Sewer pipe line repair in California

California has one of the largest inventories of aging clay and cast iron sewer laterals in the country, and many cities now require a lateral inspection or certification at sale. Trenchless lining and pipe bursting are the standard answers for lines under driveways, mature landscaping and narrow lots where a trench would cost more than the pipe.

What fails under California homes

California's postwar tracts were plumbed with vitrified clay laterals laid in short sections, and the houses on them sit on slabs with cast iron drain lines underneath. Sixty-plus years on, the clay joints have opened enough for roots to enter and the under-slab cast iron has channeled along its bottom. Homes from the 1980s onward use ABS, which holds up better but can be crushed or bellied where the soil moved.

Expansive clay soils inland, sandy fill near the coast, seismic settling, and long dry seasons followed by heavy rain all move pipe joints. Near the ocean a shallow, salty water table corrodes cast iron from the outside as well as the inside, and turns any open trench into a dewatering job.

That combination is why trenchless work is so common here: lining or bursting fixes the line from inside without touching the slab, the driveway, or a yard that would cost more to restore than the pipe.

Who covers California

California metro pages

These pages carry the local number and the installer for the metro.

• Sewer pipe lining in Los Angeles, CA
• Sewer pipe lining in San Diego, CA

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