Faint sewer smell, broken pipe - $20,000 repair
Tenant complained of faint sewer smell.
Plumber snaked camera into pipe from toilet and identified broken pip with water popped where it shouldn’t be.
Estimate is $20,000 to excavate, replace and potential foundation preparation.
What would insurance potentially cover? House built in 1977. Not in position for $20,000 repair.
That estimate seems pretty expensive. I'd get more quotes because it is unlikely insurance would cover that sort of issue.
@Steve S. sorry about your plumbing issues--I've been there plenty of times, and I feel your pain.
Only the insurance company can tell you what they'll cover (obviously, nobody on the forums knows the details of your insurance policy). However, if I remember correctly, most basic homeowners policies don't cover sewer mains, but again--I have no idea what type of policy you have (and some people have separate policies specifically for their sewer main).
As for price; 20k could be high, but it might be right on target--I've definitely seen sewer mains cost 20k before (and sometimes more).
It depends on factors such as: how easy is the sewer main to access? Are there mature trees growing above the sewer main? are they only replacing the broken part of the sewer main, or are they replacing the entire thing all the way to the city sewer? does the sewer main run underneath paved driveways/walkways/retaining walls/landscaping features, or anything else that makes access more difficult? how much of the sewer main is underneath the house or other structures? what type of market are you in, and what's the market's supply vs. demand of sewer replacement services? How long is the sewer main? what type of foundation is it, and what type of foundation repair will be required, etc., etc.
...If you tell us some of those items, some folks on here might be able to give you a better picture of the cost....
Regardless, it is worth getting a few quotes from a few different companies--which will give you a more accurate understanding of cost.
Good luck out there!
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Those kinds of repairs get very costly but it is allowable CAPEX and why we build reserves. All the best!
Depends on area in Chicago that job is 15-25k so seems OK.
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@Steve S. where exactly is the sewer broken? Is it in a slab? Under a concrete basement floor? In the yard?
These are instances where you should get multiple quotes and multiple opinions and take your time.... your faint sewer smell triggered you calling a plumber you probably haven't used. A lot of plumbers like to force you into very costly repairs when there are much cheaper ways to solve issues.
Quote from @John Warren:
@Steve S. where exactly is the sewer broken? Is it in a slab? Under a concrete basement floor? In the yard?
These are instances where you should get multiple quotes and multiple opinions and take your time.... your faint sewer smell triggered you calling a plumber you probably haven't used. A lot of plumbers like to force you into very costly repairs when there are much cheaper ways to solve issues.
Or is it in the street? Street or yard makes a big difference in cost. Then take the time to get lots of bids. If its in the yard, do it yourself for nothing. A home depot excavator is only $300. It's fun.
Is it the main drain? Can it be routed elsewhere?
I have a older property that had this problem, all the dwv pipes now route out of the house then meet the sewer main the backyard. It's a downtown property so pvc/conduit outside of houses is pretty common to see for electrical/plumbing
That job, with restoration on the neighbor's yard and a $2600 permit, totaled about 13k.
- Investor
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Get some more quotes
This happened to me many times. This price is very high. You need to get more quotes.
Quote from @Steve S.:
I've had several complete replacements done and they typically run $6,000 - $8,000. I would get another quote.
I had to replace a sewer line back in 2018 and they had to excavate all the way down to the center of a residential street and close off a lane for a few days. Cost was $8000.00. I'm in the midwest.
- Contractor/Investor/Consultant
- West Valley Phoenix
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That does sound high, check around.....
Even though I am usually against doing the pipe lining process, this may be a place for it....
- Rental Property Investor
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I've had this before and corrected the faint smell with a new wax ring.
This is crazy talk.
@Steve S. Look in your area for a plumber that has the equipment to do a liner or epoxy. Depending on the type of pipe in the ground it can often be less invasive meaning it may not require excavation. It all depends on your goals for the property. If you would like to PM me I can send some info on it. Good luck!
@Efrain Yakuta
Came here to say exactly that. It's possible some lines with brakes can be sleeved.
And look at it this way: once you get that entire line replaced (no "bandaids"), you won't have that problem again for a very, very long time. Had to do a few of them at my properties. Just get some estimates, then "bite the bullet" and have the work done (before the ground freezes).
Utility services are almost never covered under a standard home owners or landlord policy. There are special "add-ons" that you can add to your policy that would offer some coverage for this. Also most insurance policies don't cover sewer backup in to the home.
If the home is a rental and your tenant has to move out for or you don't get rent for a couple of months you may be able to get some coverage under "loss of rents" if your policy has that coverage.
As far as cost... I would definitely get a few quotes. Google is awesome, or ask around at your local hardware store for good contractors. Sewer is something you may be able to do yourself and save some money but you always run the risk of messing it up and causing more problems.
I have had to replace a few different utilities in properties I have owned. The most expensive one was a new water main in a house in Southern UT. But that is because we had to trench the new line in almost 1/4 mile.