Start with a sewer camera inspection
A waterproof camera travels through your sewer lateral from a cleanout and records the inside of the pipe. You see what we see: roots, cracks, offset joints, bellies, collapsed sections, and how far each one is from the cleanout. That video is the difference between a guess and a plan.
A camera inspection is also smart before buying an older home in Burbank or Glendale, where many sewer laterals are original clay or cast iron.
Common sewer problems
- Root intrusion through joints in clay pipe
- Cracked or broken pipe from age, ground movement or roots
- Bellies: low spots where waste settles and clogs form
- Offset or separated joints
- Corroded cast iron with scale that narrows the pipe
Repair options
Depending on what the camera shows, the fix may be cleaning and hydro jetting, a spot repair of one section, or replacing the line. In some cases trenchless methods can replace or reline the pipe with far less digging. We'll explain the options and give you a written price for each.
Sewer lateral work generally requires a city permit and inspection; we handle that when the job calls for it.