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SEWER LINE REPAIR · METRO ATLANTA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Sewer line repair means locating the exact defect in your private sewer lateral (roots at clay joints, collapsed Orangeburg, scaled cast iron, a belly or an offset joint) and excavating to fix or replace that run. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions, a Georgia DPH-certified septic installer and pumper in Oxford, GA, digs, repairs and backfills the line.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays to fix the lateral (Newton County, NCWSA) | The owner, from the building through the tap at the main — NCWSA changed the policy on March 1, 2021 | NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (2021), 2021 |
| Who pays to fix the lateral (Gwinnett County) | The owner, from the house to the edge of the right-of-way | Gwinnett County DWR — Sewer Lateral |
| Who pays to fix the lateral (DeKalb County) | The owner on private property; DeKalb in county rights-of-way and sewer easements (Sec. 25-220) | DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Secs. 25-215, 25-220) |
| Typical Atlanta cost, partial lateral replacement | $50–$200 per linear foot (typical market range per Angi, 2026) | Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026 |
| Typical Atlanta cost, complete lateral replacement | $55–$250 per linear foot (typical market range per Angi, 2026) | Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026 |
| Typical sewer camera inspection cost | $125–$500 (national range per HomeGuide, 2025) | HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025 |
| Georgia code cleanout rule for building sewers | Cleanouts no more than 100 ft apart, plus one within 10 ft of the public right-of-way (Georgia amendment, effective Jan 1, 2020) | Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code 2018 (IPC with Georgia amendments), Chapter 7 Sanitary Drainage — via UpCodes, 2018 |
| Orangeburg (bituminous fiber) pipe era | Roughly the early 1950s to early 1970s, per one city's building department records | City of Ann Arbor — Orangeburg Sewer Piping |
| Georgia dig law notice before mechanized excavation | A locate request with a notice period of 2 to 8 business days (O.C.G.A. 25-9-6) | Georgia 811 — Georgia Dig Law summary (O.C.G.A. 25-9-6, 25-9-7), 2026 |
| Our credentials | Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installer and Approved Septic Tank Pumper (both lists dated 9/18/2026); incorporated in Georgia in 2004 | Georgia DPH — Certified Septic Tank Installers list (9/18/2026), 2026 |
Plain definitions
Warning signs
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The whole story
The houses that call us for sewer line repair are mostly in the sewered towns and the older in-town streets: Covington, Conyers, Monroe, Porterdale, Lithonia and the DeKalb neighborhoods that were built out long before PVC was standard. The pipe under those yards is whatever was legal and available the year the house went up, and each material fails in its own way. Knowing which one you have tells you most of what the repair will look like.
Vitrified clay with rigid joints. Clay pipe comes in short sections, so a 60-ft lateral has a lot of joints. When a joint separates even slightly, roots find the moisture and grow in. The Santa Barbara lateral glossary notes that failed joints admit roots and groundwater, and that a crack is the first sign a pipe is reaching the end of its useful life. The fix is usually local: cut out the bad joint or cracked section and couple in new pipe — unless the camera shows the same thing at every joint.
Orangeburg. Bituminous fiber pipe was sold as a wartime and postwar substitute for scarce cast iron. Ann Arbor's building department describes how it fails from the inside out: the material deteriorates, the earth pressure flattens it, and the bottom of the pipe — where the flow runs — goes out of round first. Clearing it with a cutting head can damage it further, and the same source says that in many Orangeburg cases replacement is the only viable option. When we find it, we plan on replacing every Orangeburg section, not patching one.
Cast iron. Cast iron is strong but rusts from the inside. The Santa Barbara glossary describes the result: corrosion builds up and shrinks the inside diameter until paper and grease hang on the scale and the line blocks. A cracked or scaled run of cast iron under a slab or foundation wall is a different job from one in open yard, so we note exactly where it changes to another material.
Bellies and offsets. A pipe can be the right material and still fail because the ground under it moved. A section settles, water ponds in the low spot, solids drop out, and the line backs up from the belly back to the house. InterNACHI's sewer scope standard tells inspectors to report offsets over 1/4 inch and more than 1 inch of standing water for exactly this reason. In our red clay, that's usually a bedding problem — covered in the next section.
