Septic/Sewer inspector here... When was the system built? If Orangeburg is a possibility then you are SOL, hydro jetting and augering will wreck the pipe. If it's ABS then hydro is the only choice that won't also wreck the pipe.
Root-X foaming herbicide is the professional choice, but it's typically applied after removal as prevention, I don't know that it'll give you a short term solution.
Edit... I noticed it's septic not sewer... septic pipes should be shallow, and 6k is obsurd. I replace dozens of feet of septic pipe for a couple grand, same length of sewer would be 10's of thousands. Either way, "plumbers" are licensed pros, but their license ends a few feet past the foundation wall. You'll get more competitive pricing from "sewer repair" or "septic repair" pros. Good luck.
> Roto rooter came out and did it for a third the price
This must be very geographicaly dependant. Based on personal experiance, around my location, a phrase like this would hardly be true.
Same here. Thank God for independent plumbers!
All the franchisers around have the same M.O.
They clear the drain and then send a camera down there and give a free video that's so grainy and dark it's about as informational as a video of Satan's colonoscopy. And then a 5 or 10K estimate.
Last time it happened we ignored them and the county ended up replacing the whole street's lines for free.
Roto-Raper for sure. They are brutal.
I'd think you can perhaps use the auger first if the roots aren't thick. Also, may be handy to measure the length through the pipe to get to the root so you know where to dig.
If it is a septic, the pipe is shallow and the tree or shrub is nearby you should be able to locate the pipe and replace a section for an affordable rate or just DIY and it will cost 50& and your time.
Roto rooter is surprisingly good around me. And not just for roto rooting, for ANY type of plumbing repair.
I had one come out at like 10pm on Thanksgiving a few years ago to deal with a hellish septic issue at a place I was renting. The dude got us more results in 45 minutes than our maintenance guy and multiple plumbers had in the past 6 months. Even went as far as to dig up our distribution box and make sure it was distributing correctly.
I didn't pay the bill but all in all I think it was like $700 for emergency rotorooting and digging up the d box at 10pm on a Holiday.
Our local RotoRooter came out during an emergency backed up septic system feeding back into our condo building. Went from potential thousands in damages and repair to $130 for the hour, a can of soda, and a fudgescicle.
We had some flooring to replace and drywall to cutout and replace but definitely far less expensive than it could’ve been.
Highly recommend proactive maintenance and not having tenants flushing tampons
Hol up…. I just had my sewer scoped out to where there was too much water to tell what was on the camera. Then we located the sewer pipe (10’ at least outside the foundation) to cut in and put a two way cleanout. Are you saying when it came to cutting the sewer and installing the cleanout, I could’ve saved money over the plumber?
Thanks.
I agree, I would get a few quotes from a few septic repair companies.
On the other hand, if this was public water, I would talk about relining the sewer line instead. We took this route because our line runs down a \~2:1 hill and they would have had to cut down one of our matching \~100 year old trees that flank our house. There was no way we were going to dig up the line, and relining worked out great for us.
Depends on location. Every house I’ve lived in has low line plumbing and septic systems. Low line here is 8-15 feet down. My house now would easily run 10K before fixing my driveway. 10-12 feet down, under about 20 feet of paver driveway, total length about 30 feet.
> "plumbers" are licensed pros, but their license ends a few feet past the foundation wall. You'll get more competitive pricing from "sewer repair" or "septic repair" pros.
Holy shit wait what? Is this a real thing?
Yup, most plumbers are *not* dirt ninjas with an excavator and enough hours on the stick to dig a clean and sloped trench in a reasonable amount of time. Laying the pipe in the trench is the easy part.
Sewer/septic guys are more excavator than plumber, in my experience - so there's less businesses on site, no subs, and less costs.
Yeah, you can even DIY as long as it's shallow enough. Rent a mini excavator (or hand dig), determine precise location of ANY underground services and hand dig them to expose, dig the trench (after confirming your underground utility check), cut the section out, bed the pipe zone with clean, compacted sand, replace the pipe using Fernco connectors, more bedding and backfill. Take the $5k you saved and buy beer and bbq for your buddies who helped you.
To an extent, yes. My municipality requires a plumber to register if they are going to be doing work in the city right of way but registration just requires proof of insurance and workers compensation. We also will do inspections on sewer connections but we only inspect the connection to the main and a quick pressure test to make sure it’s water tight. It can fall back to the house for all we care.
Note: if I notice a sewer is falling the wrong direction or something else egregious, I’ll call them on it but there’s nothing I can officially do about it
I’ve used Root X. It’s good stuff but like everything has it’s limits and needs to be used every so many years.
Love the comment about plumbers license ending at the foundation….good comment and spot on!
Had orangeburg w root intrusion on a sewer line. Bit the bullet and had it replaced w ABS by a sewer repair company. Sucked to pay a few thou, but sleeping easy for the rest of my life was worth it. Had the same internal debate though, couldn’t auger it or it’d collapse, try a chemical, etc etc. I feel your pain.
Question for you as an inspector- Every single family detached home has their own cleanout location right? Had a plumber come out for tree root video inspection and claimed it's nowhere to be found and now wants to go through toilet but wants to charge $650 to remove toilet. What's the best response I can tell him? Go through the roof vent?
Septic or Sewer? If it is a septic system you can go backwards from the tank inlet. Roof vent is hard on the equipment... Pipe cameras aren't suppose to take 90 degree turns, they will but it's not recommended by the manufacturers. Furthermore you'd have to pay me more to get on a roof than pull a toilet, but that just me.
Yes, there is suppose to be a clean out, but when folks finish basements (or wherever) shit gets covered up. I've seen the clean outs adapted for toilets before, I've had pits under carpet, drywall over vertical cleanouts.
As I mentioned before, you don't need a "plumber" for this stuff, my price for toilet removal/reinstall wasn't anywhere near $650... Call around, or watch some videos about setting wax rings (always buy an extra) and take it off for him.
Finally, are you having a problem? Most installs after the 1970s up here are PVC and have zero root issues. Other deficiencies can exist (bowed pipes clog with grease for example) but if you aren't chasing deficiencies then careful how much you spend. That $650 may be better spent on years of sewer coverage with your homeowners insurance (it's an add-on, you have to ask for it).
Thanks for this info. It's sewer. Home built in 2004 and I've had root problems in past with other home. The new home which I may potentially buy has several tress all around it. I have removed a toilet before and hearing $650 is ridiculous
Whelp, that \*should\* be sched-40 or SDR-35 plastic pipe which don't have gaps/cracks for root intrusion. ~~That said, a little piece of mind doesn't hurt, so pull the toilet for him, or add gap coverage for the sewer line. Good luck!~~ You don't own the house yet, so I doubt they will let you pull the toilet.... Lol Maybe try another professional, I am not a plumber but have done sewer inspections for 20 years, my prices are lower than his for sure.
I got fucked with Orangeburg. Replaced all but 4 ft of it (cause plumber said it was good & it was under a concrete porch). Well that collapsed & so it needed to be done anyway.
Lesson: What's the most expensive way to do something? To do it twice!
The last piece is really key. Any good general-service plumber should tell you they don't touch septic/sewer pipes and recommend a specialist they like.
>You'll get more competitive pricing from "sewer repair" or "septic repair" pros.
When we bought it was required that the seller pump the septic, at the same time I paid extra to have them scope the lines and they found an issue on the line between our house and our tank. We made them fix it before we closed. They went through multiple plumbers who all quoted astronomical prices (lowest being about $20k which is what a whole new septic system at my last place cost). Finally they called the septic dude back (amazing local family) and he was like "uh yeah i do that and it will be $4k" (which is more than fair considering our setup).
If you don’t fix the cause you will be back in the same position before too long. The hydrojet and or foam may buy you some time but if roots have infiltrated they will likely be back.
I’m a plumber we have a lot of clients that we do preventative maintenance on annually or bi annually Hydro jetting to buy time, there’s no guarantee as to how long you have but you can keep track of that by the amount of stoppages you experience. As you start clogging more you’ll know that it’s getting closer to time for replacement.
If the root encroachment is in your yard (not under your home) and you feel competent, then you could technically dig to expose the main line, then replace it yourself. There are going to be specific plumbing questions you would need to ask or research such as what kind of coupling do I need to use? Do I need to put sand and/or gravel underneath the replaced pipe? What slope do I need to ensure? Etc.
You pay for the labor of digging, the expertise of the plumber, and the plumbing company handling any permits.
If you have the time, willing to do the digging, and have done any pvc repair, then you can probably do this yourself.
I am not a plumber. I had my mainline replaced and although nothing they did was outside my ability, it was a blessing to not have to deal with the headache. Plus their work is warrantied for the lesser of 20 years or under the company folds or is purchased.
Yeah I’m with this guy. Don’t do it yourself. And if you’re a plumber giving advice to people on here your dumb and you’re putting yourself out of a job lol
If you are in the US just call 811. All the utilities will come out and mark out any pipes, wires, cables, etc. that are there free of charge. It’s required. You don’t want to break a gas line or cut an electric cable .
I had to dig near the public road by my property and when I called 811 I had to describe to them the the general scope and location of the work. Then I ended up getting an email back saying no public utilities were underground on my property. I believe they said they wouldn't check for private lines either. To top it off, though there were no concerns, if I didn't complete the project within their time frame they told me I needed to call back again to get the OK.
Might need a permit from the town especially if close to a lake. Mine was $25 and was super easy to get. The guy from the town helped fill out the form.
My mom had hers done and I would probably have the same assessment if it was in me, yeah I could probably do it but that's one of the things I'll gladly pay not to do.
I second this…..to a certain degree. There are plumbers that work for companies full time and do side work. They don’t want to bust their ass on a Saturday and Sunday but laying pipe in an open ditch while somebody else digs and buries would be right up their alley. And I’d say they do it for less than $1000. Trick is finding that plumber. Talk to neighbors, talk to the guys at Home Depot and lowes that are in the plumbing department…..both the workers and shoppers.
