How Much Does Sanitary Sewer Line Repair Cost?

by Matt Schmitz
fix pipe

Bad news first: Your sanitary sewer line needs to be repaired — and, on average, that’s gonna cost you about nine times more than if your pipes merely needed simple maintenance. Now the good news: You’ve ripped the Band-Aid off and absorbed the shock, so all that’s left to do is call a pro for help, and we’re gonna help you plan to cover the cost.

This May Also Interest You: How Much Does It Cost to Repair or Replace a Water Service Line?

Project costs range widely depending on a number of variables. Factors influencing the cost of a sewer repair can include: whether your pipes are PVC, concrete, cast iron, clay or some other material; how your chosen contractor performs the inspection to determine what needs to be done; whether the pipe must be replaced or can simply be patched; whether excavation work is required and how extensive that is; the depth of your home’s sewer pipes where the repair is needed; the type and condition of your property’s soil; the region you live in and the type of lay of the land; and whether additional work will be needed to restore your property to its original condition.

If you lucked out and the damage to your sewer line is minor, you may be eligible for a trenchless repair, which involves breaking the pipe, removing it and sliding a new one into place, or possibly by inserting and inflating a new lining within the existing pipe. If not, root removal, as well as needing to tear up a concrete slab, sidewalk, curb, driveway or landscaping feature to access the pipe, could add hundreds of dollars more in per-foot expenses versus a trenchless repair. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a sewer camera inspection performed in order to determine the scope of work before finalizing an agreement with your contractor.

This Stinks! How Did It Happen?

As opposed to your water service line, which carries fresh water to your house, and storm sewer, which channels rainwater away from your house, your sanitary sewer line gets rid of contaminated water. As defined by Michigan State University: “The sanitary sewer is a system of underground pipes that carries sewage from bathrooms, sinks, kitchens, and other plumbing components to a wastewater treatment plant where it is filtered, treated and discharged.”

Professionals recommend homeowners have their sewer pipes serviced at least every few years — and at least every couple of years for large households with several residents creating a lot of sewage waste — to keep them free of clogs and potential backups. But even if you commit to a regular maintenance schedule, the ground could shift, pipes might separate or crack, roots may encroach or any number of other issues could cause trouble. That means you need to be on the lookout for possible signals that something’s wrong, such as a gurgling toilet and foul odor in your bathroom, slow draining, puddles in your yard, as well as notably green patches where sewage has disproportionately fertilized the grass.

OK, What’s the Damage?

To give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for sanitary sewer line repair, HomeServe has calculated the average costs, both nationally and state by state, for comparison. In order to determine what’s wrong with your system, you’ll have to call someone out to diagnose the problem, which comes with its own cost. We’ve calculated that average, as well.

For a broader look at sanitary sewer line expenses, check out our cost guide covering pricing averages for both maintenance and repair, state by state. And for a deeper dive into what factors into how much you’ll pay to get your sewer line cleaned out, go to our state-by-state maintenance cost guide.

Below, you’ll find the average costs for sanitary sewer line repair in your state. All figures are based on aggregated HomeServe data reported by our network of thousands of contractors across the nation. Where insufficient data was available to determine a verifiable average, we’ve noted so.

(At the time of publication, pandemic-precipitated materials shortages were impacting home maintenance, repair and construction sectors across the board; price fluctuations caused by those supply-chain issues are not necessarily reflected here.)

Nationwide

  • Diagnosis: $83 (CAD 106)
  • Repair: $3,708 (CAD 4,726)

State by State

1. Alabama

  • Diagnosis: $85 (CAD 108)
  • Repair: $3,444 (CAD 4,390)

2. Alaska

  • Diagnosis: Insufficient data
  • Repair: Insufficient data

3. Arizona

  • Diagnosis: $75 (CAD 96)
  • Repair: $3,676 (CAD 4,686)

4. Arkansas

  • Diagnosis: $77 (CAD 98)
  • Repair: $3,434 (CAD 4,378)

5. California

  • Diagnosis: $67 (CAD 85)
  • Repair: $3,313 (CAD 4,224)

6. Colorado

  • Diagnosis: $99 (CAD 126)
  • Repair: $4,867 (CAD 6,205)

7. Connecticut

  • Diagnosis: $69 (CAD 88)
  • Repair: $1,301 (CAD 1,658)

8. Delaware

  • Diagnosis: $69 (CAD 88)
  • Repair: $4,936 (CAD 6,292)

9. District of Columbia

  • Diagnosis: $80 (CAD 102)
  • Repair: $2,666 (CAD 3,399)

10. Florida

  • Diagnosis: $103 (CAD 131)
  • Repair: $3,243 (CAD 4,134)

11. Georgia

  • Diagnosis: $97 (CAD 124)
  • Repair: $3,488 (CAD 4,447)

