Sewer lines under apartment buildings

One line, every unit

The branch lines from each unit join inside the building and leave as one line to the public sewer. A blockage or a break in that line backs everyone up, and the sewage comes out at the lowest drain in the building first, often a basement floor drain or a ground-floor unit.

Why lining suits a building with tenants

• It works through a cleanout, so the lawn, the parking lot and the walks stay as they are.
• Nobody moves out. Tenants only have to stop running water while the crew works and the liner cures.
• Each branch line the liner covers is reopened from inside with a robotic cutter.
• A house-sized lateral usually takes half a day to a full day. A longer or larger building line can take longer, so ask for the schedule before you set the date.

If the camera shows a collapse or a sag, that section has to be dug up and replaced first. The rest can usually still be lined.

The vertical stacks inside the building can be lined too, from inside, without opening the walls in each unit. See lining vertical stacks.

Telling the tenants

Give notice of the day and the hours when the drains can't be used: no showers, laundry, dishwashers or flushing. Post it where everyone will see it. A single load of laundry run during the work can undo the job.

City lateral programs

Some programs cover small apartment buildings. Clayton and Richmond Heights include buildings of up to six units. Larger buildings usually fall outside them. Check your city's rules, and apply before any work starts. What each program says.

Who does the work

The company that answers this number has lined sewer lines under occupied apartment buildings, and can quote both lining and digging from the same camera video.

Questions owners ask

Do tenants have to move out while the line is lined?

No, but nobody can run water down the drains while the crew works and the liner cures. Give tenants notice of the day and the hours.

Will a city lateral program cover an apartment building?

Some will, up to a size. Clayton's and Richmond Heights' programs cover small buildings of up to six units. Check your city's rules before the work starts.