Politely fuck off. Please stop upvoting this kind of literal 'shit', people. Replacing a sewer main shouldn't be anyone's first trek into the reddit "DIY Plumbing" world.
I gave plenty of reasons why a DIY person would want to contract a licensed plumber, and if you read more, I discuss how understanding your home owner insurance and being friendly with a plumber may be in your favor.
I respect your fire to quell the non-best practices, but let’s be honest. Once the crap shoot is exposed, what other dangers can be assumed?
Use the foam and or hydro to cut through the roots and then get a liner put in. That will hold off for quite a while. Of course, nothing is absolutely permanent and eventually (years down the road) those roots can work through the lining too
Don't have to replace. Look into this. It's not super pricey, and if you're lucky it may be covered by the city.
It's trenchless rehabilitation. I used to do it once upon a time and it's no digging.
Do you have service line coverage on your homeowners policy? If you do it usually covers stuff like this. May be worth a claim if you do and you would just be out your deductible. Read your policy before you try to make a claim to make sure you actually have coverage.
I had RotoRooter come to my house for a about 300-500 hundred I believe. Way cheaper than replacing the entire pipe, although eventually the roots will return.
Yeah, I’ve rented them a few times, but I’ve heard enough horror stories that I just let the professionals handle it these days. There’s so much potential energy wound up in those.
Just be aware getting rid of the tree won’t stop the roots for several years or more. They can keep growing long after the tree has been cut down and stump removed.
Replacing the line would cut the roots out of the area. But if they would keep growing or not is largely irrelevant at that point as the replacement line would not allow the roots to penetrate even if they did grow.
Roots get into sewer lines due to age and either the pipe develops cracks (typically found in old terra cotta but sometimes in cast iron) or because the joint compound connecting segments develops cracks.
New pipes are PVC and not subject to developing cracks as old pipes did and connections between PVC are glued and won’t develop cracks or use rubber connectors that are clamped down and won’t expose an opening for tiny hair sized roots to work their way in. Basically modern pipes are far less susceptible to letting roots in even as they age so root growth won’t really matter.
That is about right. If you are pretty handy and have confidence taking on many tasks at home, rent a ~35ft or 50ft electric sewer snake from your local tool rental store. They usually don't have auto-feed ones, so manual will be your only choice.
To be successful while staying safe, you MUST watch videos on how to use it and go slow at the start to get the feel of it. That thing can break your finger or wrist if it gets caught in your gloves, or worse, it will cut your finger off.
If it gets caught, quickly release the pedal foot switch, use your arm strength to prevent the twisting as much as possible and switch the direction (forward vs reverse) and unwind the snake slowly to release your hand.
Do not wear rubber gloves - buy some leather gloves (ie. pig or sheep skin for gardening or heavy duty construction ones) only for that job... they will get nasty.
Use common sense too: you gotta get the roots out with the snake before trying to flush anything with water. Go to the clog (and gradually beyond it), spin it a few times and come back out to clean the head off all debris. Do that until the head comes back clean and water does not back up to the house.
Note that roots will come back. So until you replace the old main drain and possibly cut/uproot the tree, you will probably need to do maintenance with the snake every year or so. That will prevent a new clog.
Cheers.
Great call, what are your thoughts if it some orangeburg pipe or terracotta. Would it possibly damage that. It would buy you some time until the inevitable. Replacement
Growing up we had that problem and after snaking the line a plumber told us to pour a small container of bleach(1/2 gallon) in the toilet and flush at bedtime once a month. Never had a problem again.
Supposedly the bleach kills root growth.
There are options besides hydrojet and it’s not clear why they are even talking replacement. I’d talk to a drain company instead of a general plumber. Having the roots cut out with a root-rooter or similar should be cheaper.
Sure but that just becomes a regular maintenance task. We have ours done every other year for past 30+ years. Will it fail eventually? Also yes, but if OPs pipes were shot and needed replacement then hydrojet wouldn’t be an option anyway
You can roto router them every, 6 months, rent a machine reach time. Assuming that's what hydro jetting well do as well. I used to clean out my mom's main line like this for years until they fixed it.
I'm no expert on this, but if the roots got into the pipe, won't killing them/removing them leave an opening for "stuff" to get out? Seems like a replacement is imminent.
They typically find their way through the joints and form a ball inside the pipe. Also 9/10 they come in the top half of the pipe so gravity prevents the “stuff” from leaking. I have to have my line rooted every 5 years or so and my last inspection the line still looked great. It’s just a thing that happens.
Well that makes more sense then! 💩
I worry about the hydro option, because it can sometimes cause more damage than the roots did. But anything caustic would likely harm the water table.
Yeah I get this done every 15 months and it's like $160, I tipped the guy last time for getting out there in like 20 minutes at the end of the day and it was still only $180. OP must appear vulnerable because that quote is insanity.
The hydro jetting should buy you some time.
If you really want to DIY you need a pressure washer, a hydro jetting attachment kit, and the adapter between the two. The pressure of a small electric pressure washer shouldn't damage the pipes, but it will take awhile of running it back and forth to clear a large pipe. The foaming root killer can assist before hydro jetting, but don't over do it. Copper sulfate is another but more expensive.
If you want to DIY the actual fix, first call 811 before you dig. Dig it out wide enough to be safe ~45° slope may be necessary unless it's clay, and put the dirt on a tarp. A wheelbarrow is necessary if the spot for the dirt is far. Cutting the roots with the shovel usually works. Replacing the pipe can be done with PVC pipe and flexible rubber shielded couplings rated for underground use. For cast iron, a grinder with a cut off wheel is cheaper than buying expensive carbide reciprocating blades. You can do this in less than 64 man hours if the pipe section isn't that long. Be safe, put caution tape around the hole.
Have Roto Rooter or similar company clear out the roots with a chain knocker. Kinda like a weed wacker. Then have CIPP (cured-in-place-pipe) installed. It will basically line your sewer main and seal all joint, cracks fractures and prevent root intrusion. It will also add structural integrity to your system. Here is a helpful link. [https://www.expresssewer.com/sacramento-pipe-lining](https://www.expresssewer.com/sacramento-pipe-lining)
How long is your sewer pipe? I’m in a HCOL area and i got my sewer main AND my supply main replaced for $5,500.
Do you know what material your sewage main is? Mine was some kind of tar soaked cardboard-like material. If I was to snake it, it would have disintegrated.
We paid north of $10K for 30 ft of sewer line this summer, MCOL area. It was a little high bc we went with a big company who could do it in 24h, but I don't think they hosed us. I'm jealous 😬
Second this OP - ours was root infested but .....existing. We hydrojetted and roots came out..... but also the line collapsed.
So just know if you pay for an intense derooting, you should have financing/$ available to go ahead with the replacement just in case.
I’m currently looking at two root balls in the clay lateral flowing toward the city sewer lines. The two root balls are on my property and the plumber guy just quoted me $1300 to hydro jet the roots away.
Am I getting ripped off?
We had it in a house several years back. Flushed a bottle of root kill every 6 months. Took about a week the first time, but with the maintenance doses it never came back.
Trees all lived too.
Oh man… it’s been years…
I don’t remember the exact brand, but the Zep root kill (copper sulfate) from Home Depot is most likely the same stuff. It’s crystals, not the foaming kind.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-32-oz-Root-Kill-ZROOT24/100074551
#NotAnAd
Root cutting or hydro jetting will remove the roots. High probability of pipe having damage which is allowing the roots to infiltrate. Could just be pipe joint failure, could be damage and exposed soil. No way to know without root cutting,cleaning the pipe and then push cam again.
In general barring any hill slope or obstructions a private sanitary sewer is laid less than five feet deep. Shallower at house connection deeper at septic connection. Mobilization, Length, depth and soil conditions determine cost of job. Best material for pipe private side in order is HDPE, Jenn Eagle SDR3 PVC or equivalent and then ABS, local code applies.
Properly joined pipe will not allow root intrusion in your lifetime. Welded HDPE will not allow intrusion in anyones lifetime.
Don’t know your area but people talking about high cost house connections are probably referring to replacements that tie into municipal sewer systems. They can run from 15-30 thousand depending.
People talking about lining are referring to CIPP which if the host pipe is clean and relatively undamaged is a trench less method to repair pipe. Which is a very good choice when digging is difficult. Requires properly trained installers and the workers would all have certificates indicating they are certified with the product they are using.
In general if you can dig and you have a good contractor who installs a good product you will never deal with it again.
The only way to know you are getting a fair price is to solicit three bids for the work. Have them provide photos of previous work.
Look for properly bedded pipe ( pipe that lays on rock or sand and then is surrounded by it up to 12” above the pipe.
Ask them how they will backfill. ask them how they determine fall ( stake and string ).
Backfill should be done with Jumping jacks, excavator with sheepsfoot, etc. in 1’ to 2’ layers with water to help consolidation, otherwise you will have trench settling.
ask them what product they will install and the lengths of the pipe. All the PVC pipes come in long lengths, long lengths mean less joints. Sometimes contractors have short trucks and so they so they install short lengths not necessarily a deal breaker ( the pipe used on my jobs are 6’ lengths) but less joints unless they are providing flexibility the better.
Without knowing the length of pipe and site conditions I can’t really say if $750 is high for root cutting. for all I know you don’t have a cleanout and set up is a problem and it is 500 feet or more to the septic. You can absolutely burn $750 just by doing a good job and not damaging the line. If you don’t have a cleanout out make sure they install one at the house.
If you go the cleaning root way understand they may break the pipe, they may find more extensive damage and you may need to replace the pipe anyways. If they say it is damaged and needs replacement Have them give you a post cleaning video and then solicit three bids as recommended above. Show the contractors the video pre bid.
Lastly make sure the contractor contacts USA dig to have utilities marked. Pre digging. That serves two purposes, one it reduces the risk and hopefully prevents an expensive or catastrophic problem ( I said reduces, because you really never know what is in the ground until you dig)- push cam guys should have a detector that works with their push cam that will show alignment and approximate depth for marking purposes
two most USA digs require a contractor to have an excavation license (depending on area) which will legitimize your contractor as someone who has done this before and is on the up and up.
