Commercial Sewer Lateral Repair in Phoenix

A lateral is the pipe that carries a building's waste from the building drain to the public sewer main. When it fails, the warning is repeated stoppages that jetting fixes for a short time, slow drains on every fixture at once, sewage backing up at the lowest drain, a sewer smell, or a wet or sunken spot over the line. A camera inspection settles the cause: roots in a joint, a crack, a belly that holds water, a collapse, or a disconnected fitting. Our pages on sewer camera inspection and how to find and read a commercial camera report explain what the footage shows. Do not buy a replacement before the camera shows where the break is.

It varies by city, and the difference can decide the whole bid. Scottsdale's code says the lateral is private up to and including the tap on the public main, and for commercial and non-residential properties the owner or property management association pays for cleaning, repair and replacement all the way to that connection. Chandler is similar: the owner repairs everything down to the city tap, including pipe under the city right-of-way, and only a single-family or duplex property gets a city repair in a street or alley. Glendale and Mesa split it differently. In Glendale, if the repair requires excavating a street, right-of-way or sidewalk, the city does that work at no cost. In Mesa, the Water Resources Department repairs a broken section off-property in a street or alley when it is needed to correct a stoppage. Surprise puts it on the user and requires the contractor to pull a repair permit and an encroachment permit.

Phoenix's published lateral ownership section addresses single-family and duplex properties, so a commercial owner in Phoenix should get the city's answer in writing before assuming; see Phoenix sewer line ownership and our comparison of sewer line ownership by city. When you manage a multifamily building or an HOA, remember the code speaks of the account holder or management association, not the individual tenant.

The camera and locate decide, and the answer is not always a trench. Open-cut excavation works on every pipe: the crew digs, removes the failed section, sets new pipe on a proper bed, backfills and restores the surface. It is the right method for a collapse, an offset joint or a short repair. Trenchless methods work through small pits instead of one long trench. EPA's fact sheet says pipe bursting replaces the old pipe in place, can up-size it, and has limits: expansive soils, nearby service lines and a collapsed pipe can cause difficulty. Lining suits a pipe that is still mostly intact. See pipe bursting versus pipe lining and relining the whole line, part of it or nothing. Older materials have their own issues; see Orangeburg pipe on camera.

A locate, then the permits, then a protected trench. Arizona law requires determining where underground facilities are before excavating in a street, alley or easement, and the markings last fifteen working days. In the right-of-way, expect an encroachment or right-of-way permit; Surprise's code says so directly. Under OSHA's excavation rule, workers in a trench need a protective system unless the trench is in stable rock or under 5 feet with no sign of cave-in, so ask the contractor how the trench will be shielded. Keep occupants and parked cars away from the trench; our guide to trench safety coordination for property owners lists what to settle first. After the repair, the new section is tested, and the city inspects where required.

If the problem is a clog or grease, cleaning is the answer, not excavation; see commercial drain cleaning. If the camera shows the line is sound but the main in the street is surcharging, the problem is the city's, and a backwater valve is the owner's protection. If the damage is in the street and your city handles that piece, call the city rather than hiring a repair. And if you are buying or leasing the property, a camera run before closing is a better deal than finding the break afterward; see camera inspection before buying or leasing.

HQ repairs and replaces commercial sewer laterals, with free estimates, upfront pricing before work starts and 24/7 emergency service for backups. Send us the address, the city, any camera video and the as-built drawings. Related: sewer repair, commercial plumbing and property management plumbing.