HomeGuide puts the typical life of clay and Orangeburg sewer pipe at 30 to 60 years and PVC, cast iron and copper at 50 to 100 years (HomeGuide, 2025). A lot of east-metro laterals are well past the low end of that first range.
Soil & terrain
Most of the east metro sits on Piedmont soils with a red clay subsoil. The USDA's official description of the Cecil series — the largest soil component in Newton County — shows a red clay layer from about 8 to 42 inches deep that is firm, sticky and plastic. That is right where a residential lateral runs.
The Georgia plumbing code requires buried pipe to be supported throughout its entire length, with solid, continuous support between joints and backfill placed in 6-inch layers and tamped until the top of the pipe has at least 6 inches of tamped cover (§306.1–306.3). Sticky clay that goes back into a trench in big wet clods doesn't compact evenly. Months later the soft spots settle, and the pipe settles with them.
So when we repair a belly, the fix isn't only new pipe. We cut the trench bottom back to firm ground, bed the pipe so it's supported along its full length at a steady fall, and bring the backfill up in layers on both sides. If the ground is wet, we let the camera prove the grade before we cover it.
Cecil↗
Red clay subsoil from about 8 to 42 inches; firm, sticky, plastic. Largest major soil component in Newton County (about 26% of acreage).
Pacolet↗
Red clay subsoil from about 3 to 29 inches in the typical profile; formed on Piedmont uplands.
Gwinnett↗
Mapped as eroded sandy clay loam on 6–10% slopes in Newton County (about 21,300 acres of major-component area).
Your options
OPTION 01
When it fits: One broken joint, one crack or one short collapse, with sound pipe on both sides.
OPTION 02
When it fits: A run of bad pipe — a belly, several failed joints in a row, or scaled cast iron between two points.
OPTION 03
When it fits: Orangeburg anywhere in the line, defects along most of the run, or a line that's too flat to drain.
This is the core of what we do: excavate, replace, bed and backfill. For a brand-new line or a septic-to-sewer hookup, see sewer line installation and replacement.
OPTION 04
When it fits: A structurally intact pipe with cracks or root entry where digging would be very disruptive.
An option we'll discuss with you if it fits the footage. HomeGuide lists CIPP lining at $90–$250 per linear foot nationally (2025).
OPTION 05
When it fits: A full replacement where a long open trench isn't practical.
Also an option we'll talk through with you when it fits. The Georgia plumbing code covers it in §716.
How the job runs
We come out, find the cleanout, and a camera inspection of the lateral comes first. It shows the material, the defect, and — with a locator — the depth and distance to it. If there's no cleanout, we'll say so and explain the options.
Georgia's dig law requires a locate request with a notice period of 2 to 8 business days before mechanized excavation. Private sewer laterals aren't marked by 811 member utilities; the sewer owner assists only up to the edge of the public right-of-way.
O.C.G.A. 25-9-6, 25-9-7(b)Georgia 811 — Georgia Dig Law summary (O.C.G.A. 25-9-6, 25-9-7)
Which office issues it depends on where you live — the city or county building department, and in some places the sewer utility itself. We handle the permit and tell you which inspections to expect.
We open the yard at the spot the camera marked, stockpile topsoil separately from the clay, and protect the other utilities the locate marked.
Bad sections come out; new pipe goes in with sealed joints on firm, continuous bedding, graded so it drains. Transitions to the remaining old pipe get proper couplings.
Georgia Plumbing Code §306.2, §704.1Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code 2018, Chapter 3 General Regulations (§306 trenching, bedding, backfill) — via UpCodes
Where the jurisdiction requires it, the inspector sees the work before it's covered. In Gwinnett, a reimbursement claim for a blockage inside the right-of-way requires DWR to see the excavated lateral before repair.
Gwinnett County — Sewer Service Lateral Repair/Cleaning Policy (homeowner handout)
Before anything is buried, we run water through the line and check the new section for flow and leaks, and a follow-up camera pass can confirm it. Then the trench is backfilled in tamped layers and the topsoil goes back on top.
