Sewer Camera Inspection
Feed a camera down the line to see its true condition before you pay for repairs or close on a house. Open page
Drains and sewer pipes
Sewer Line Replacement in Thornton, CO
Sometimes a sewer line is too damaged to repair. Replacing the lateral resets the clock with new pipe, correct slope and clean joints, and ends the cycle of backups.
Tell the dispatcher what a camera inspection has shown, if one has been done.
When replacement makes sense
- Collapsed pipeThe camera shows a break or flattened section.
- Long bellyA sag holds water and waste.
- Repeat failuresSpot repairs keep failing.
Replacement versus repair
Repair fixes a section. Replacement swaps the whole lateral or a long run of it. Replacement makes sense when the pipe is failing along its length, when the slope is wrong or when the material is known to deteriorate.
A camera inspection is the basis for the decision. Without it, you are guessing.
Materials
Modern laterals are PVC or similar plastic, with solid joints and a smooth interior. Older laterals may be clay tile, cast iron or fiber conduit, which can crack, corrode or deform.
Ask the plumber which pipe will be used, how the connection to the city main will be made and whether a permit and inspection are required.
Cost
Pricing a sewer replacement
Replacement is a project, and price follows the route and the method.
Ask for a written scope covering the method, pipe material, permit and any restoration included.
In Thornton
Lots, trees and the city main
Many Thornton lots have mature trees whose roots reach the lateral. A replacement is a chance to reroute around a tree or to install cleanouts that make future maintenance easier.
The connection at the city main is a key point. Ask the contractor how it will be made and who inspects it, since the main belongs to the city.
Trench or trenchless
Open-trench work removes the old pipe and lays a new one in the same path. It gives full control of slope and fittings. Trenchless methods, such as pipe bursting, pull new pipe drawn through the old one, which breaks it apart as they go.
Bursting suits some pipe and some soil, and it needs entry and exit pits. A plumber should explain which method fits your lot, your pipe and your landscaping.
Planning the job
Locate buried utilities with Colorado 811, clear the work area and plan for the toilets to be unusable for a day or more. Ask about temporary arrangements and how the crew handles waste during the work.
The contractor pulls the permit, schedules the inspection and restores the surface. Confirm in writing which of those are included in the quote.
After replacement
Ask for a camera inspection of the finished line. It confirms the pipe is round, joined properly and sloped correctly. Keep the footage and the paperwork with your home records.
If you plan to sell the house, a clean post-replacement inspection is a selling point, and it shortens negotiations.
Digging, trenchless options and restoration
A replacement can follow an open trench or a trenchless route. Open-cut work digs along the pipe, replaces it and backfills, which makes the repair plain but disturbs lawn, driveways and landscaping. Trenchless methods, such as pipe bursting or lining, use small access pits and can suit some conditions, though not all.
Ask the contractor why the chosen method fits your line, after viewing the camera footage. Ask what the quote says about restoring concrete, sod and fences, and who handles the permit and the utility locates. Colorado 811 must be called before any digging.
Plan for a day or more without a working sewer. Ask about temporary arrangements and when you can use the plumbing again.
Planning a lateral replacement
Sewer Line Repair
Correct a broken, root-invaded or bellied sewer lateral, whether the repair is one spot or a longer run. Open page
Hydro Jetting
Strip away grease, mineral scale and root hairs from inside a pipe using a high pressure water stream. Open page
Quick answers
Asked about sewer replacement
A camera inspection shows breaks, bellies and pipe condition. If damage runs along the length, replacement is likely.
Sometimes, with pipe bursting. The camera and a site visit show whether it works.
It depends on the job. Ask for a schedule and a plan for temporary facilities.
Usually. Ask who obtains it and who books the inspection.
The dispatch line does. A full replacement is planned work, but sewage rising in a drain is reported immediately, and the contractor handles the urgent part first.
Considering a new sewer line?
Call and describe what the camera showed. A dispatcher will set up the next step.