Drain Excavation in McDonough, GA

Drain trouble that starts after a project

Sometimes the timing gives it away. A fence goes up along the side yard, a deck gets new footings, or a landscaper installs edging and a row of shrubs, and a week or a month later a drain starts misbehaving. Buried drain lines near a house are often fairly shallow, and a post-hole auger, a footing dig or a steel stake can go straight through one. Drain excavation is how the damaged pipe gets exposed and replaced. After outdoor work on a McDonough property, it helps to know which projects tend to hit pipes and what the warning signs look like.

Projects that most often strike buried drains

• Fence and mailbox posts set with a power auger
• Deck, pergola and porch footings
• Landscape edging, tree planting holes and stakes
• Irrigation trenching and low-voltage lighting runs
• Patios, walkways and driveway extensions, along with the compaction and heavy trucks that come with them
• Dumpsters, moving trucks or equipment parked on the lawn above a shallow line

Signs the drain was hit

A pierced pipe does not always fail right away. A post driven through the wall may leave the line partly open, snagging paper and debris until it blocks. Watch for drains that slow down in the weeks after the work, gurgling from a tub or toilet, a wet or sunken spot near a new post or footing, or a downspout that overflows at the gutter because its buried line no longer drains. A pipe that was crushed rather than punctured, by a loaded truck for example, may announce itself with a backup the first time the household runs a lot of water.

Confirming what happened

A sewer camera inspection usually tells the story plainly. The footage can show a post or rebar running through the pipe, a fresh hole with soil spilling in, or a section flattened out of round. A locator then marks the spot on the surface, and it often lines up neatly with the new fence line or footing. Keep photos of the project and a note of the dates the work was done; together with the footage, that record helps if questions come up later about what caused the damage.

The repair and the post in the way

These digs are often small, since the damage sits in one place. Whatever struck the pipe, whether a post, a stake or a footing, is worked around or lifted out first. The broken length comes out, new pipe is joined to sound pipe on either side, and the joints are run with water before backfill. If the strike landed on the building sewer heading to the street rather than on a drain, the job is handled as sewer excavation, which brings in the city's own sewer permission and inspection steps.

Keeping the next project clear

With the pipe open, it is a good moment to record where it runs. Measure from fixed points such as the corners of the house, take photos before the trench is filled, and keep the sketch with your home records. Hand it to the next fence builder or landscaper before they start. A Georgia 811 locate request covers utility-owned lines rather than your own drains, so that sketch may be the only map anyone has.

Who issues plumbing permits in McDonough

The City of McDonough Building & Inspection Division issues permits, plumbing permits included, and inspects construction in the city. Whether a particular drain repair calls for one is settled with the division before the dig.

Questions after an outdoor project

How soon after a project would a damaged drain show symptoms?

It varies. A pipe that was cut clean through may back up within days, especially with heavy water use. A small puncture can take weeks or months to collect enough debris to cause a clog, and a pipe that was only cracked may leak into the soil for a long time before anyone notices a wet spot or a slow drain.

Does the new fence post have to move?

Often only a little. If the post sits directly on the pipe, it is reset a short distance to one side so its footing no longer bears on the drain. Where moving it would throw off a fence line, the pipe can sometimes be rerouted slightly around the post instead. The better option depends on the depth of the pipe and the layout.

Who should pay for a drain damaged by another contractor?

That is between you and the contractor, and it is not something we can decide for you. What we can provide is a clear record: the camera footage, photos of the damage once it is exposed, and a written description of what we found and repaired. Those details tend to make that conversation more straightforward.

Find out what the project hit

New fence, slow drain? Pick up the phone and call (404) 409-4448. We will run a camera through the drain at your McDonough home, show you exactly what was struck, and plan a repair that keeps the new work standing. Problems with drains inside the house are covered under drain repair.