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SEWER GUIDE · ROOT INTRUSION
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Roots enter a sewer line through a cracked pipe or a joint that has separated, drawn by the moisture escaping from it. Old clay and Orangeburg laterals are most exposed. Cutting the roots out restores flow for a while, but they regrow through the same gap. A lasting fix repairs the failed joint or replaces the damaged run of pipe.
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
Who does the work
One crew, the whole line
Key facts
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Where roots get in | Failed joints and cracks, which also let in groundwater | City of Santa Barbara — Sewer Lateral Defects Visual Glossary (rev. August 2019), 2019 |
| Pipes most affected | Older clay and cast-iron lines; less common in PVC, per HomeGuide | HomeGuide — Sewer Camera Inspection Cost (Dec 19, 2025), 2025 |
| Orangeburg fiber pipe | Deforms under soil pressure as it deteriorates; replacement is often the only viable option | City of Ann Arbor — Orangeburg Sewer Piping |
| Typical pipe life | Clay and Orangeburg 30 to 60 years; PVC and cast iron 50 to 100, per HomeGuide | HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025 |
| Camera inspection | $125 to $500, typical market range (HomeGuide, 2025) | HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025 |
| Before clearing a line | Call 811 so buried gas lines are marked; a gas line bored through a sewer can be hit by cleaning tools | Atlanta Gas Light — Call 811 Before You Clear (sewer line safety) |
| Who owns the lateral | In Gwinnett, the owner is responsible from the house to the right-of-way edge | Gwinnett County DWR — Sewer Lateral |
Plain definitions
Warning signs
Same clog back again? Call (678) 863-5620
How the job runs
Atlanta Gas Light asks that 811 be called before work on any sewer pipe, because mechanical cleaning can puncture a gas line that was bored through the sewer. If a cross bore is suspected, stop and call AGL at 877-427-4321.
Atlanta Gas Light — Call 811 Before You Clear (sewer line safety)
A drain cleaner opens a path through the root mass. This is a temporary step: it relieves the backup and lets a camera travel the line.
Video shows each joint, where roots enter, the pipe material and any sags or offsets. InterNACHI's scope standard lists root intrusion, offsets over 1/4 inch and more than 1 inch of standing water as reportable.
A locator marks the depth and position of each problem joint on the ground surface, which turns the video into a dig plan.
Match the defect's location to your utility's ownership line. Roots in the public main or on the utility's side of the boundary are the utility's to handle.
Replacing a failed joint or section closes the opening. The finished work is usually filmed again so you have a record of a clean line.
City of Santa Barbara — Sewer Lateral Defects Visual Glossary (rev. August 2019)
Your options
OPTION 01
When it fits: Light root hair at one joint in otherwise sound pipe, or as a stopgap while a repair is planned.
Ann Arbor warns that cutting heads can make deteriorated Orangeburg worse.
OPTION 02
When it fits: One or two root-entry points with healthy pipe on both sides.
HomeGuide's national repair range is $150 to $3,800 per job (2025).
OPTION 03
When it fits: Roots at many joints, Orangeburg, repeated failures or a lateral near the end of its life.
Angi reports $55 to $250 per linear foot for full lateral replacement in Atlanta (2026).
OPTION 04
When it fits: A line that keeps its round shape and strength, with roots entering at joints or hairline cracks.
Angi lists cured-in-place lining at $80 to $250 per linear foot in Atlanta (2026). We mention it for completeness; it isn't a service we list.
What it costs
Sewer camera inspection
$125–$500
per inspection
HomeGuide national range, 2025.
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Sewer line repair by method
$150–$3,800
per job
HomeGuide national range, 2025.
