If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter, you’ve noticed that we reference sewer work a lot. Below is the third post in a four-part series that take readers through the process of completing sewer work from start to finish.
If you’ve had a plumbing contractor determine that either part or all of your sewer needs replaced, there are a few things you should expect during the work. First, be aware that work won’t start immediately. The contractor will need to call the utility company 48 hours prior to digging. This gives the utility company time to mark underground power lines, communication cables, gas line or other utilities lines may lie underground. We also use those two days to order materials, get permits and coordinate the inspection with the city.
Coordinating with the inspector will be the other big factor in scheduling the work. Many cities have cut back to a part-time inspector which means they might only be able to inspect and approve the work on a Tuesday or Thursday for example. If that’s the case, we won’t begin digging on a Friday because we won’t leave an open trench over the weekend. The inspector will need to look at the work before we cover the trench with dirt. So coordinating with the inspector schedule will determine a more exact start date.
Most repairs of less than 50 feet can be done in a day. Replacement of more than 100 feet will take about two days. Autumn is a popular time for sewer work because the dirt will have all winter to settle and many homeowners can plant new grass in the Spring. Another detail to discuss is landscaping. In some cases, it’s impossible to save shrubs and flowers. When possible, we try to work around landscaping and save as much as we can but homeowners should be aware that some re-planting will need to take place.
Hopefully this series of blog posts taught you something about sewer work. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
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