Sewer line problems and water main leaks are the highest-stakes plumbing calls we get in Cobb County. A backed-up sewer line means water on the floor and a yard full of damage. A leaking water main means a soaring water bill and a sinkhole in the front lawn. The good news: most sewer and water main issues can be repaired without trenching the whole property. The harder question is when a repair makes sense and when a replacement is the right call.
Signs you have a sewer line problem.
Sewer issues rarely happen all at once. There's usually a buildup of small signs before a full backup. Watch for:
- Multiple drains in the house slow or gurgling at the same time, especially the lowest fixtures (basement tub, ground-floor toilets).
- Sewage smells in the yard, usually near where the line runs to the street.
- Patches of grass that are unusually green or soggy along the line path.
- Recurring clogs in the main line that come back within weeks of a snake.
- Backups during heavy rain (often a sign of root intrusion or a cracked clay pipe).
Repair vs. replace: how to decide.
Three things tell us whether a sewer line is a repair or a replacement job:
- Material and age. Clay tile lines installed before 1980 are at the end of their life. Cast iron lasts 50 to 75 years. Modern PVC is good for 100+. Older material plus old age usually means replace.
- Type of damage. A single offset joint or root intrusion at one location is a repair. A line that's collapsed in multiple spots, has belly sag, or is broken end-to-end is a replacement.
- What the camera shows. We run a camera down the line before quoting anything. The footage tells you exactly what's wrong and where. No guessing.
The camera is the most important tool on the truck. If a plumber wants to quote sewer work without running one, get a second opinion.
What about the water main?.
The water main is the line between the city meter and your house. It's a different problem from the sewer (sewer carries waste out, water main brings clean water in), but the diagnostic is similar. A leaking main shows up as a wet patch in the yard, a constantly running meter when nothing's on inside, or an unexplained jump in the water bill.
On a forty-year-old Cobb County home, the original water main is often galvanized steel or undersized copper. Once it starts leaking, patch jobs usually buy you a year or two at most. We typically recommend replacing the full run from meter to house with modern poly or copper.
What a sewer or water main job looks like.
We try to keep the yard as intact as possible. Some lines we can repair through a single access pit. Others need a longer trench or a sectional replacement. We walk you through the plan and the cost before any dirt moves.
Every job gets:
- A camera inspection before we quote.
- A written estimate with line items and totals.
- A walkthrough of what we'll dig up and how we'll put it back.
- Cleanup and yard restoration as part of the price.
If you're dealing with a sewer backup, a yard sinkhole, or a water bill that's gone sideways, give us a call. 770-439-0919 or request a free estimate. We'll come out, run the camera, and tell you whether you're looking at a repair, a replacement, or something simpler.
