Sewer Line Replacement in Arlington, VA

Clues that the line is finished, not just clogged

• The main drain has been cleared two or three times in a year and keeps plugging
• Dirty water rises at the basement floor drain when the washer empties
• A camera report lists defects at several points instead of one
• Pieces of clay tile or rust flakes come back on the cleaning cable
• A damp, sunken strip in the front yard follows the path of the pipe

One broken joint on sound pipe is a repair. When the damage is spread along the run, each patch leaves old pipe beside it that is ready to fail next, and full replacement starts to cost less over time.

What makes Arlington lines different

Arlington sits about five miles from downtown Washington and is fully built out, with Metro-corridor towers in Rosslyn, Clarendon and Ballston and older single-family streets around them. The median home dates to 1976, and plenty of blocks predate that. Laterals from the mid-1900s are often clay tile or cast iron. Clay joints let roots in, and cast iron thins and scales from the inside until it splits along the bottom.

The County treats wastewater at its Water Pollution Control Plant, but the pipe from your foundation to the County sewer is yours. Condo owners should check the association documents first, since a shared building sewer is usually common property. Replacement work needs a plumbing permit through Arlington County's building and inspections program, applied for in the Permit Arlington portal.

What moves the price

• Length and depth of the run from the house to the street connection
• Whether the old pipe can be burst or lined in place or must be dug out
• Steps, retaining walls, mature trees or a shared driveway over the route
• Narrow side yards and street parking that limit equipment
• Any cast iron under the basement slab that also needs replacing
• Permit and inspection time

What happens when you call

Your call goes to an independent local plumber who works in Arlington. Expect a camera run through a cleanout or a pulled toilet so the plumber can see the material, measure depth and locate each defect. Ask for the recording and for the route to be marked on the ground. With that in hand you can weigh trenchless replacement against digging, and ask who pulls the permit and when the County inspection falls.