Nobody should dig before they scope
A sewer line is buried, so every quote written without a camera is a guess with a shovel attached. The scope tells us what the pipe is made of, where the fault is, how far out it sits, and whether the problem is one joint or the whole run. That is also what tells you whether a repair or a replacement is the honest answer, and it is worth having before you agree to any excavation.
Roots, bellies and joints
Old lines fail in a few predictable ways, and clay pipe fails at the joints — short sections, with moisture escaping at every seam and roots going looking for it. Cast iron scales up from the inside until the opening is half what it was. And ground settles, leaving a low spot — a belly — where water and solids sit instead of running. Each one looks identical from inside your house, and each one needs a different fix.
How to judge a sewer quote
Ask to see the footage, and ask what the distance to the fault is. Ask whether the price is a spot repair or the full run, whether trenchless is possible on your pipe, and what happens to the driveway or the lawn. Ask who pulls the permit and whether an inspection is included, because most cities want one on sewer work. A quote that answers those without being pushed is one you can compare with another.
How A Call Goes
- 01
You Get A Person
Not a form, not a callback window. If it is an emergency we will talk you through the shut-off while we are getting to you.
- 02
We Look At It Properly
Including the parts nobody enjoys — under the house, behind the panel, down the line with a camera when it matters.
- 03
You Get The Price First
A flat rate for the job, agreed before we start, and no evening or weekend premium. If a second problem turns up you hear it then, not on the invoice.
- 04
We Fix It And Clean Up
Floors protected, water tested, and the space left the way we found it. You see it working before we pack the van.
Sewer & Water Lines: common questions
How do I know it is the main sewer line and not just one drain?
Several fixtures backing up together, gurgling in a tub or toilet when the washer drains, or waste coming up at the lowest drain in the house. Those all point at the line everything shares. One slow sink usually does not.
Do you have to tear up my yard?
Often not. Where the pipe and the ground allow it, we work trenchless from access pits, which leaves most of the lawn alone. When a full dig genuinely is the only option, you will see the footage that says so before you agree to it.
Is the pipe out under the street my responsibility?
It depends on the city, and the split is not the same everywhere. Usually the homeowner owns the line from the house to somewhere near the property edge and the utility owns it past that point. We scope it, tell you where the fault sits relative to that line, and tell you who to call if it is not yours.
Plumbing throughout Clackamas County
Most of our calls come from Clackamas County and the neighborhoods around it. If you are outside it and something has just started leaking, call anyway — we will either come or tell you honestly who can get there faster.