Sewer Excavation in Ellenwood, GA

Sewer excavation in Ellenwood starts with a question many homeowners have never had to ask: which county's rules apply to this address? Ellenwood is not an incorporated city, and the area reaches into DeKalb, Clayton and Henry counties. Before a building sewer is dug up and replaced, the permit path depends on which side of those lines the property falls.

Three counties, three permit offices

Each county runs its own permit process, and the details differ.

• DeKalb County. In unincorporated DeKalb, the Planning and Sustainability Department issues permits, and plumbing permits have to be submitted by a plumbing contractor holding a license. Inside an incorporated city, that city's own office handles permitting instead.
• Clayton County. The county's building permit section issues plumbing permits for residential repairs, remodels and new construction, and it checks that contractors hold Georgia licenses before issuing them.
• Henry County. The Building and Plan Review Department takes residential permit applications for homes on the Henry County side.

If you are unsure which one serves the address, check with the county before any work is scheduled.

Public sewer or septic tank

Not every house drains to a public sewer. Some properties send their wastewater to a septic tank and drain field in the yard, and the building sewer simply runs from the house to the tank. The repair itself is similar either way, but the end of the line, the people involved and the precautions around the dig are different. If you are not sure which you have, look for a tank lid or riser in the yard, check your closing documents, or ask the water utility whether the address is billed for sewer service.

Tracing a line nobody has mapped

Older properties rarely come with a drawing of the sewer route. A sewer camera inspection with a transmitter in the camera head lets a technician follow the line across the yard, mark its path and depth, and find where it bends, where a defect sits and where it ends. Paint or flags along the route show where the dig will go and what it will cross, such as a driveway, fence or garden. Photograph that route map and keep it. If the footage shows pipe that could be lined rather than dug, look at lining and other trenchless repairs before any shovel comes out.

Digging around a septic system

When the building sewer ends at a tank, the dig has to respect the system around it. Heavy equipment should stay off the tank and the drain field, since the weight can crack a lid or compact the soil the field depends on. The joint where the sewer enters the tank, and the inlet baffle inside it, are common trouble spots and worth checking while the area is open. Work on the tank or drain field itself is separate from the building sewer and may carry its own county requirements, so ask before the scope grows.

What the finished job should include

• New pipe running from sound pipe to sound pipe, with suitable couplings at each end.
• A leak test and any inspection the county requires, before the trench is closed.
• A cleanout where it will help future maintenance, if there is not one already.
• Backfill compacted in layers, with the surface restored as agreed.
• A copy of the camera footage and a sketch of the route.

Permit and septic questions for Ellenwood addresses

Which county do I call about a permit for my Ellenwood address?

The county where the property sits, which appears on the tax bill and in the county's property records. Ellenwood addresses can fall in DeKalb, Clayton or Henry County, and each runs its own permit office and process. Your contractor should confirm the right office before the job is scheduled, since a permit from the wrong county does not cover the work.

What if my line ends at a septic tank?

It can be replaced much like any other building sewer. The failed section between the house and the tank is exposed, cut out and replaced with new pipe at a steady fall, then tested. The difference is at the far end, where the new pipe has to enter the tank properly and the crew has to keep equipment off the tank and drain field.

What if part of the line crosses into a neighbor's yard?

It happens, especially where a lot was divided after the original house was built. If a camera trace shows the line crossing a property line, talk to the neighbor before any digging and check the property records for an easement. The repair can sometimes be planned to stay on your side, or the line can be rerouted during replacement so it no longer crosses at all.

Talk to us first

Before you untangle permits for an Ellenwood sewer dig on your own, give Alpha Plumbing and Sewer a call at (404) 409-4448. We can trace the line and help work out which county and which kind of system you are dealing with.