Sewer Line Repair in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh's dividing line

The City of Raleigh maintains the main sewer lines under streets and sidewalks in the public right-of-way. Everything from your house to the point where your lateral connects to that main belongs to the property owner, and the City's sewer FAQ says a blocked service between the house and the main is the owner's to correct. A break in the main itself is the City's.

If you aren't sure where the trouble sits, call Raleigh Water customer care at 919-996-3245 to report the backup. The City notes that most backups turn out to be between the house and the main.

What points to a damaged lateral

• Several fixtures slow or gurgling together, not just one
• Water rising in a shower or tub when a toilet is flushed
• A sewer odor outdoors or in the crawl space
• A strip of yard that stays wet or grows faster than the rest
• A line that was cleared recently and is already backing up

Repair options

Nothing should be dug until the line is cleared and a camera has shown what the damage is and where. The camera's locator lets the plumber mark the spot and depth on the ground.

• Section replacement. One bad length of pipe is excavated and replaced, leaving the rest of the lateral in place.
• Lining a stretch. A resin liner can seal a cracked or leaking joint from inside, without a trench, if the pipe still holds its shape.
• Root work plus repair. Cutting roots alone only buys time. Fixing the joint they entered is what stops the return visits.

When the footage shows trouble along most of the run, repairing it one section at a time usually costs more in the end than a new line.

Where it tends to happen

Raleigh's median home was built in 1997, but roughly 23% of homes were built before 1980. In those older houses, mature tree roots and settling soil have had time to work on older joints.

Backwater valves

The City says a home whose lowest floor sits below the nearest upstream manhole likely needs a backwater valve, a check valve on the private sewer line that keeps wastewater from flowing back into the house. A repair is a convenient time to have one added.

What affects the cost

How deep and how long the damaged section is, the pipe material, what's on top of it (driveway, patio, landscaping), whether lining is possible, and permit requirements all shape the price.