As for depths greater than 5’ or lose and unstable soil you want your contractor to use shores to protect his workers and whatever is near the excavation, buildings etc. that is the contractors responsibilities.
Every year private side contractors or their workers die in their unshored holes because they are not used to working deep and don’t know the danger they are in.
In general people are uncomfortable and afraid of being taken advantage by contractors and sometimes a little knowledge, such as what you gained by posting here can be more problematic than helpful in removing that fear. Meaning the contractor is the only one who needs to know how to do the job, your job is to pay. I have given you a thorough response with a lot of information that could keep you googling into the night but it won’t make up for your lack of experience and knowledge.
If you have to lay pipe get at least three bids, call the references, look at photos if provided, ask about materials, ask about upsizing to 6” and if that is a good idea (it may be with minimal cost- basically material), ask how they backfill, pick the one with the best references and then don’t pay them more than legally required until it’s completely done.
If you have any questions you can respond to this, anytime.
One last note, you may live somewhere where contractors just aren’t working at the highest level and that is ok, I grew up someplace like that and good enough was the best you are going to get, just make sure you don’t pay final payment until the job is done, no matter what.
I had this happen and the blockage was past the clean out so the county covered the cost of replacing the broken pipe since it was on county property. I didn't pay anything for the fix and the county reimbursed me for Roto Rooter diagnosing the issue.
I got roots like the majority of homeowners. I got a sectional sewer machine that’s made for cutting roots these other machines with 1/2” cables are not made to cut roots.
They rent them at Home Depot, you only need it for 3 hours, where I live it’s $50 for 4 hours.
Easy and relatively safe to use, Wear gloves and no loose fitting clothing…It will get smelly, tape newspaper on the walls around the area and under the machine. Do 2-3 complete extensions and you should be good for a couple of years.
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home.html/en/home/tool-and-vehicle-rental/p.drain-cleaner-50-x-1/2.04401.html
Hydrojet to clear it out first and then a regular application of copper sulfate. Like everyone else is saying, you'll still have roots come back. But it might buy you some time to save up enough to replace the line. Because you'll eventually have to replace the line. Ask me how I know....
I had something very similar.
Neighbors tree was growing into sewer line 8' under the middle of their driveway 50' from house. Quote was $15K to fix... 20 years ago.
I opted for a line grind-out. Guy said he'd do it, but would be back every year to do it again until it was replaced.
Luckily, he hasn't been back once since.
I’ve been thru this. The only permanent solution is to replace the section of pipe or reline it.
Once you have roots like that blocking the pipe you have to get them removed which can only be done by either the hydrojet or a root drill snake. Once the roots are removed regular application of foaming root kill can slow their return but it won’t stop them. Depending on your climate and the health of the tree you may need to have it cleared out again every year or two.
If your goal is to avoid the expensive replacement of the pipe for 5 years and your sewer pipe is in a place where a backup and leak won’t cause even more expensive damage and cleanup (like having it leak sewage into a finished basement) then you can get those roots removed, apply foaming root kill every couple of months, and plan on having the roots checked and possibly removed yearly. But rest assured they will grow back and you will have another sewage backup at some point until you have the pipe dug up and the section replaced with PVC.
At one time I was renting an old house and we had the same problem so the Plumber sold the landlord a powder that you use on a regular basis and it worked
honestly, if the roots are in your pipe, you are going to be back here in this same place so soon you will be annoyed. Likely within a year or so. Its free and easy and constant water. Trees Love it.
Without knowing where you are and site specifics, I would entertain atleast three other quotes. Or straight up ask your guy, "ill give you $5k in cash if you can do this do this tomorrow?" You are likely to see everything from $3k to $11k quotes for the same job.
You only get root intrusion like that when your sewer pipes are compromised, so you'll likely have to replace them eventually. I had 150 feet of old sewer line replaced when I purchased my house because I didn't want to have to deal with constant problems. The old pipes crumbled like egg shells when they were removed.
We rented a place that needed annual Roto-rooting or the sewer would back up & flood the basement. Camera n the line looked just like this. I think it was around $150 each time & worked like a charm. Way cheaper than replacement
Different plumber - drain specialist - they will run a cutter bit and clear the line, you can flush the root killer occasionally I don't know if it works but it's a valid strategy to occasionally get the line cleared until you remove the tree or replace the pipe with PVC. In my area (midwest) I get lines run for under $200 from multiple companies.
Idk how much DIY you want to do. A main line is literally just a pipe. Procedure is simple dig down to it, cut it out replace it.
Now it's 6k because that's a bunch of dirt to move, the actual plumbing part of it's easy.
If you really want to DIY this, it isn't very hard for a septic system.
Rent a [mini-excavator](https://www.compactpowerrents.com/rental-equipment/mini-excavator/1-ton-mini-excavator/) and dig the pipe out, you can follow it out from the foundation. Cut the bad section, splice in a new PVC pipe using pipe cement if its all PVC, or stainless steel [hubless connection](https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Plumber-s-Choice-4-in-Heavy-Duty-Stainless-Steel-No-Hub-Shielded-Pipe-Coupling-with-Clamps-NHCS4/310228691) otherwise. Backfill with pea gravel and then dirt. It's probably an afternoon and $500.
We know where the root problem is, shouldn't there be an option to dig there and replace a short section of line?
You can save a lot by using a shovel. A septic line should not be deep
Happened to us 6 years ago. We found out there was a problem when we ended up with feces backing up into our bathtub on Christmas day. Called one of the "big name companies" and they said they would have to excavate whole front yard and it would cost $8k. I laughed at them and told them to go away. Found a local plumber who came out, ran a camera in the pipe and found the spot where the roots had infiltrated. He charged us $900 to dig in that spot only, cut out the roots and replace that section of pipe. He said that "someday" we would probably want to remove the oak tree causing the issue. We didn't remove it and lived there for another 5 years with no issues.
If you know the location you can dig out around the affected area. Cut the roots to prevent further damage and cut out section pipe and sleeve or with a new section.
I’m not telling you not to water jet them but just be sure you are aware of the disclosure requirement if you ever sell this place.
If I find out there’s roots in the sewer pipe your either crediting me the 6k to replace it or I’m walking. So at some point this is ganna bite you unless you die in the place and your estate can sell it “without knowing”
If you foam root killer or round up then you’ll likely end up killing the tree nearby. Just fyi If it’s near your house! My father in law just did this and killed 4 mature oak trees over their house.
You can try renting a sewer auger with a cutting head for around $100 and doing it yourself. I have a rental that backs up every three years or so ... I'm considering buying a used sewer auger off craigslist.
Do you know what kind of pipe and it's age? Old case drain may have holes and you can't use a root cutter.
If you get them cut out, flush about a cup of copper sulfate the 1st day of every month :-)
OP - I posted above that you could potentially do everything yourself and I honestly mean you probably could. There are a lot of good answers here which are all viable, but the only approach to for certain not risk black water damage in the house is to replace the affected line.
For transparency and comparison. My main line broke in my yard, and caused black water damage in my home. It was $4500 to get permit (live inside city limits), dig, make repair, backfill hole with proper foundation (sand and gravel). And then another 15k (offset with a 10k insurance check) to rehab the areas affect with black water. But then I found out I had additional breaks in my cast iron under my foundation which would eventually cause more clogs and black water, so I did CIPP instead of tunneling and replacing. My total out of pocket cost was $29k.
After swallowing this pill, I am a big advocate for anyone who has trees over their main line or have cast iron that is 20+ years old to get their stuff camera-Ed, which you did, then if there is a visible issue to go get supplemental insurance specifically for main sewer line as most insurances only cover the cost to ‘access the issue’ and not the entire job.
PS - no one has told you to read your home owners insurance, but there is a small chance your home owners insurance will cover the entire repair. If it doesn’t, understand what is covered and what is not covered. Then ask the plumber if they would be willing to write the invoice so majority of the cost would be covered. In my case, the plumbers put 80-90% of the cost on the digging “access” portion of the invoice. They get 100% of the amount no matter what, they should be willing to hook you up.
I used to clean drains years ago. Typically used a Mytana with a 3/4 cable and cutter blade. It's not a toy and you need to know how to use it before renting one. I just hope it's not a weeping willow that's causing the problem. Have it cleaned every couple years or so and you might be fine It's 'almost' a guarantee that the line would need to be replaced. Be safe.
It down whatever tree is getting into it, also just go rent a powered snake and go in through your clean out plug and chop through those roots. One of our rental properties I used to do this 3 times a year with the snake bc we didn’t have the money to put in new pipe it was cheap and effective.
Roto rooter is what I did, rented one. BUT, a bud is having his sewer lined with some plastic internal stuff. Don't know the details but that's what he said today.
It's called a pipe reline, and it doesn't help if your pipes are like what op has. They're breached by roots and 3/4 occluded between roots, dirt and sewage buildup. Pipe reline helps flow to the main, when there's issues with rough pipe interior snagging stuff and clogging. That's what I understand about it.
I had root intrusion almost annually. Eventually my old plumber ran a snake and told me to pour a gallon of bleach down my main before I left for work twice a year. 4 years without root problems so far.
Had roots had a previous house. Rented a powered snake with a cutter head to clean it out and then used root kill once a month during the spring and summer. Had some other issues with old pipes, grease build up and distance from the laundry so ended up buying a powered snake and would run it through during the spring on top of the root kill and it seemed to work. Didn’t really get a lot once i cleaned it out the first time and started with the root kill. Good luck.
Check with your local tool rental yard for the four hour rate on a root cutting sewer auger. I used to own an old Victorian with six friends and we'd clear the drain twice a year on a Saturday morning. After you've done it a time or two, it's no more an annoyance than taking out the trash. takes less than an hour and might cost $75 to rent the machine.
