Seventy-year-old sewer lines
Most of San Lorenzo was built in one push in the 1940s and 50s. The sewer laterals went in with the houses, and many have never been touched. Pipe that old cracks, the joints pull apart, and roots from the street trees and front-yard trees get in.
What you see is a main drain that backs up, gets cleared, and backs up again a few months later. Each time the gap gets shorter.
Look before you dig
We run a camera through the line from the house to the street. You watch the picture with us. It shows whether the trouble is one bad joint near the sidewalk or a line that is failing along its whole length. That one look often saves a lot of money, because the repair can be sized to the real problem.
Ways to fix it
- Spot repair for a single break or offset joint.
- Trenchless replacement for a longer damaged run. San Lorenzo lots are flat and the laterals are fairly short and straight, which often suits this method.
- Full replacement when the pipe is past saving.
You get each choice with its cost. If the job needs a permit, we pull it.
Oro Loma Sanitary District
San Lorenzo's sewers are run by the Oro Loma Sanitary District. The district looks after the main. The lateral from your house to that main is yours. Oro Loma also has a private lateral inspection program tied to property sales, so if you plan to sell, it is worth learning what shape your line is in beforehand. For clogs that only need clearing, see drain cleaning in San Lorenzo.
About Friendly Services
We have been in Hayward, a few minutes from San Lorenzo, for over 20 years. Family-owned. License CSLB #1156315 (C-36 plumbing). $1M general liability and workers' comp. Five-year workmanship warranty on our own work. 100+ five-star reviews online. Hablamos español.