Sewer Line Replacement in Toronto

Signs you need sewer line replacement

• Camera footage shows a collapsed section, a long belly or a pipe that is split along its length
• Clay joints so offset that water leaves the pipe at each seam
• Backups every few months despite cleaning
• Settlement or a sinkhole along the line in the yard
• Orangeburg or other failed pipe material from a mid-century repair

What causes it in older Toronto homes

Many laterals on pre-war streets are the original clay tile, now around a century old. Clay itself lasts, but the joints were packed with mortar or sealed loosely, and roots and settlement have worked them open. Cast-iron laterals corrode along the bottom where water flows. Under narrow side drives, years of vehicle loads can crack shallow pipe.

What we do on site, in order

1. We camera-inspect and locate the line so the full route and depth are known.
2. We arrange the plumbing permit and the locates for buried utilities before any digging.
3. Depending on the yard, we open a trench along the route or replace the pipe by trenchless methods from small access pits.
4. New PVC pipe is laid at proper slope on bedding, with a cleanout at the house so the line can be maintained.
5. The work is inspected before backfill, then we restore the trench.

What affects the price

We price each job after the camera inspection. The length and depth of the lateral, what sits on top of it (lawn, interlock, a porch, a tree), access for equipment along a narrow side yard, and whether trenchless replacement is possible all change the cost. If the city side of the connection also has problems, we tell you what we found so you can contact the city.

When to call right away

A collapsed lateral can mean no drainage at all. If nothing in the house drains, stop using water and call. We can often get a temporary flow through while the replacement is planned.

The job, in four moves

1. 1
   Pull the trap or cleanout

   Bucket under it, cap or trap off, standing water bailed first.

2. 2
   Run the right cable

   Small drum for sinks and tubs, sectional machine for the stack and lateral.

3. 3
   Camera the line

   Push camera fed in after the cable to read joints, roots and belly.

4. 4
   Flush and show you

   Hot water run at full flow, footage played back, trap reset with new washers.

Common questions