Sewer Excavation in Lilburn, GA

Most sewer excavation happens after something has already gone wrong. There is a better moment for some homes, though: just before a new driveway, patio, addition or landscape project covers the route of the building sewer. Once concrete or a room sits on top, a later repair means cutting through the new work. If the line under a Lilburn project is old, a little checking before work starts can prevent that.

Look inside the pipe before it gets covered

The first step is a sewer camera inspection along the stretch the project will cover, with the route and depth marked on the ground. Sound plastic pipe with tight joints can usually be left alone. Clay with roots at the joints, cast iron with heavy scale or a thinning bottom, offset joints and low spots that hold water are the findings that make replacing the section now worth serious thought. Pipe that is worn but still round may be a candidate for a liner instead.

Projects that bury the route

• A new or wider driveway. The building sewer often runs under it on the way to the street, and cutting a fresh slab later leaves a patch that never quite matches.
• Patios and paver areas. They tend to go right outside the back or side door, which is often where the line leaves the house.
• Additions and sunrooms. A room built over the line makes any future repair an indoor job.
• Retaining walls and large plantings. Footings and tree roots near the pipe complicate both access and the pipe itself.

Getting the order of trades right

The sewer work comes first, and the backfill has to suit whatever goes on top. Soil placed in thin layers and compacted with a machine gives a paving or concrete crew a firmer base than loose fill pushed back with a bucket. Ask the contractor for the new surface how they want the trench compacted, and whether they will add their own base layer. A cleanout placed where it will end up under concrete is no use to anyone, so decide where it rises to the surface before the project is laid out.

Permits when several trades share the job in Lilburn

Lilburn lists plumbing systems among the projects that need a permit and asks residents to check with its Business Services Department before work starts. On a larger project the plumbing does not ride along on the general contractor's paperwork: the plumbing subcontractor takes out a trade permit of its own and files a subcontractor affidavit before starting. The city's exception for ordinary minor repairs depends on the planning director's approval, so do not assume a sewer replacement fits it.

What to settle with everyone involved

• Who marks the sewer route for the other trades, and where the markings will be kept.
• Which crew restores the surface over the trench, and to what point.
• How the new cleanout will be reached once the project is finished.
• Who holds each permit and books each inspection.
• What happens to the schedule if the camera or the dig finds more damage than expected.

Settling these early keeps the plumbing work from becoming the reason a concrete pour gets pushed back. If the project includes new bathrooms or a kitchen in an addition, the supply and drain layout is planned as part of the plumbing for the new rooms, separate from the sewer dig.

Questions to settle before paving in Lilburn

Should I replace a sewer line that still works before I pave over it?

It depends on what the camera shows. A line that drains today can still be full of root-filled joints or worn cast iron, and those tend to fail on their own schedule. If the footage shows sound pipe, leave it. If it shows defects along the stretch that will be covered, replacing it now costs far less disruption than cutting through a new driveway in a few years.

How long should a trench settle before concrete goes over it?

There is no single answer, because it depends on the soil and how the backfill was placed. Fill compacted in thin layers settles far less than soil simply pushed back into the hole. Talk with the concrete or paving contractor before the trench is closed so the compaction matches what their base needs, rather than guessing afterward.

Does my general contractor's permit cover the sewer work?

Usually not on its own. Lilburn treats the plumbing as a separate trade, with its own permit and paperwork from the plumbing subcontractor, so the general contractor's permit is only part of the picture. Ask who will hold the plumbing permit and when it will be issued, and make sure it is in place before the trench is opened.

Check the line before the project starts

Planning a driveway, patio or addition at your Lilburn home? Call Alpha Plumbing and Sewer at (404) 409-4448 to look at the sewer line underneath while there is still nothing on top of it.