Georgia Plumbing Code §306.3Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code 2018, Chapter 3 General Regulations (§306 trenching, bedding, backfill) — via UpCodes
Who owns what
Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority (NCWSA)
The owner maintains and repairs the private sewer service line from the building to the connection with the public main, including stub-outs and the connection point. NCWSA is responsible for the public sewers between manholes.↗
Where the line sits: Connection to the public main (the tap)
NCWSA — 2021 policy change
Since March 1, 2021, customers pay to clear blockages in the building sewer from the building through the tap at the main; before that, NCWSA maintained the piece from the main to the property or right-of-way line. NCWSA still clears clogs in the street main.↗
Where the line sits: Tap at the main, typically in the street
City of Covington
Every customer must maintain and keep clean the sewer pipes from their plumbing to the city street line or the city sewer main, whichever is nearer (Code § 13.16.070).↗
Where the line sits: Street line or city main, whichever is nearer
DeKalb County Watershed Management
The owner maintains and repairs the building sewer connection on private property; DeKalb maintains it inside county rights-of-way and sanitary sewer easements (Sec. 25-220). The owner also pays for damage to the public sewer caused by their work (Sec. 25-215).↗
Where the line sits: Property line / edge of right-of-way or sewer easement
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources
The owner owns and maintains the private lateral to the county connection in the right-of-way. DWR clears blockages in the main and in the part of the lateral inside the right-of-way; blockages outside it are the owner's.↗
Where the line sits: Right-of-way cleanout / sewer stub
Rockdale Water Resources
The county owns and maintains service lines from the main or manhole to the street right-of-way; from there to the building is the customer's. Each service line must have a cleanout at the right-of-way or easement limit, which the customer owns.↗
Where the line sits: Street right-of-way (cleanout at the limit)
City of Monroe (Walton County)
The building sewer runs from the building drain to the public sewer; the owner bears all costs of installing and connecting it and must maintain and repair connections serving the property. A city permit is required to connect to or open any public sewer.↗
Where the line sits: Public sewer main
Permits & the Georgia rules
Confirm who owns the failed section using the utility's own rule (see the table above) — a blockage inside the right-of-way may be the utility's to clear.↗
Pull the permit the jurisdiction requires before opening the line. In DeKalb, a plumbing permit is required before a private sewer line is installed, and a sewer connection permit only authorizes the right to connect at the owner's expense.↗
Submit the locate request and wait out the notice period before mechanized digging.↗
Build to code: sealed joints, continuous bedding, uniform slope, and cleanouts where §708 calls for them — including one within 10 ft of the public right-of-way.↗
Leave the trench open for any required inspection, then backfill in tamped layers.↗
Georgia rule Georgia Plumbing Code §708.1.2
“Building sewers shall be provided with cleanouts located not more than 100 feet (30480 mm) apart…”
Georgia rule Georgia Plumbing Code §306.1
“Buried piping shall be supported throughout its entire length.”
Georgia rule Georgia Plumbing Code §704.1
“Horizontal drainage piping shall be installed in uniform alignment at uniform slopes.”
Georgia rule Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1-.04(3)
“Such sewers shall be laid on a firm foundation, shall not be subject to settling…”
Newton County (NCWSA and Covington)
Unincorporated Newton lines connect to NCWSA mains; the owner's responsibility runs through the tap since 2021. Inside Covington the owner's piece ends at the street line or main, whichever is nearer.↗
The split is private property vs. county right-of-way or easement, and the owner pays for any damage to the public sewer caused by the work.↗
County standards call for a cleanout at the right-of-way. If the only blockage is inside the right-of-way, the owner can file a reimbursement claim — but DWR must see the excavated lateral first, so call them before the repair.↗
Every service line must have a customer-owned cleanout at the right-of-way or easement limit; the county's piece runs from there to the main.↗
Walton County (City of Monroe)
Monroe requires a city permit to connect to or open any public sewer, and the owner bears the full cost of the building sewer.↗
Homes & businesses
Residential
Most house laterals are 4-inch pipe running a few dozen feet from a cleanout by the foundation to the street. The hard parts are what's on top — a driveway, a walkway, a mature oak — and what's underneath: which material, how deep, and whether the tap is on your side of the street or the far side.