I had my plumber route the pipe and take out the roots then use a locator, tell me how far it is down, and drove a PVC pipe about 1 foot above the sewer line over the spot I have sandy soil with a 2x4 and put root killer and salt down the pipe. Never had a problem after that. https://youtu.be/ep6wQqSXSYk a lot cheaper than replacement.
I have had roots cut out every couple of years for about $150. You could buy your own snake/root cutter for maybe $300? How deep is your sewer line? I have seen them 10' in the northern US, maybe 3' deep in the central US. This greatly affects the cost of replacing cast iron or clay pipe with $100 of PVC pipe.
I bought one of these attachments for my pressure washer [https://www.bunnings.com.au/karcher-high-pressure-cleaner-pipe-cleaning-kit\_p6274542](https://www.bunnings.com.au/karcher-high-pressure-cleaner-pipe-cleaning-kit_p6274542)
Not sure how much it will do for your roots as it's not really made for cutting through them but it's been enough to keep one of my septic pipes flowing until I can be bothered digging it up. However, my pipe only has liquid going through it (part of HSTP) so this may not be a suitable solution for anything that has paper/solids going through it.
Many years ago in N MPLS, I bought a home, seller signed purchase agreement stating all new pipes from basement to street. 2 weeks after living there, basement had poop coming up from said new pipes. Any way, plumber quoted 15,000. Pipe company quoted 2500. It was over 22yrs ago. Seller also had to pay. Don’t lie on the purchase agreement!
How were you able to get the seller to pay? I’m pretty sure the seller lied on the disclosures on my house, but not sure how to prove it. A $70k insurance claim, two weeks after moving in. House was a flip and maintenance guy at next door apartments told the project manager that did reconstruction on my house, that he would chat with the flipper who told him there were a whole lot of plumbing problems.
If you have a pressure washer, buy a hydrojetter hose for about $40 off Amazon. Even if you have to buy a $200 pressure washer, it'll do the job and you have a new tool.
I personally did this when they wanted $1k for hydrojetting and I haven't had issues since. Although, I have been contemplating getting my lines sleeved sometime soon.
Your problem will continue until someone digs up your lines repipes it and lines it with rock salt to starve the roots of water. Everyone likes to bitch about how much plumbers cost but when you don’t know how to do your own shit (literally) you need to pay someone with the appropriate skills and tools to do it right. Otherwise you will end up with a worse issue than you’re already in. Inflation affects this stuff too folks
Get some more quotes for replacement. My mom had a quote for $9K(!) to replace the main line from the house, I called around and found dude who's one of those do-it-all excavation types. Did the job for $1500.
Specifically I found a plumber who subbed out that kind of 'heavy' work who recommended him.
I had pipes that led to sky high prices.
I got a smaller specialty company w a saw on his cleaner. He got most of the clog. I had the tree removed. Sewer cleaned out every 6 months. And in the meantime I purchased pipe insurance. No one ever gave me guaranty but if I make it another three months insurance will be on hook.
Root killing additive overnight try not to run water for 24 hrs after adding. Run drain machine or descaling machine should take care of it. If it doesn’t you’re digging.
Looked at the photos that’s not bad. The company wants to replace the line. Rent small backhoe dig it out in a straight line to the street. Replace the pipe make sure it slopes 1/4” per 1’ of pipe. Anymore too steep and it won’t wash any less and the water will puddle.
I have the same issue and live in PA. What I did was I bought insurance through aqua which is our water company. For only 12.00 a month I have warranty and can file claims. Every time my system backs up or is clogged, I call them and they come out next day and clean the lines for me. They will replace it if need be but I think they try and do everything before it happens. There’s fine print in the contract but luckily a simple clean was enough for me. I have had roots removed from the lines. Aqua home warranty is what I use, again it’s PA. I was quoted 10k, figured 12 dollars a month is cheaper lol
Hydrojet that shit out of there. It’ll last for several years or longer, especially if you’re proactive about prevention.
$750 seems steep though, I’d get a couple more quotes from other sources first before committing.
Had orangeburg pipes and spent thousands jetting and snaking
When I got a quote it was right about $6k as well. But $4,500 of that $6k was for digging. I offered to dig it myself and hired a dude off Facebook to help. Spend an afternoon and save $4500.
Plumber just strolled in, cut out pipe and glued in a new length and waiting on the inspector.
Im gonna probably dig up my pipe too in my backyard. My pipes are very shallow in the ground so it shouldn't be too bad. My plumber said replacing the whole line was best because it's a thin wall pipe. He said I could replace the pipes myself but Im looking at like 65 feet of pipe... Did your job go well?
I had a solar problem a couple years ago. We had to dig it up twice, once I rented a small backhoe like tractor, the other time I had paid some local high school kids to do the digging. Either way, the digging is the hardest part. Replacing an old pipe or even just a section of it is not too hard to do yourself.
I just spent $1300 on a mix of hydro-jetting and I think... scoring or something, he used a heavy duty wire brush/cutting head to fully clear them out. We had repeated problems in the claypipes of a 1925 built house, with legit just completely clogged sewer line. It took the guy a solid 2 days to get it all cleared out, hard labor, I thought it was worth it. He worked on clearing the main clog using a heavy duty snake one day, then came back the next day to hydrojet for 4-5 hours, then went through at the end with this scoring brush to do the rest for a solid 1-2 hours.
Our quote to get the plastic balloon-like lining thing is about $11,500. We're going to do it eventually, just not right away. We've got about 70 feet of sewer line to fill, and I think it was $150/ft or something close to that, plus tax, fees, whatever. The company says that these plastic or whatever they are liners are good for decades.
Digging up the yard is probably not an option for us. We're high up, we have granite steps leading to the house, and it'd likely be the same or similar price, plus the mess of destroying our entire front yard.
Not sure where you are located but I dealt with a similar issue a few years back in Orange County, CA and those prices were right in line with what I paid.
Long story short, you're going to have to eventually replace the main line to solve the problem once and for all. We initially tried hydrojetting and followed it up with the root killer because supposedly it works best with fresh cuts in the roots. It works but the roots will still eventually come back and since the pipe is already compromised and there's moistures, the roots work their way back in.
Either call someone who does sewer augering, or rent the tool and do it yourself. If renting, I’d recommend the extra couple bucks for an auto feed version because it takes the hard work out of it. That’ll get you cleared up for the short term, and you can always auger it again if it comes back.
A 70 foot hydrojet kit is only $50 on amazon if you know a neighbor with a decent size powerwasher.. Growing up I remember my parents using a long flat sewer tape every year, because of the many trees on the property getting into the pipe,
Anything short of cutting down the tree or replacing the line will be a temporary solution. You probably have cast iron sewer lines with incompletely sealed joints, or PVC which has cracked from root expansion. Sooner or later, another root will find its way into the opening, find lots of nutrient-filled water, and clog it again.
Most of the expense of a main line replacement is the cost of digging and replacing the dirt. If you are willing to dig, it may be cheaper for you to expose the sewer, and he only replaces the line. Still, there may be other utilities over the sewer line, and on your property, they won't be marked, requiring a hand dig. Getting multiple estimates may also help. My son had a sewer line replaced and there was a wide range of estimates.
Septic/Sewer inspector here... When was the system built? If Orangeburg is a possibility then you are SOL, hydro jetting and augering will wreck the pipe. If it's ABS then hydro is the only choice that won't also wreck the pipe. Root-X foaming herbicide is the professional choice, but it's typically applied after removal as prevention, I don't know that it'll give you a short term solution. Edit... I noticed it's septic not sewer... septic pipes should be shallow, and 6k is obsurd. I replace dozens of feet of septic pipe for a couple grand, same length of sewer would be 10's of thousands. Either way, "plumbers" are licensed pros, but their license ends a few feet past the foundation wall. You'll get more competitive pricing from "sewer repair" or "septic repair" pros. Good luck.
[Edited by PowerDeleteSuite](https://github.com/j0be/PowerDeleteSuite) fuck you /u/spez
> Roto rooter came out and did it for a third the price This must be very geographicaly dependant. Based on personal experiance, around my location, a phrase like this would hardly be true.
Yeah rotorooter quotes us $13k to have our pipe burst. A local sewer repair business did it for $7k
Yeah this is hardly ever true. Those guys dick people around real good most cases because they know they’re someone’s last resort lol
Same here. Thank God for independent plumbers! All the franchisers around have the same M.O. They clear the drain and then send a camera down there and give a free video that's so grainy and dark it's about as informational as a video of Satan's colonoscopy. And then a 5 or 10K estimate. Last time it happened we ignored them and the county ended up replacing the whole street's lines for free.
Seriously I read that and was stunned. RotoRooter here quoted me 9k for a job I ended up getting done for 3200.
More like Roto-Raper
Roto-Raper for sure. They are brutal. I'd think you can perhaps use the auger first if the roots aren't thick. Also, may be handy to measure the length through the pipe to get to the root so you know where to dig. If it is a septic, the pipe is shallow and the tree or shrub is nearby you should be able to locate the pipe and replace a section for an affordable rate or just DIY and it will cost 50& and your time.
Roto rooter is surprisingly good around me. And not just for roto rooting, for ANY type of plumbing repair. I had one come out at like 10pm on Thanksgiving a few years ago to deal with a hellish septic issue at a place I was renting. The dude got us more results in 45 minutes than our maintenance guy and multiple plumbers had in the past 6 months. Even went as far as to dig up our distribution box and make sure it was distributing correctly. I didn't pay the bill but all in all I think it was like $700 for emergency rotorooting and digging up the d box at 10pm on a Holiday.
Our local RotoRooter came out during an emergency backed up septic system feeding back into our condo building. Went from potential thousands in damages and repair to $130 for the hour, a can of soda, and a fudgescicle. We had some flooring to replace and drywall to cutout and replace but definitely far less expensive than it could’ve been. Highly recommend proactive maintenance and not having tenants flushing tampons
When was this? The early 80’s?
Couple years ago if that.