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Partial lateral replacement (Atlanta)
$50–$200
per linear foot
Angi, 2026.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026
Complete lateral replacement (Atlanta)
$55–$250
per linear foot
Angi, 2026.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026
The ranges above come from third-party cost publishers and describe typical market pricing, not prices charged by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions. A written quote depends on your line, and our estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620Who owns what
Gwinnett County DWR
Owner maintains the private lateral from the house to the edge of the right-of-way.↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way
DeKalb County Watershed Management
Owner handles the building sewer on private property; DeKalb maintains the part inside county rights-of-way and easements.↗
Where the line sits: Property or easement line
Rockdale Water Resources
County keeps the service line from the main to the street right-of-way; the rest belongs to the customer.↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way
Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority
Since March 1, 2021, customers pay to clear building-sewer blockages through the tap at the main.↗
Where the line sits: Through the tap
City of Covington
Customers keep their pipes clear from the plumbing to the street line or the city main, whichever is nearer.↗
Where the line sits: Street line or main
The whole story
Many subdivisions in DeKalb, Rockdale and around Covington went in when clay and fiber pipe were standard, and HomeGuide's 30-to-60-year life estimate for those materials has long since run out on many of them. Ann Arbor's building department dates Orangeburg's use to roughly the early 1950s through the early 1970s (City of Ann Arbor).
Those same streets now have fifty-year-old willow oaks and water oaks shading the front yard, often planted right over the lateral. Red clay holds moisture near the pipe, and a joint that weeps even a little gives roots every reason to move in. When you plant, keep new trees well away from the sewer route; on a septic lot, EPA recommends keeping trees and shrubs off the drain field for the same reason (EPA).
Worth knowing
Usually not. Once the pipe is sound, roots have no way in, so the fix belongs on the pipe rather than the trunk. Removing a tree doesn't close a separated joint, and the roots left behind decay in place.
The tree matters more to how the repair gets done. A dig close to a large trunk can damage structural roots, so the replacement may be routed around it or placed deeper. That's a conversation to have over the camera footage before anyone picks up a shovel.
Usually not.
FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Roots mostly exploit openings that already exist, such as a separated joint or a crack. Once inside, they expand as they grow, widening the gap and eventually cracking or displacing weaker pipe. The Santa Barbara lateral glossary lists failed joints as entry points for both roots and groundwater, and sees repair or replacement as the remedy.
Source: City of Santa Barbara — Sewer Lateral Defects Visual Glossary (rev. August 2019)
Whole-house slow drains, gurgling fixtures and a clog that returns months after clearing are the usual clues. The only way to confirm is a camera inspection. HomeGuide's 2025 range for one is $125 to $500. The video shows whether roots are present, how many joints they've entered and the pipe material.
Source: HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025)
No. Cutting or flushing roots out restores flow but leaves the opening they used. Roots grow back through the same joint, often within a season or two. Clearing is useful to relieve a backup and to let a camera see the line; a lasting fix repairs or replaces the section where the roots enter.
Source: City of Santa Barbara — Sewer Lateral Defects Visual Glossary (rev. August 2019)
Atlanta Gas Light asks people to call 811 before any work on a sewer pipe. A gas line installed by boring can pass straight through an existing sewer, and a cutting tool can puncture it. If you suspect that has happened, stop work, leave the area and call AGL's emergency line at 877-427-4321 or 911.
Source: Atlanta Gas Light — Call 811 Before You Clear (sewer line safety)
Usually the property owner, for the part of the line they own. Gwinnett, Rockdale and DeKalb put the owner's share out to the right-of-way or easement line. In unincorporated Newton County, NCWSA made customers responsible for clearing blockages through the tap in 2021. Roots in the public main are the utility's responsibility.
Source: NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (2021)
Local utility rules make the owner responsible for the lateral serving their building, wherever the offending roots come from. Whether a neighbor owes anything is a civil question, not a utility one. Keep the camera video and photos of the roots, and talk to your insurer or an attorney if you want to pursue it.
Rarely. Orangeburg is a fiber pipe that deteriorates and flattens under soil load, and Ann Arbor's building department says replacement is often the only viable option. Cutting roots out of it can make the damage worse. If your camera report shows Orangeburg, expect to discuss replacing that section rather than patching it.
It depends on how much pipe is affected. HomeGuide's 2025 national range for a repair runs $150 to $3,800 per job. Angi's 2026 Atlanta figures put full lateral replacement at $55 to $250 per linear foot. Permits, depth and surfaces over the line add to either figure.
Source: Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026)
Keep going
Sources
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
Ready when you are
Trees don't break sound pipe to get in. They find a joint or crack that already leaks moisture and grow toward it. The lasting fix is the opening, not the roots.
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