Sewer Line Replacement in Mesa, AZ

Clues that the whole line is giving out

• You pay for a main-line clearing, and within a season the same backup returns
• Gurgling in a toilet when the dishwasher or washer pumps out
• The tub or shower at the low end of the house fills with dirty water
• Sewage odor near the cleanout or along the path the pipe takes to the street
• A camera shows offset joints, cracks or roots at more than one spot

A single bad joint on otherwise healthy pipe is a repair job. When defects are spread down the run, every fix leaves more old pipe waiting to fail, and a full replacement starts to look like the better use of money.

Mesa's system and Mesa's housing

The City of Mesa Water Resources provides both drinking water and wastewater service, and the city asks residents to report sewer overflows and backups on its water emergency line, 480-644-2262. That number is for trouble in the public system. A backup that affects only your house usually traces to the private line, which is where a plumber comes in.

Mesa dates to 1883 and is the largest city in the East Valley. Census estimates put the median home there at 1988 construction, but that middle figure hides a wide spread: houses near the historic Main Street core are often decades older than the subdivisions closer to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Older drain lines can be clay or cast iron, which crack and let roots in, while plastic lines in newer areas more often fail at a poorly bedded joint or where soil settled.

What moves the price

• Distance and depth from the foundation to the city connection
• Method: trenchless replacement when the old path is usable, an open trench when the pipe has sagged or collapsed
• Surface restoration: concrete, pavers, desert landscaping or a pool deck over the route
• Interior drain pipe under the slab that turns out to need work too
• Permit and inspection requirements, which Mesa's Development Services Permit Services (480-644-4273) can confirm

After you call

You will be put in touch with an independent local plumber who works in Mesa. Expect a camera inspection first, because the pipe material, depth and the location of each defect decide which method makes sense. Ask for the video and a marked-up locate of the line. The plumber should also explain who handles the permit and when the inspection happens before the trench or pits are backfilled.