12. Hawaii

  • Diagnosis: Insufficient data
  • Repair: Insufficient data

13. Idaho

  • Diagnosis: $66 (CAD 84)
  • Repair: $2,408 (CAD 3,070)

14. Illinois

  • Diagnosis: $71 (CAD 91)
  • Repair: $4,402 (CAD 5,612)

15. Indiana

  • Diagnosis: $77 (CAD 98)
  • Repair: $4,161 (CAD 5,304)

16. Iowa

  • Diagnosis: $87 (CAD 111)
  • Repair: $5,460 (CAD 6,960)

17. Kansas

  • Diagnosis: $85 (CAD 108)
  • Repair: $3,296 (CAD 4,202)

18. Kentucky

  • Diagnosis: $85 (CAD 108)
  • Repair: $2,748 (CAD 3,503)

19. Louisiana

  • Diagnosis: $84 (CAD 107)
  • Repair: $2,613 (CAD 3,331)

20. Maine

  • Diagnosis: $95 (CAD 121)
  • Repair: $5,997 (CAD 7,645)

21. Maryland

  • Diagnosis: $87 (CAD 111)
  • Repair: $4,459 (CAD 5,684)

22. Massachusetts

  • Diagnosis: $88 (CAD 112)
  • Repair: $1,948 (CAD 2,483)

23. Michigan

  • Diagnosis: $106 (CAD 135)
  • Repair: $4,758 (CAD 6,065)

24. Minnesota

  • Diagnosis: $99 (CAD 126)
  • Repair: $6,757 (CAD 8,613)

25. Mississippi

  • Diagnosis: $90 (CAD 115)
  • Repair: $2,569 (CAD 3,275)

26. Missouri

  • Diagnosis: $85 (CAD 108)
  • Repair: $4,142 (CAD 5,281)

27. Montana

  • Diagnosis: $102 (CAD 130)
  • Repair: $5,376 (CAD 6,855)

28. Nebraska

  • Diagnosis: $70 (CAD 89)
  • Repair: $6,056 (CAD 7,722)

29. Nevada

  • Diagnosis: $69 (CAD 88)
  • Repair: $7,496 (CAD 9,556)

30. New Hampshire

  • Diagnosis: $88 (CAD 112)
  • Repair: $2,560 (CAD 3,264)

31. New Jersey

  • Diagnosis: $74 (CAD 94)
  • Repair: $3,361 (CAD 4,286)

32. New Mexico

  • Diagnosis: $112 (CAD 143)
  • Repair: $4,021 (CAD 5,128)

33. New York

  • Diagnosis: $91 (CAD 116)
  • Repair: $4,548 (CAD 5,800)

34. North Carolina

  • Diagnosis: $98 (CAD 125)
  • Repair: $3,010 (CAD 3,839)

35. North Dakota

  • Diagnosis: $88 (CAD 112)
  • Repair: $5,567 (CAD 7,100)

36. Ohio

  • Diagnosis: $88 (CAD 112)
  • Repair: $3,839 (CAD 4,896)

37. Oklahoma

  • Diagnosis: $89 (CAD 114)
  • Repair: $3,189 (CAD 4,067)

38. Oregon

  • Diagnosis: $106 (CAD 135)
  • Repair: $4,370 (CAD 5,573)

39. Pennsylvania

  • Diagnosis: $78 (CAD 99)
  • Repair: $4,055 (CAD 5,171)

40. Rhode Island

  • Diagnosis: $103 (CAD 131)
  • Repair: $4,641 (CAD 5,919)

41. South Carolina

  • Diagnosis: $81 (CAD 103)
  • Repair: $2,649 (CAD 3,379)

42. South Dakota

  • Diagnosis: $92 (CAD 117)
  • Repair: $5,705 (CAD 7,276)

43. Tennessee

  • Diagnosis: $85 (CAD 108)
  • Repair: $3,068 (CAD 3,913)

44. Texas

  • Diagnosis: $82 (CAD 105)
  • Repair: $2,868 (CAD 3,658)

45. Utah

  • Diagnosis: $64 (CAD 82)
  • Repair: $6,084 (CAD 7,759)

46. Vermont

  • Diagnosis: Insufficient data
  • Repair: Insufficient data

47. Virginia

  • Diagnosis: $83 (CAD 106)
  • Repair: $2,712 (CAD 3,459)

48. Washington

  • Diagnosis: $97 (CAD 124)
  • Repair: $4,542 (CAD 5,792)

49. West Virginia

  • Diagnosis: $80 (CAD 102)
  • Repair: $3,784 (CAD 4,825)

50. Wisconsin

  • Diagnosis: $62 (CAD 79)
  • Repair: $5,622 (CAD 7,169)

51. Wyoming

  • Diagnosis: $82 (CAD 105)
  • Repair: $4,037 (CAD 5,148)

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All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.

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