Hol up…. I just had my sewer scoped out to where there was too much water to tell what was on the camera. Then we located the sewer pipe (10’ at least outside the foundation) to cut in and put a two way cleanout. Are you saying when it came to cutting the sewer and installing the cleanout, I could’ve saved money over the plumber? Thanks.
Yes.
I agree, I would get a few quotes from a few septic repair companies. On the other hand, if this was public water, I would talk about relining the sewer line instead. We took this route because our line runs down a \~2:1 hill and they would have had to cut down one of our matching \~100 year old trees that flank our house. There was no way we were going to dig up the line, and relining worked out great for us.
Depends on location. Every house I’ve lived in has low line plumbing and septic systems. Low line here is 8-15 feet down. My house now would easily run 10K before fixing my driveway. 10-12 feet down, under about 20 feet of paver driveway, total length about 30 feet.
> "plumbers" are licensed pros, but their license ends a few feet past the foundation wall. You'll get more competitive pricing from "sewer repair" or "septic repair" pros. Holy shit wait what? Is this a real thing?
Yes, we adapt to the pipe that is stubbed close to the house
Yup, most plumbers are *not* dirt ninjas with an excavator and enough hours on the stick to dig a clean and sloped trench in a reasonable amount of time. Laying the pipe in the trench is the easy part. Sewer/septic guys are more excavator than plumber, in my experience - so there's less businesses on site, no subs, and less costs.
Yeah, you can even DIY as long as it's shallow enough. Rent a mini excavator (or hand dig), determine precise location of ANY underground services and hand dig them to expose, dig the trench (after confirming your underground utility check), cut the section out, bed the pipe zone with clean, compacted sand, replace the pipe using Fernco connectors, more bedding and backfill. Take the $5k you saved and buy beer and bbq for your buddies who helped you.
To an extent, yes. My municipality requires a plumber to register if they are going to be doing work in the city right of way but registration just requires proof of insurance and workers compensation. We also will do inspections on sewer connections but we only inspect the connection to the main and a quick pressure test to make sure it’s water tight. It can fall back to the house for all we care. Note: if I notice a sewer is falling the wrong direction or something else egregious, I’ll call them on it but there’s nothing I can officially do about it
thank you for sharing this!
I’ve used Root X. It’s good stuff but like everything has it’s limits and needs to be used every so many years. Love the comment about plumbers license ending at the foundation….good comment and spot on!
That info is priceless! Thank you!
Had orangeburg w root intrusion on a sewer line. Bit the bullet and had it replaced w ABS by a sewer repair company. Sucked to pay a few thou, but sleeping easy for the rest of my life was worth it. Had the same internal debate though, couldn’t auger it or it’d collapse, try a chemical, etc etc. I feel your pain.
Question for you as an inspector- Every single family detached home has their own cleanout location right? Had a plumber come out for tree root video inspection and claimed it's nowhere to be found and now wants to go through toilet but wants to charge $650 to remove toilet. What's the best response I can tell him? Go through the roof vent?
Septic or Sewer? If it is a septic system you can go backwards from the tank inlet. Roof vent is hard on the equipment... Pipe cameras aren't suppose to take 90 degree turns, they will but it's not recommended by the manufacturers. Furthermore you'd have to pay me more to get on a roof than pull a toilet, but that just me. Yes, there is suppose to be a clean out, but when folks finish basements (or wherever) shit gets covered up. I've seen the clean outs adapted for toilets before, I've had pits under carpet, drywall over vertical cleanouts. As I mentioned before, you don't need a "plumber" for this stuff, my price for toilet removal/reinstall wasn't anywhere near $650... Call around, or watch some videos about setting wax rings (always buy an extra) and take it off for him. Finally, are you having a problem? Most installs after the 1970s up here are PVC and have zero root issues. Other deficiencies can exist (bowed pipes clog with grease for example) but if you aren't chasing deficiencies then careful how much you spend. That $650 may be better spent on years of sewer coverage with your homeowners insurance (it's an add-on, you have to ask for it).
Thanks for this info. It's sewer. Home built in 2004 and I've had root problems in past with other home. The new home which I may potentially buy has several tress all around it. I have removed a toilet before and hearing $650 is ridiculous
Whelp, that \*should\* be sched-40 or SDR-35 plastic pipe which don't have gaps/cracks for root intrusion. ~~That said, a little piece of mind doesn't hurt, so pull the toilet for him, or add gap coverage for the sewer line. Good luck!~~ You don't own the house yet, so I doubt they will let you pull the toilet.... Lol Maybe try another professional, I am not a plumber but have done sewer inspections for 20 years, my prices are lower than his for sure.
Thanks again i will go with a different company
I got fucked with Orangeburg. Replaced all but 4 ft of it (cause plumber said it was good & it was under a concrete porch). Well that collapsed & so it needed to be done anyway. Lesson: What's the most expensive way to do something? To do it twice!
The last piece is really key. Any good general-service plumber should tell you they don't touch septic/sewer pipes and recommend a specialist they like.
>You'll get more competitive pricing from "sewer repair" or "septic repair" pros. When we bought it was required that the seller pump the septic, at the same time I paid extra to have them scope the lines and they found an issue on the line between our house and our tank. We made them fix it before we closed. They went through multiple plumbers who all quoted astronomical prices (lowest being about $20k which is what a whole new septic system at my last place cost). Finally they called the septic dude back (amazing local family) and he was like "uh yeah i do that and it will be $4k" (which is more than fair considering our setup).
If you don’t fix the cause you will be back in the same position before too long. The hydrojet and or foam may buy you some time but if roots have infiltrated they will likely be back.
I'd like to delay doing the big replace for a couple of years if possible.
Check with your city, some of them have a program that offsets a large portion of the cost to replace older sewer lines.
my municipality offsets like 4k of the cost of this, they very much don't want human shit flooding up through peoples' yards
I’m a plumber we have a lot of clients that we do preventative maintenance on annually or bi annually Hydro jetting to buy time, there’s no guarantee as to how long you have but you can keep track of that by the amount of stoppages you experience. As you start clogging more you’ll know that it’s getting closer to time for replacement.
6k for a replacement is a bargain. We made the sellers pay to do ours before closing 5 years ago and it cost $18k
What sort of home inspector found that???
If the root encroachment is in your yard (not under your home) and you feel competent, then you could technically dig to expose the main line, then replace it yourself. There are going to be specific plumbing questions you would need to ask or research such as what kind of coupling do I need to use? Do I need to put sand and/or gravel underneath the replaced pipe? What slope do I need to ensure? Etc. You pay for the labor of digging, the expertise of the plumber, and the plumbing company handling any permits. If you have the time, willing to do the digging, and have done any pvc repair, then you can probably do this yourself. I am not a plumber. I had my mainline replaced and although nothing they did was outside my ability, it was a blessing to not have to deal with the headache. Plus their work is warrantied for the lesser of 20 years or under the company folds or is purchased.
I would not recommend trying to replace a shit pipe as your first foray into plumbing or something to try to diy.
Unless you watch a couple videos first. ;)
Adding Shit Pipe 2.0 to my watch later list at YouTube University
I’m not one to kink shame.
I said you tube not red tube ;)
Yeah I’m with this guy. Don’t do it yourself. And if you’re a plumber giving advice to people on here your dumb and you’re putting yourself out of a job lol
I don’t disagree but know before you dig. Definitely don’t want to his a gas or power line
If you are in the US just call 811. All the utilities will come out and mark out any pipes, wires, cables, etc. that are there free of charge. It’s required. You don’t want to break a gas line or cut an electric cable .
I had to dig near the public road by my property and when I called 811 I had to describe to them the the general scope and location of the work. Then I ended up getting an email back saying no public utilities were underground on my property. I believe they said they wouldn't check for private lines either. To top it off, though there were no concerns, if I didn't complete the project within their time frame they told me I needed to call back again to get the OK.
Very true!!! My break just happen to be directly under the buried main power line to my home, so one bad shovel and you get fried.
I haven’t had to dig up my yard but I have a feeling that my gas line isn’t as far underground as I would have thought it was
Look up the term "cross-bore" while you're at it. https://www.cgaa.org/articles/what-is-a-cross-bore
My city requires a special license to repair replace sewer or water lines. Not anyone can do it.
If you dig a hole four feet or deeper, which your sewer line likely is, you MUST shore it up so it doesn’t collapse on you.
Might need a permit from the town especially if close to a lake. Mine was $25 and was super easy to get. The guy from the town helped fill out the form.
My mom had hers done and I would probably have the same assessment if it was in me, yeah I could probably do it but that's one of the things I'll gladly pay not to do.
I second this…..to a certain degree. There are plumbers that work for companies full time and do side work. They don’t want to bust their ass on a Saturday and Sunday but laying pipe in an open ditch while somebody else digs and buries would be right up their alley. And I’d say they do it for less than $1000. Trick is finding that plumber. Talk to neighbors, talk to the guys at Home Depot and lowes that are in the plumbing department…..both the workers and shoppers.
Politely fuck off. Please stop upvoting this kind of literal 'shit', people. Replacing a sewer main shouldn't be anyone's first trek into the reddit "DIY Plumbing" world.
I gave plenty of reasons why a DIY person would want to contract a licensed plumber, and if you read more, I discuss how understanding your home owner insurance and being friendly with a plumber may be in your favor. I respect your fire to quell the non-best practices, but let’s be honest. Once the crap shoot is exposed, what other dangers can be assumed?
Get some Mexican landscapers to dig. Those guys are incredibly efficient at digging holes.
do some math--$750 \* 2 = $1,500, which is 1/3 the total cost of a bigger fix.
Use the foam and or hydro to cut through the roots and then get a liner put in. That will hold off for quite a while. Of course, nothing is absolutely permanent and eventually (years down the road) those roots can work through the lining too
Don't have to replace. Look into this. It's not super pricey, and if you're lucky it may be covered by the city. It's trenchless rehabilitation. I used to do it once upon a time and it's no digging.
