Signs you need this fixed
- Roots pulled out on the last cable job
- Floor drain backs up when the laundry empties
- Soggy patch on the front lawn
- Toilets on the lowest floor bubble
Symptoms of a failing lateral
- Repeated main line backups, even after cleaning.
- A soft or sunken patch on the front lawn along the line of the pipe.
- Sewer smell in the basement with no dry traps to blame.
- Roots showing up every time the line is cabled.
- Rats near the foundation, which can travel through broken pipe.
In much of older Toronto, the lateral is clay tile laid in short jointed lengths. Postwar homes may have cast iron or a fibre pipe called Orangeburg, which flattens as it ages.
Private side versus City side
Your sewer lateral has two owners. The section from your house to the property line, roughly the sidewalk, is yours. From there to the main under the road is the City of Toronto's responsibility. If our camera finds the defect on the City side, you can report it to 311 and Toronto Water will investigate. Get the footage and a locate marking the distance from the cleanout. It saves time.
Spot repair or full replacement
A single cracked joint or one root intrusion close to the house can often be fixed with a spot repair: dig one hole, cut out the bad section, couple in new PVC. Where the whole run has multiple breaks, sags or flattened pipe, full replacement makes more sense. Trenchless lining can also work in some lines, sealing old pipe with a resin sleeve, but it needs a pipe that still holds its shape. We tell you which approach fits your pipe and why.
Permits, digging and restoration
Sewer work on private property needs a plumbing permit from Toronto Building, with an inspection before backfill. Digging in the City boulevard needs its own approval. Most jobs take one to three days. The yard is opened, the pipe is bedded in proper material, inspected, backfilled and compacted. Grass and interlock restoration may be part of the job or handled separately; we will spell that out up front.
What is included on the visit
Tools on the truck
- Sectional machine with spiral root saw
- Shovel, shoring and a test plug
- Jetter for scale and sludge
What we open
Front-wall cleanout or the main stack test tee
How we test it
Camera run to the city connection after clearing
How the job runs
Ring the line
Say what is dripping, backing up or banging. Water still flowing? We guide your hand to the valve first.
Find the cause
The plumber traces the fault, with a scope or gauge where one earns its keep.
Pick the fix
Options come in everyday language, and nothing starts until you choose.
Repair & prove it
We finish, run the water to prove it, wipe up and leave a short written record.
Calls we field, answered plainly
Can I add a backwater valve during sewer work?
Yes, and it is a good time, since the line is already open. Toronto has subsidized backwater valves in the past, so confirm the current program before you start.
How long does PVC sewer pipe last?
Properly bedded PVC lasts many decades and resists roots because its joints are glued or gasketed tight.