We plan the dig around the footage so the trench is as short as the defect allows, and we tell you before we start whether lawn, concrete or landscaping will have to be restored.
Commercial
Commercial building sewers carry more flow, often from kitchens, and may be larger than 4 inches; the Georgia code requires manholes instead of cleanouts on building sewers 8 inches and larger. Grease from food-service kitchens adds a failure mode that houses rarely see.
Downtime is the real cost, so we schedule the excavation around your hours where we can and sequence the work so the building is off the line for as short a window as possible.
What it costs
Sewer line repair, depending on method
$150–$3,800
per job
Typical market range per HomeGuide (national), 2025.
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Partial lateral replacement
$50–$200
per linear foot
Typical Atlanta market range per Angi, 2026.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026
Complete lateral replacement
$55–$250
per linear foot
Typical Atlanta market range per Angi, 2026.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026
Sewer camera inspection
$125–$500
per inspection
Typical market range per HomeGuide (national), 2025.
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
CIPP lining (trenchless, for comparison)
$80–$250
per linear foot
Typical Atlanta market range per Angi, 2026. Shown for education; we'll discuss whether it fits your line.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026
City of Atlanta sewer replacement permit
$185–$400+
per permit
As reported by Angi for the City of Atlanta, 2026; other jurisdictions set their own fees.
Typical market range — Angi — How Much Does Sewer Line Replacement Cost in Atlanta, GA? (updated April 2026), 2026
Concrete removal over the line
$3–$8
per square foot
Typical market range per HomeGuide (national), 2025.
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
These are published third-party typical market ranges (HomeGuide 2025, Angi 2026), not our prices. We give free on-site estimates after we've seen your line.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620Where we do this
FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620It depends on your utility. In Gwinnett the owner's lateral runs to the right-of-way; in DeKalb the split is private property vs. county right-of-way or easement; in unincorporated Newton County NCWSA made owners responsible through the tap at the main as of March 1, 2021. Check the table above before you pay anyone to dig.
Source: NCWSA — Notice of Policy Change: Maintenance of Sewer Service Laterals (2021)
Sometimes. Clearing removes the roots but leaves the opening they came through, so they grow back. If the camera shows one or two bad joints in otherwise sound clay pipe, a spot repair at those joints can end the cycle. If roots are in most joints, replacing the run usually costs less over time than clearing it every year.
Source: City of Santa Barbara — Sewer Lateral Defects Visual Glossary (rev. August 2019)
A camera usually shows it: a dark, fibrous wall that has gone oval or has blistered inside. One city building department puts its use at roughly the early 1950s to the early 1970s, but there's no reliable pattern by street. The only sure identification is seeing it on camera or digging to it.
Not really. A liner follows the shape of the old pipe, so a sag stays a sag. Fixing a belly means excavating that section, rebuilding firm bedding under it and relaying the pipe at a steady fall, which is why the Georgia plumbing code requires buried pipe to be supported throughout its entire length.
What we do is excavate: spot repairs, section replacement and full dig-and-replace. Lining and pipe bursting have their place, and if your footage suggests one of them fits, we'll talk it through with you honestly, including when a trench is the better answer — a belly or collapsed Orangeburg usually is.
Usually, yes, but the office varies. DeKalb requires a plumbing permit before a private sewer line is installed; Monroe requires a city permit to connect to or open a public sewer. We handle the permit and schedule any inspection while the trench is still open.
Source: DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability — Watershed Packet (revised 5/6/25)
Georgia amended its plumbing code, effective January 1, 2020, to require an additional cleanout within 10 ft of the public right-of-way on building sewers. It gives you and the utility a place to clear and inspect the line right at the ownership boundary. When we replace a lateral that lacks one, we add it.
Only as much as the defect requires. A spot repair is one pit over the break. A full replacement is a trench from the cleanout to the tap. We keep topsoil separate from the clay, backfill in compacted layers so the trench doesn't sink later, and put the topsoil back on top.
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
Roots in clay joints, flattened Orangeburg, scaled cast iron and bellies in red clay backfill are the usual suspects under an older yard. We pin down which one you have, excavate to it, and put the line back to grade with the permit and inspection your utility requires.
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