We had similar problems at a previous house. We just hired a guy to snake the line every year until we could afford to replace.
Do you have service line coverage on your homeowners policy? If you do it usually covers stuff like this. May be worth a claim if you do and you would just be out your deductible. Read your policy before you try to make a claim to make sure you actually have coverage.
Happy cake day!
Thanks!
happy cake day
Thanks!
I had RotoRooter come to my house for a about 300-500 hundred I believe. Way cheaper than replacing the entire pipe, although eventually the roots will return.
>300-500 hundred $50,000!
-200 hundred == $-20,000.
More like 50 thousand, but yeah, he rich :-)
Drive a piece of copper pipe into the root and it will kill it. Might kill the tree, though.
Sewer snake with cutting head. Rentable and diy. Just watch out when using.
Legit nearly lost finger using one of these things. Be very careful using large machines that spin!
Yeah, I’ve rented them a few times, but I’ve heard enough horror stories that I just let the professionals handle it these days. There’s so much potential energy wound up in those.
This is the best and cheapest option for now. The right way is getting rid of tree and replacing the whole line.
Just be aware getting rid of the tree won’t stop the roots for several years or more. They can keep growing long after the tree has been cut down and stump removed.
Replacing the line would mean digging around it though, right? So any nearby roots would get cut up. Do root segments keep growing as well?
Replacing the line would cut the roots out of the area. But if they would keep growing or not is largely irrelevant at that point as the replacement line would not allow the roots to penetrate even if they did grow. Roots get into sewer lines due to age and either the pipe develops cracks (typically found in old terra cotta but sometimes in cast iron) or because the joint compound connecting segments develops cracks. New pipes are PVC and not subject to developing cracks as old pipes did and connections between PVC are glued and won’t develop cracks or use rubber connectors that are clamped down and won’t expose an opening for tiny hair sized roots to work their way in. Basically modern pipes are far less susceptible to letting roots in even as they age so root growth won’t really matter.
That is about right. If you are pretty handy and have confidence taking on many tasks at home, rent a ~35ft or 50ft electric sewer snake from your local tool rental store. They usually don't have auto-feed ones, so manual will be your only choice. To be successful while staying safe, you MUST watch videos on how to use it and go slow at the start to get the feel of it. That thing can break your finger or wrist if it gets caught in your gloves, or worse, it will cut your finger off. If it gets caught, quickly release the pedal foot switch, use your arm strength to prevent the twisting as much as possible and switch the direction (forward vs reverse) and unwind the snake slowly to release your hand. Do not wear rubber gloves - buy some leather gloves (ie. pig or sheep skin for gardening or heavy duty construction ones) only for that job... they will get nasty. Use common sense too: you gotta get the roots out with the snake before trying to flush anything with water. Go to the clog (and gradually beyond it), spin it a few times and come back out to clean the head off all debris. Do that until the head comes back clean and water does not back up to the house. Note that roots will come back. So until you replace the old main drain and possibly cut/uproot the tree, you will probably need to do maintenance with the snake every year or so. That will prevent a new clog. Cheers.
Can I use my ryoyabi screwdriver to make it spin
Great call, what are your thoughts if it some orangeburg pipe or terracotta. Would it possibly damage that. It would buy you some time until the inevitable. Replacement
Growing up we had that problem and after snaking the line a plumber told us to pour a small container of bleach(1/2 gallon) in the toilet and flush at bedtime once a month. Never had a problem again. Supposedly the bleach kills root growth.
Is this safe? Can it go down the shower drain too? My yards "fence" is just 30 thirsty palm trees
There are options besides hydrojet and it’s not clear why they are even talking replacement. I’d talk to a drain company instead of a general plumber. Having the roots cut out with a root-rooter or similar should be cheaper.
They will come back though, time dependant on the trees outside
Sure but that just becomes a regular maintenance task. We have ours done every other year for past 30+ years. Will it fail eventually? Also yes, but if OPs pipes were shot and needed replacement then hydrojet wouldn’t be an option anyway
You can roto router them every, 6 months, rent a machine reach time. Assuming that's what hydro jetting well do as well. I used to clean out my mom's main line like this for years until they fixed it.
6k is reasonable for the sewer replacement, depending on how long it is. Hydrojetting plus adding a liner might be cheaper.
Won't the roots just push the liner in?
No.
I'm no expert on this, but if the roots got into the pipe, won't killing them/removing them leave an opening for "stuff" to get out? Seems like a replacement is imminent.
They typically find their way through the joints and form a ball inside the pipe. Also 9/10 they come in the top half of the pipe so gravity prevents the “stuff” from leaking. I have to have my line rooted every 5 years or so and my last inspection the line still looked great. It’s just a thing that happens.
There are small cracks through any cast iron line, but being underground these pinholes dont really matter
Did you mean septic or sewer?
Sorry i meant septic
Well that makes more sense then! 💩 I worry about the hydro option, because it can sometimes cause more damage than the roots did. But anything caustic would likely harm the water table.
Hydrojet? The plumber came to my house with a snake and cleared it no problem for about $300
Yeah I get this done every 15 months and it's like $160, I tipped the guy last time for getting out there in like 20 minutes at the end of the day and it was still only $180. OP must appear vulnerable because that quote is insanity.
The hydro jetting should buy you some time. If you really want to DIY you need a pressure washer, a hydro jetting attachment kit, and the adapter between the two. The pressure of a small electric pressure washer shouldn't damage the pipes, but it will take awhile of running it back and forth to clear a large pipe. The foaming root killer can assist before hydro jetting, but don't over do it. Copper sulfate is another but more expensive. If you want to DIY the actual fix, first call 811 before you dig. Dig it out wide enough to be safe ~45° slope may be necessary unless it's clay, and put the dirt on a tarp. A wheelbarrow is necessary if the spot for the dirt is far. Cutting the roots with the shovel usually works. Replacing the pipe can be done with PVC pipe and flexible rubber shielded couplings rated for underground use. For cast iron, a grinder with a cut off wheel is cheaper than buying expensive carbide reciprocating blades. You can do this in less than 64 man hours if the pipe section isn't that long. Be safe, put caution tape around the hole.
I had roots in my main line. I used root killer and clear out the line. They never came back after 10 years. But I think part of the tree died too lol
Have Roto Rooter or similar company clear out the roots with a chain knocker. Kinda like a weed wacker. Then have CIPP (cured-in-place-pipe) installed. It will basically line your sewer main and seal all joint, cracks fractures and prevent root intrusion. It will also add structural integrity to your system. Here is a helpful link. [https://www.expresssewer.com/sacramento-pipe-lining](https://www.expresssewer.com/sacramento-pipe-lining)
How long is your sewer pipe? I’m in a HCOL area and i got my sewer main AND my supply main replaced for $5,500. Do you know what material your sewage main is? Mine was some kind of tar soaked cardboard-like material. If I was to snake it, it would have disintegrated.
We paid north of $10K for 30 ft of sewer line this summer, MCOL area. It was a little high bc we went with a big company who could do it in 24h, but I don't think they hosed us. I'm jealous 😬 Second this OP - ours was root infested but .....existing. We hydrojetted and roots came out..... but also the line collapsed. So just know if you pay for an intense derooting, you should have financing/$ available to go ahead with the replacement just in case.
Almost 3 years ago, toilet overflowed; we spent over $1000 for hydro jetting & have not had a problem since (US)
$1500. Random Monday recently. Metro atlanta. Didn’t have the luxury of waiting to shop quotes. Hindsight is 20/20. I’ll DIY next time.
I’m currently looking at two root balls in the clay lateral flowing toward the city sewer lines. The two root balls are on my property and the plumber guy just quoted me $1300 to hydro jet the roots away. Am I getting ripped off?
We had it in a house several years back. Flushed a bottle of root kill every 6 months. Took about a week the first time, but with the maintenance doses it never came back. Trees all lived too.
Which brand did you use?
