How Much Does Sanitary Sewer Line Maintenance and Repair Cost in Pennsylvania?

March 1, 2022 by Matt Schmitz

Economist Milton Friedman is often quoted as having said that, “If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years there’d be a shortage of sand” — but what about putting the local government in charge of wastewater treatment? No shade to the seat of Pennsylvania democracy, but even in the capital city of Harrisburg, officials have long been unsuccessful in preventing hundreds of millions of tons of raw sewage from flooding into the Susquehanna River during heavy rains. As if that news didn’t stink enough, Keystone State residents, those smelly puddles in your yard could indicate you've got sewage issues of your own, albeit on a much smaller scale, underneath your property. If you have a compromised sanitary sewer line, you’re going to want to get it repaired immediately. Take some comfort in knowing that, on average, people in PA don’t pay exorbitantly more for sewer line repairs than their fellow Americans — but remember that, in the future, you may be able to avoid all this by keeping up with your significantly cheaper maintenance obligations.

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Your sanitary sewer system is a network of underground pipes that does the dirtiest of all household jobs: carrying sewage and greywater out and away from your home. When you brush your teeth, wash the dishes or flush the toilet, that water doesn’t just disappear. Your sewer line is responsible for carrying it to a wastewater treatment plant.

Sewer systems — marvels of modern plumbing — are designed to be out of sight and out of mind. But sometimes, they’ll make themselves known. Gurgling toilets, sewage smells, slow drains and puddles of sewer water in your yard are all symptoms of a sewer line backup. One odd presentation of a sewer-line leak is a particularly (and perhaps suspiciously) green patch of grass in your lawn. Why’s it so green? You can probably fill in the blanks.

In that case, you’re probably going to need repair. That involves digging a trench to access the line, breaking the pipe, removing the damaged section and replacing it with a new one. Trenchless repairs are a little easier (and cheaper) because of the lack of digging involved.

Don’t worry. We’ve anticipated your next question: What’s this bill going to look like?

Sewer line maintenance and repair costs vary wildly based on a number of factors, like the type of pipes you have and whether excavation work is needed. If the technicians are going to have to dig up your yard to get to your sewer line, the total price depends on anything from how deep your lines are buried to what type of soil they’ll have to dig through. And, of course, the local cost of living also plays a factor.

Regular maintenance can help prevent cracks that lead to major repairs, but this, too, comes at a price.

The national average cost for diagnosis is $83 (CAD 106), for maintenance is $408 (CAD 520) and repair is $3,708 (CAD 4,726).

Below, you’ll find the average service prices based on aggregated HomeServe data reported by our network of contractors across the state of … excuse us, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which should give you a good idea of how much you’ll have to pay for sanitary sewer line maintenance and repairs.

(At the time of publication, pandemic-precipitated materials shortages were impacting home maintenance, repair and construction sectors across the board; price fluctuations caused by those supply-chain issues are not necessarily reflected here.)

Sanitary Sewer Line Diagnosis: $78 (CAD 99)

Before they can get to work on your line, the technician will likely need to come out and run some tests to determine what’s wrong with your system. In Pennsylvania, the fee is around 6% less than the national average.

Sanitary Sewer Line Maintenance: $346 (CAD 441)

If you want to avoid a larger sewer system breakdown, you’ll want to stay on top of regular maintenance and cleaning. A maintenance service call usually involves spraying your pipes with high-pressure water to clear any would-be clogs. The technician may also send a scope down the pipe to check for cracks and separations that could cause issues down the road.

In Pennsylvania, you can expect to pay about 15% less than the national average for sewer line maintenance. Experts recommend large households have their pipes serviced once every two years.

Sanitary Sewer Line Repair: $4,055 (CAD 5,171)

Shifting earth and invading tree roots can do a number on your sewer pipes. Over time, your pipes may separate or crack, causing leaks and full-on ruptures. Whatever the reason, if a technician says you’re going to need a sewer line repair, you should brace yourself for the accompanying costs.

Pennsylvanians spend, on average, 9% more on sewer line repairs than the average American.

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All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.