In the Field · Part 4

Sewer and drain II: trenchless vs. open trench, whose lateral it is (it varies by city), backwater valves, and point-of-sale lateral ordinances

When the camera shows a lateral that has to be replaced, the plumber has three questions before a price: how (open trench, pipe bursting, or a cured-in-place liner), whose pipe it is (in some California cities the owner is responsible all the way to the main, including under the street; in others the city owns the lower lateral from the property line), and what the city requires at the connection (an encroachment permit, a backwater valve, a cleanout at the property line). This lesson answers each with the method, gives the backwater valve rule that protects a low fixture and the customer's insurance claim, and explains the East Bay's point-of-sale lateral program as the model for the ordinances a plumber has to know before quoting a sewer job near a sale.