for that!

I'm concerned about this happening again. Are there better ways to clean out a drain without getting equipment stuck each time this is done?

The company used a cutting blade. He started with a small blade and graduated to a larger one. Lots of pulling and shoving was involved. I read something about using an arrowhead bit, but I'm not very familiar with how these things are done. They said that water is still going through the pipe in spite of the roots (and now auger).

Just looking for the best way to get the job done/finished without hurting my trees.

I don't think it's a "mistake", as you put it. Sometimes things go wrong, even when doing the work properly with root-cutting bits. The line could have already been broken from the invasive roots.

The plumber knows his business (or ought to) and the associated risks. To ask for a change order, after the plumber gets his auger stuck, where the customer absorbs 100% of the cost seems unreasonable, and unprofessional, to me.
Unless he advised the customer of the risks and having to bear any additional cost beforehand which I doubt based on the information provided above.

I don't think the Department of Consumer Affairs would side with the plumber in this case.

What all feeds into your storm drain? Is it the gutters, patios, sump pump or other? Also why is it so deep? Where does the pipe end up? Is it exposed on the other end or does it drain into a storm drain off your property? To hire an excavator and dig that deep and for that distance it would be expensive.

You only have to dig to ther line in the area the auger is stuck, and the plumber should have a good idea of that location sine augers are in specif length sections.

A hole down to the line is not likely to endanger any trees, but should be on his nickel.

He agreed to the work, and should have insurance to cover the costs.

This post is a year old. The outcome might be nice to have, but I doubt the auger is still stuck.

The plumber should know what the right thing to do. There must be a way in which they can get the auger without affecting your trees too much. Also, don't let that high quote for the job.
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plumbing