“When shopping for a house, many homebuyers overlook the sewer lateral that runs below the ground of a property. This is the pipe that carries wastewater from a home’s toilets, sinks, showers, laundry and floor drains to the city or county sewer line.
This pipe can impact the environment and local waterways and can be costly to fix, so homeowners should take note of the condition of their property’s sewer lateral, Pulsar said at recent Valley Association of Realtors meeting about sewer inspections.
Most sewer laterals are typically 3 or 4 inches in diameter and made from clay, cast iron or plastic. The pipe has two parts – the upper lateral, which extends from the home to the end of the property line, and the lower lateral, which extends from the property line to the public right of way or street, where it connects to the city or county sewer line.”
More information on sewer laterals can be found here.
Depending on the age of the home usually correlates to what type of pipe is used. For instance, homes built in the 1960’s or earlier typically have clay sewer lateral pipes. That then change to cast iron for a decade or so before moving on to the better plastic type pipes. Still, there are many factors that may lead to breakage or deterioration.
The best thing you can do to ensure there aren’t any sewer line problems is to get a camera inspection. Call (612) 861-6425 to speak to one of our representatives to learn more or schedule an appointment.
