Sewer Line Replacement in Chevy Chase, MD

Signs an older line is finished

• Roots have to be cut from the main line every year or so
• Basement floor drains back up during heavy water use
• Sewage odor in the basement or near the front walk
• Camera footage shows cracking, scale or missing pipe at more than one spot

Chevy Chase housing and approvals

Chevy Chase began as an 1890s streetcar suburb along Connecticut Avenue, built by the Chevy Chase Land Company. In ZIP 20815, about two-thirds of homes were built before 1980, and more than 2,600 date from 1939 or earlier. Sewer laterals that old are usually clay or cast iron, and the mature trees on these streets have had a century to work into the joints.

WSSC Water provides sewer service, and only WSSC-registered master plumbers can apply for plumbing permits. Chevy Chase is a patchwork: an unincorporated area plus several separately incorporated towns and villages. The Town of Chevy Chase, for example, issues its own permits for driveway, wall and right-of-way work and won't approve them until the Montgomery County permit is issued. Other villages may have their own rules, so ask the plumber to check with yours before digging under a driveway or the front walk.

Cost drivers

• Run length and depth from the basement wall to the public connection
• Bursting or lining through the old path versus open excavation
• Old trees, stone walls, brick walks and slate patios on the route
• Town or village permits for work in the yard or right-of-way
• Replacing old cast iron drain pipe inside the house at the same time

What happens when you call

You'll be put through to an independent local plumber who handles sewer replacement in Chevy Chase. The plumber typically runs a camera, marks the route, explains the options and gives you a price. Plumber Washington DC Pros only makes the connection. Ask who will handle the WSSC permit and any town or village approvals so the job isn't held up once the crew is ready. If the old line is backing up now, the plumber can usually clear it first so the house stays usable while the paperwork moves. Keep the camera footage; it documents the condition of the line if questions come up later.