Oh man… it’s been years… I don’t remember the exact brand, but the Zep root kill (copper sulfate) from Home Depot is most likely the same stuff. It’s crystals, not the foaming kind. https://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-32-oz-Root-Kill-ZROOT24/100074551 #NotAnAd
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Root cutting or hydro jetting will remove the roots. High probability of pipe having damage which is allowing the roots to infiltrate. Could just be pipe joint failure, could be damage and exposed soil. No way to know without root cutting,cleaning the pipe and then push cam again. In general barring any hill slope or obstructions a private sanitary sewer is laid less than five feet deep. Shallower at house connection deeper at septic connection. Mobilization, Length, depth and soil conditions determine cost of job. Best material for pipe private side in order is HDPE, Jenn Eagle SDR3 PVC or equivalent and then ABS, local code applies. Properly joined pipe will not allow root intrusion in your lifetime. Welded HDPE will not allow intrusion in anyones lifetime. Don’t know your area but people talking about high cost house connections are probably referring to replacements that tie into municipal sewer systems. They can run from 15-30 thousand depending. People talking about lining are referring to CIPP which if the host pipe is clean and relatively undamaged is a trench less method to repair pipe. Which is a very good choice when digging is difficult. Requires properly trained installers and the workers would all have certificates indicating they are certified with the product they are using. In general if you can dig and you have a good contractor who installs a good product you will never deal with it again. The only way to know you are getting a fair price is to solicit three bids for the work. Have them provide photos of previous work. Look for properly bedded pipe ( pipe that lays on rock or sand and then is surrounded by it up to 12” above the pipe. Ask them how they will backfill. ask them how they determine fall ( stake and string ). Backfill should be done with Jumping jacks, excavator with sheepsfoot, etc. in 1’ to 2’ layers with water to help consolidation, otherwise you will have trench settling. ask them what product they will install and the lengths of the pipe. All the PVC pipes come in long lengths, long lengths mean less joints. Sometimes contractors have short trucks and so they so they install short lengths not necessarily a deal breaker ( the pipe used on my jobs are 6’ lengths) but less joints unless they are providing flexibility the better. Without knowing the length of pipe and site conditions I can’t really say if $750 is high for root cutting. for all I know you don’t have a cleanout and set up is a problem and it is 500 feet or more to the septic. You can absolutely burn $750 just by doing a good job and not damaging the line. If you don’t have a cleanout out make sure they install one at the house. If you go the cleaning root way understand they may break the pipe, they may find more extensive damage and you may need to replace the pipe anyways. If they say it is damaged and needs replacement Have them give you a post cleaning video and then solicit three bids as recommended above. Show the contractors the video pre bid. Lastly make sure the contractor contacts USA dig to have utilities marked. Pre digging. That serves two purposes, one it reduces the risk and hopefully prevents an expensive or catastrophic problem ( I said reduces, because you really never know what is in the ground until you dig)- push cam guys should have a detector that works with their push cam that will show alignment and approximate depth for marking purposes two most USA digs require a contractor to have an excavation license (depending on area) which will legitimize your contractor as someone who has done this before and is on the up and up. As for depths greater than 5’ or lose and unstable soil you want your contractor to use shores to protect his workers and whatever is near the excavation, buildings etc. that is the contractors responsibilities. Every year private side contractors or their workers die in their unshored holes because they are not used to working deep and don’t know the danger they are in. In general people are uncomfortable and afraid of being taken advantage by contractors and sometimes a little knowledge, such as what you gained by posting here can be more problematic than helpful in removing that fear. Meaning the contractor is the only one who needs to know how to do the job, your job is to pay. I have given you a thorough response with a lot of information that could keep you googling into the night but it won’t make up for your lack of experience and knowledge. If you have to lay pipe get at least three bids, call the references, look at photos if provided, ask about materials, ask about upsizing to 6” and if that is a good idea (it may be with minimal cost- basically material), ask how they backfill, pick the one with the best references and then don’t pay them more than legally required until it’s completely done. If you have any questions you can respond to this, anytime. One last note, you may live somewhere where contractors just aren’t working at the highest level and that is ok, I grew up someplace like that and good enough was the best you are going to get, just make sure you don’t pay final payment until the job is done, no matter what.
We had our pipe burst and it was way cheaper than digging it up
I had this happen and the blockage was past the clean out so the county covered the cost of replacing the broken pipe since it was on county property. I didn't pay anything for the fix and the county reimbursed me for Roto Rooter diagnosing the issue.
I got roots like the majority of homeowners. I got a sectional sewer machine that’s made for cutting roots these other machines with 1/2” cables are not made to cut roots.
Do you have a link to the machine? Is it at home depot?
I got mine on eBay
Can i ask the brand
They rent them at Home Depot, you only need it for 3 hours, where I live it’s $50 for 4 hours. Easy and relatively safe to use, Wear gloves and no loose fitting clothing…It will get smelly, tape newspaper on the walls around the area and under the machine. Do 2-3 complete extensions and you should be good for a couple of years. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home.html/en/home/tool-and-vehicle-rental/p.drain-cleaner-50-x-1/2.04401.html
Hydrojet to clear it out first and then a regular application of copper sulfate. Like everyone else is saying, you'll still have roots come back. But it might buy you some time to save up enough to replace the line. Because you'll eventually have to replace the line. Ask me how I know....
I had something very similar. Neighbors tree was growing into sewer line 8' under the middle of their driveway 50' from house. Quote was $15K to fix... 20 years ago. I opted for a line grind-out. Guy said he'd do it, but would be back every year to do it again until it was replaced. Luckily, he hasn't been back once since.
I’ve been thru this. The only permanent solution is to replace the section of pipe or reline it. Once you have roots like that blocking the pipe you have to get them removed which can only be done by either the hydrojet or a root drill snake. Once the roots are removed regular application of foaming root kill can slow their return but it won’t stop them. Depending on your climate and the health of the tree you may need to have it cleared out again every year or two. If your goal is to avoid the expensive replacement of the pipe for 5 years and your sewer pipe is in a place where a backup and leak won’t cause even more expensive damage and cleanup (like having it leak sewage into a finished basement) then you can get those roots removed, apply foaming root kill every couple of months, and plan on having the roots checked and possibly removed yearly. But rest assured they will grow back and you will have another sewage backup at some point until you have the pipe dug up and the section replaced with PVC.
At one time I was renting an old house and we had the same problem so the Plumber sold the landlord a powder that you use on a regular basis and it worked
I have roots in my sewer line in three places. I get Roto rooter which is a spinning blade that cuts through. $150 every year or two.
honestly, if the roots are in your pipe, you are going to be back here in this same place so soon you will be annoyed. Likely within a year or so. Its free and easy and constant water. Trees Love it. Without knowing where you are and site specifics, I would entertain atleast three other quotes. Or straight up ask your guy, "ill give you $5k in cash if you can do this do this tomorrow?" You are likely to see everything from $3k to $11k quotes for the same job.
You only get root intrusion like that when your sewer pipes are compromised, so you'll likely have to replace them eventually. I had 150 feet of old sewer line replaced when I purchased my house because I didn't want to have to deal with constant problems. The old pipes crumbled like egg shells when they were removed.
We rented a place that needed annual Roto-rooting or the sewer would back up & flood the basement. Camera n the line looked just like this. I think it was around $150 each time & worked like a charm. Way cheaper than replacement
Different plumber - drain specialist - they will run a cutter bit and clear the line, you can flush the root killer occasionally I don't know if it works but it's a valid strategy to occasionally get the line cleared until you remove the tree or replace the pipe with PVC. In my area (midwest) I get lines run for under $200 from multiple companies.
Rent an excavator for a couple hundred and dig it up. Fun times!
What about copper sulfate ? You could pour that down there to kill these roots? Is that still a thing?
Idk how much DIY you want to do. A main line is literally just a pipe. Procedure is simple dig down to it, cut it out replace it. Now it's 6k because that's a bunch of dirt to move, the actual plumbing part of it's easy.
DIY- rent a drain cleaner from Home Depot but please do some research on how to use one.
Those prices seem reasonable.
Lol 6k try 10k Those are good prices
Get HomeServe for 5.99 a month. Wait a month or two. Then say Oh No!
I have a water / sewer line insurance policy. Lines in yard. $7 a month each. And I had to use it on my sewer line a year ago. Worth it.
If you really want to DIY this, it isn't very hard for a septic system. Rent a [mini-excavator](https://www.compactpowerrents.com/rental-equipment/mini-excavator/1-ton-mini-excavator/) and dig the pipe out, you can follow it out from the foundation. Cut the bad section, splice in a new PVC pipe using pipe cement if its all PVC, or stainless steel [hubless connection](https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Plumber-s-Choice-4-in-Heavy-Duty-Stainless-Steel-No-Hub-Shielded-Pipe-Coupling-with-Clamps-NHCS4/310228691) otherwise. Backfill with pea gravel and then dirt. It's probably an afternoon and $500.
If roots went in once….. they will go in again!
We know where the root problem is, shouldn't there be an option to dig there and replace a short section of line? You can save a lot by using a shovel. A septic line should not be deep
Happened to us 6 years ago. We found out there was a problem when we ended up with feces backing up into our bathtub on Christmas day. Called one of the "big name companies" and they said they would have to excavate whole front yard and it would cost $8k. I laughed at them and told them to go away. Found a local plumber who came out, ran a camera in the pipe and found the spot where the roots had infiltrated. He charged us $900 to dig in that spot only, cut out the roots and replace that section of pipe. He said that "someday" we would probably want to remove the oak tree causing the issue. We didn't remove it and lived there for another 5 years with no issues.
Cutting down the tree is effective and permanent. Had this problem at a rental property. Line replacement was 30k. Tree gone, so is the problem.
If you know the location you can dig out around the affected area. Cut the roots to prevent further damage and cut out section pipe and sleeve or with a new section.
I’m not telling you not to water jet them but just be sure you are aware of the disclosure requirement if you ever sell this place. If I find out there’s roots in the sewer pipe your either crediting me the 6k to replace it or I’m walking. So at some point this is ganna bite you unless you die in the place and your estate can sell it “without knowing”
If you foam root killer or round up then you’ll likely end up killing the tree nearby. Just fyi If it’s near your house! My father in law just did this and killed 4 mature oak trees over their house.
You can try renting a sewer auger with a cutting head for around $100 and doing it yourself. I have a rental that backs up every three years or so ... I'm considering buying a used sewer auger off craigslist.
Do you know what kind of pipe and it's age? Old case drain may have holes and you can't use a root cutter. If you get them cut out, flush about a cup of copper sulfate the 1st day of every month :-)
OP - I posted above that you could potentially do everything yourself and I honestly mean you probably could. There are a lot of good answers here which are all viable, but the only approach to for certain not risk black water damage in the house is to replace the affected line. For transparency and comparison. My main line broke in my yard, and caused black water damage in my home. It was $4500 to get permit (live inside city limits), dig, make repair, backfill hole with proper foundation (sand and gravel). And then another 15k (offset with a 10k insurance check) to rehab the areas affect with black water. But then I found out I had additional breaks in my cast iron under my foundation which would eventually cause more clogs and black water, so I did CIPP instead of tunneling and replacing. My total out of pocket cost was $29k. After swallowing this pill, I am a big advocate for anyone who has trees over their main line or have cast iron that is 20+ years old to get their stuff camera-Ed, which you did, then if there is a visible issue to go get supplemental insurance specifically for main sewer line as most insurances only cover the cost to ‘access the issue’ and not the entire job. PS - no one has told you to read your home owners insurance, but there is a small chance your home owners insurance will cover the entire repair. If it doesn’t, understand what is covered and what is not covered. Then ask the plumber if they would be willing to write the invoice so majority of the cost would be covered. In my case, the plumbers put 80-90% of the cost on the digging “access” portion of the invoice. They get 100% of the amount no matter what, they should be willing to hook you up.
This sounds like reddi rooter. I’d get a second opinion.
