Sewer Line Installation & Replacement · Snellville, GA
Sewer line installation in Snellville, laid from the house to the Gwinnett County service connection that stops five feet past the right-of-way.
- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
How does sewer line installation work in Snellville, GA?
In Snellville, a new sewer line runs from your foundation to the six-inch service connection Gwinnett DWR leaves about five feet outside the right-of-way. The county owns the stub and the cleanout behind the curb; you own and pay for the private lateral. We permit, trench, lay and grade it, then tie in.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
Who owns what
The handoff point on a Snellville lot
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resourcesmain
Gwinnett operates the public collection system inside Snellville.↗
Gwinnett County Department of Water Resourcessewer tap
The six-inch service connection and its cleanout inside the right-of-way belong to the Gwinnett Water & Sewerage Authority and are maintained by DWR.↗
Where the line sits: 5 ft outside the right-of-way
Property ownersewer lateral
The building sewer on private property is owned and maintained by the parcel owner, with no maximum length.↗
Where the line sits: foundation to stub
Owners and their contractors are not authorized to dig inside the right-of-way. That is why the county extends its pipe five feet onto your side: our trench meets it there instead of opening the road shoulder.↗
Local facts
Gwinnett specs a Snellville tie-in has to match
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What waits at the lot line | A six-inch pipe from the main to five feet outside the right-of-way, with a six-inch cleanout in a protective box behind the curb. | Gwinnett DWR — Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Design and Construction Standards and Specifications (April 5, 2016) |
| Joining house pipe to county pipe | Where the stub is shallower than 16 feet it is 6-inch SDR 35, joined to a 4-inch Schedule 40 lateral by an injection-molded 6x4 adapter coupling. | Gwinnett DWR — Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Design and Construction Standards and Specifications (April 5, 2016) |
| Depth at the curb | The county connection carries at least 5.5 feet of cover at the curb and 5 feet at its end. | Gwinnett DWR — Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Design and Construction Standards and Specifications (April 5, 2016) |
| City stormwater credit | Snellville's 2026 stormwater credit application lists a "Sewer System Connection" credit category. | City of Snellville Stormwater Utility Credit Manual and Application (updated 2026) |
The Snellville story
Why Snellville owners replace laterals instead of patching them
The median Snellville house dates from 1991, which means many building sewers here have carried a family's wastewater for three decades or more. When a camera shows a line bellied in several places, or roots at joint after joint, a full new run from the cleanout at the foundation to the county stub usually costs less over time than chasing one break a year.↗
Depth drives the design. Because the county stub sits five feet or more below grade at the curb, the new pipe has to leave the house high enough and fall steadily enough to arrive at that elevation. On Snellville's rolling lots we shoot grades before cutting sod, so the lateral neither flattens out near the street nor drops so steeply that solids strand behind the liquid.↗
The county also expects one building sewer per building. A detached garage apartment or workshop generally gets its own line, except where a rear building has no other route and the front building's sewer is extended to serve both.↗
The median Snellville house dates from 1991, which means many building sewers here have carried a family's wastewater for three decades or more.
Sewer or septic?
Still on a tank in Snellville?
Some older parcels never connected. If county sewer reaches your frontage, installation becomes a conversion: the lateral goes in, and the old tank has to be taken out of service under state rules rather than simply bypassed.↗
How to tell which one you have
- Your Gwinnett bill shows a sewer charge, or it does not.
- A cleanout box sits in the grass strip behind your curb.
- There is a tank lid or a drain field depression in the back yard.
More about Snellville
The installation sequence
We locate the county stub and the house drain exit, then submit the locate ticket. Georgia's dig law asks for notice at least two business days, and no more than eight, before mechanized digging starts. Next comes the trench, dug to grade and bedded, the new four-inch pipe laid with gasketed or solvent joints, and cleanouts set where the line bends and near the foundation.↗
Before backfill the line is inspected under the plumbing permit. Red clay goes back in compacted lifts, sod is restored, and the finished run is filmed for your records.
Commercial buildings along US-78 and Scenic Highway follow the same county handoff, but larger service sizes and grease interceptors for kitchens change the scope. Those jobs are quoted separately after a site walk.
We locate the county stub and the house drain exit, then submit the locate ticket.
What it costs
Published cost ranges for a Snellville sewer line
New sewer line, installed
$40–$180 per linear foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
New line up to 40 feet, total
$1,600–$7,200
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Sewer cleanout installation
$500–$2,000 each
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Septic-to-sewer conversion (national)
$3,000–$15,000
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025), 2025
Gwinnett sewer system development charge, 3/4-inch residential meter (first connection only)
$4,147
Typical market range — Gwinnett DWR Rates and Fee Schedule — January 2026, 2026
What moves the price
These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620- 01Setback of the house from the street, since the private lateral has no length cap.
- 02How deep the stub sits relative to the drain leaving the slab or crawlspace.
- 03Driveways, retaining walls and mature hardwoods along the route.
- 04Whether a tank must be abandoned in the same project.
Warning signs
When a Snellville lateral is due for replacement, not repair
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. The camera shows cracks or offsets at more than two or three joints.
- 2. You have paid for root cutting more than once in a couple of years.
- 3. Sections of the old line hold standing water along their length.
- 4. An addition or remodel will sit on top of the existing pipe route.
- 5. You are converting from a septic tank now that sewer runs out front.
FAQ
Snellville sewer installation FAQ
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Where does my new Snellville sewer line connect?
To the six-inch service connection Gwinnett provides, which ends about five feet outside the right-of-way so owners never need to dig in it.
Does the City of Snellville issue sewer taps?
No. Its stormwater plan says Gwinnett County maintains and operates the sanitary sewer in the city, so connection questions go to Gwinnett DWR.
Source: City of Snellville Stormwater Management Plan (Aug 2024)
How deep will the trench be near the street?
Deep enough to meet the county pipe, which has a minimum of five feet of cover at its end and five and a half at the curb.
Is there a limit on how long my private lateral can be?
No. Gwinnett's standards set no maximum length for privately owned laterals, though long runs need careful grade.
Sewer is on my street but I'm on septic. Must I connect?
State rule requires it when sewer is within 200 feet of your property line or in the abutting right-of-way, and right away if the septic system fails.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
What does a first-time connection cost in county fees?
Gwinnett's January 2026 schedule lists a $4,147 sewer development charge for a standard 3/4-inch residential meter, separate from contractor work.
Do I need an 811 ticket for a sewer trench in my own yard?
Yes. Georgia's Underground Facility Protection Act requires a locate request before mechanized digging, with at least two business days of notice.
Source: Georgia 811 — Laws & Policies (Georgia Underground Facility Protection Act, O.C.G.A. 25-9)
Sources
Where these facts come from
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
- 1Gwinnett DWR — Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Design and Construction Standards and Specifications (April 5, 2016)
- 2City of Snellville Stormwater Management Plan (Aug 2024)
- 3City of Snellville Stormwater Utility Credit Manual and Application (updated 2026)
- 4Census Reporter: Snellville, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 5Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 6Georgia 811 — Laws & Policies (Georgia Underground Facility Protection Act, O.C.G.A. 25-9)
- 7HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (updated December 2025)
- 8Gwinnett DWR Rates and Fee Schedule — January 2026
Ready when you are
Replacing a tired Snellville lateral? We'll find the stub and plan the grade.
Send us your address and what the camera showed. We'll walk the route from your foundation to the county connection and give you a free on-site estimate.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620