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Sewer line repairs can be a costly nightmare; read this horror story and take note of some tips to make sure this does not happen to you
Sewer lines are something we don’t really think about until there is a problem, and the lines back up, usually on Thanksgiving or when we are on vacation! Sewer lines in old house are made of clay or concrete and they do not last forever, but there are measures a homeowner can take to keep an old line in good shape.
Recently a seller of mine ended up spending a great deal of money on a sewer line repair.
She had a huge Yew tree right next to her deck. It was not even on her property but because her sewer line ran right under it and connected with the neighbors, it was her responsibility to maintain that section of line. She mentioned that she had had issues years ago, but once the line had been roto- rooted she had not had any other problems.
When the buyer had a sewer scope the line was blocked, right under the Yew tree, so a company was hired to clear the line. They were able to clear it some, but the line was obviously broken, and they could not go very far. A day later the next- door neighbor had sewage coming into their semi-finished basement which resulted in the threat of a law suit!
My poor client! As if the broken line and the cost wasn’t stressful enough, let alone this threat!
Luckily, we were able resolve the issue, as given the fact the line was already broken, they realized it could have happened at some point anyway
As my client owned the first section of line, she had to pay for the full repair on that part of the line, plus half of a second repair on the next door neighbor’s property, and she would have had to pay another 1/3 if the line on the third home’s property was broken, but luckily it was ok. If you share a line and you are at the beginning, you end up bearing the brunt of the costs!
However, a lot of this could have been avoided had the Yew been removed, or at least the line treated with Rootx, a biodegradable product that kills roots intruding into the line.
It is wise to have your sewer line scoped every couple of years to make sure it is clear of roots and and also to use Rootx. You can also insure your sewer line and water line through the National Water Company in Washington State; they cover up to $10,000 of repairs on a sewer line. Your homeowner’s insurance will not cover these lines.
If you are not sure whether you have a shared line, you can check that out on the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections website and look for “sewer card.”
Being pro-active can save you a lot of money!