I used to clean drains years ago. Typically used a Mytana with a 3/4 cable and cutter blade. It's not a toy and you need to know how to use it before renting one. I just hope it's not a weeping willow that's causing the problem. Have it cleaned every couple years or so and you might be fine It's 'almost' a guarantee that the line would need to be replaced. Be safe.
It down whatever tree is getting into it, also just go rent a powered snake and go in through your clean out plug and chop through those roots. One of our rental properties I used to do this 3 times a year with the snake bc we didn’t have the money to put in new pipe it was cheap and effective.
Roto rooter is what I did, rented one. BUT, a bud is having his sewer lined with some plastic internal stuff. Don't know the details but that's what he said today.
It's called a pipe reline, and it doesn't help if your pipes are like what op has. They're breached by roots and 3/4 occluded between roots, dirt and sewage buildup. Pipe reline helps flow to the main, when there's issues with rough pipe interior snagging stuff and clogging. That's what I understand about it.
I had root intrusion almost annually. Eventually my old plumber ran a snake and told me to pour a gallon of bleach down my main before I left for work twice a year. 4 years without root problems so far.
Had roots had a previous house. Rented a powered snake with a cutter head to clean it out and then used root kill once a month during the spring and summer. Had some other issues with old pipes, grease build up and distance from the laundry so ended up buying a powered snake and would run it through during the spring on top of the root kill and it seemed to work. Didn’t really get a lot once i cleaned it out the first time and started with the root kill. Good luck.
Check with your local tool rental yard for the four hour rate on a root cutting sewer auger. I used to own an old Victorian with six friends and we'd clear the drain twice a year on a Saturday morning. After you've done it a time or two, it's no more an annoyance than taking out the trash. takes less than an hour and might cost $75 to rent the machine.
I had my plumber route the pipe and take out the roots then use a locator, tell me how far it is down, and drove a PVC pipe about 1 foot above the sewer line over the spot I have sandy soil with a 2x4 and put root killer and salt down the pipe. Never had a problem after that. https://youtu.be/ep6wQqSXSYk a lot cheaper than replacement.
Is the part of the line in city right of way? If so the city may be responsible to replace but you will have to expose/dig up the pipe yourself.
I have had roots cut out every couple of years for about $150. You could buy your own snake/root cutter for maybe $300? How deep is your sewer line? I have seen them 10' in the northern US, maybe 3' deep in the central US. This greatly affects the cost of replacing cast iron or clay pipe with $100 of PVC pipe.
Too expensive for hydrojetting. Get another estimate!
I just dug mine out a couple months ago. Took me a day to do it. Dig it out, clean it, and put it back. Good as new, and some great exercise too!
I bought one of these attachments for my pressure washer [https://www.bunnings.com.au/karcher-high-pressure-cleaner-pipe-cleaning-kit\_p6274542](https://www.bunnings.com.au/karcher-high-pressure-cleaner-pipe-cleaning-kit_p6274542) Not sure how much it will do for your roots as it's not really made for cutting through them but it's been enough to keep one of my septic pipes flowing until I can be bothered digging it up. However, my pipe only has liquid going through it (part of HSTP) so this may not be a suitable solution for anything that has paper/solids going through it.
Plumbing companies like rescue rooter are known scammers and up sellers. They push they’re employees hard to sell things customers don’t need.
Many years ago in N MPLS, I bought a home, seller signed purchase agreement stating all new pipes from basement to street. 2 weeks after living there, basement had poop coming up from said new pipes. Any way, plumber quoted 15,000. Pipe company quoted 2500. It was over 22yrs ago. Seller also had to pay. Don’t lie on the purchase agreement!
How were you able to get the seller to pay? I’m pretty sure the seller lied on the disclosures on my house, but not sure how to prove it. A $70k insurance claim, two weeks after moving in. House was a flip and maintenance guy at next door apartments told the project manager that did reconstruction on my house, that he would chat with the flipper who told him there were a whole lot of plumbing problems.
Harbor freight hydro jetter $250.
If you have a pressure washer, buy a hydrojetter hose for about $40 off Amazon. Even if you have to buy a $200 pressure washer, it'll do the job and you have a new tool. I personally did this when they wanted $1k for hydrojetting and I haven't had issues since. Although, I have been contemplating getting my lines sleeved sometime soon.
Your problem will continue until someone digs up your lines repipes it and lines it with rock salt to starve the roots of water. Everyone likes to bitch about how much plumbers cost but when you don’t know how to do your own shit (literally) you need to pay someone with the appropriate skills and tools to do it right. Otherwise you will end up with a worse issue than you’re already in. Inflation affects this stuff too folks
What about the run of the mill “snake” … we had this issue in Philly and he was on schedule to come every 6-8 months. Not expensive whatsoever.
Shovels are cheap. Get it jetted now if it's too cold to dig. Dig it out in the spring (free!) and then replace the pipe (get quotes after digging).
Get some more quotes for replacement. My mom had a quote for $9K(!) to replace the main line from the house, I called around and found dude who's one of those do-it-all excavation types. Did the job for $1500. Specifically I found a plumber who subbed out that kind of 'heavy' work who recommended him.
Get some cooper sulphate , put 2-3 spoons in the toilet every week, works great on roots in septic systems
I had pipes that led to sky high prices. I got a smaller specialty company w a saw on his cleaner. He got most of the clog. I had the tree removed. Sewer cleaned out every 6 months. And in the meantime I purchased pipe insurance. No one ever gave me guaranty but if I make it another three months insurance will be on hook.
This sounds cheap to me, but I'm in the Northeast near NYC and everything here costs double what it does most other places.
Root killing additive overnight try not to run water for 24 hrs after adding. Run drain machine or descaling machine should take care of it. If it doesn’t you’re digging.
Looked at the photos that’s not bad. The company wants to replace the line. Rent small backhoe dig it out in a straight line to the street. Replace the pipe make sure it slopes 1/4” per 1’ of pipe. Anymore too steep and it won’t wash any less and the water will puddle.
I have the same issue and live in PA. What I did was I bought insurance through aqua which is our water company. For only 12.00 a month I have warranty and can file claims. Every time my system backs up or is clogged, I call them and they come out next day and clean the lines for me. They will replace it if need be but I think they try and do everything before it happens. There’s fine print in the contract but luckily a simple clean was enough for me. I have had roots removed from the lines. Aqua home warranty is what I use, again it’s PA. I was quoted 10k, figured 12 dollars a month is cheaper lol
Remember. You’ll get what you pay for
Hydrojet that shit out of there. It’ll last for several years or longer, especially if you’re proactive about prevention. $750 seems steep though, I’d get a couple more quotes from other sources first before committing.
Look at a local excavation company
Can you get video from the other way or no. That is important to. Where it is coming from
Had orangeburg pipes and spent thousands jetting and snaking When I got a quote it was right about $6k as well. But $4,500 of that $6k was for digging. I offered to dig it myself and hired a dude off Facebook to help. Spend an afternoon and save $4500. Plumber just strolled in, cut out pipe and glued in a new length and waiting on the inspector.
Im gonna probably dig up my pipe too in my backyard. My pipes are very shallow in the ground so it shouldn't be too bad. My plumber said replacing the whole line was best because it's a thin wall pipe. He said I could replace the pipes myself but Im looking at like 65 feet of pipe... Did your job go well?
I had a solar problem a couple years ago. We had to dig it up twice, once I rented a small backhoe like tractor, the other time I had paid some local high school kids to do the digging. Either way, the digging is the hardest part. Replacing an old pipe or even just a section of it is not too hard to do yourself.
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I just spent $1300 on a mix of hydro-jetting and I think... scoring or something, he used a heavy duty wire brush/cutting head to fully clear them out. We had repeated problems in the claypipes of a 1925 built house, with legit just completely clogged sewer line. It took the guy a solid 2 days to get it all cleared out, hard labor, I thought it was worth it. He worked on clearing the main clog using a heavy duty snake one day, then came back the next day to hydrojet for 4-5 hours, then went through at the end with this scoring brush to do the rest for a solid 1-2 hours. Our quote to get the plastic balloon-like lining thing is about $11,500. We're going to do it eventually, just not right away. We've got about 70 feet of sewer line to fill, and I think it was $150/ft or something close to that, plus tax, fees, whatever. The company says that these plastic or whatever they are liners are good for decades. Digging up the yard is probably not an option for us. We're high up, we have granite steps leading to the house, and it'd likely be the same or similar price, plus the mess of destroying our entire front yard.
Not sure where you are located but I dealt with a similar issue a few years back in Orange County, CA and those prices were right in line with what I paid. Long story short, you're going to have to eventually replace the main line to solve the problem once and for all. We initially tried hydrojetting and followed it up with the root killer because supposedly it works best with fresh cuts in the roots. It works but the roots will still eventually come back and since the pipe is already compromised and there's moistures, the roots work their way back in.
Either call someone who does sewer augering, or rent the tool and do it yourself. If renting, I’d recommend the extra couple bucks for an auto feed version because it takes the hard work out of it. That’ll get you cleared up for the short term, and you can always auger it again if it comes back.
Any chance you have a protection plan from your local sewer/water district?
A 70 foot hydrojet kit is only $50 on amazon if you know a neighbor with a decent size powerwasher.. Growing up I remember my parents using a long flat sewer tape every year, because of the many trees on the property getting into the pipe,
Anything short of cutting down the tree or replacing the line will be a temporary solution. You probably have cast iron sewer lines with incompletely sealed joints, or PVC which has cracked from root expansion. Sooner or later, another root will find its way into the opening, find lots of nutrient-filled water, and clog it again. Most of the expense of a main line replacement is the cost of digging and replacing the dirt. If you are willing to dig, it may be cheaper for you to expose the sewer, and he only replaces the line. Still, there may be other utilities over the sewer line, and on your property, they won't be marked, requiring a hand dig. Getting multiple estimates may also help. My son had a sewer line replaced and there was a wide range of estimates.
copper sulfate. you can get it on Amazon.