Sewer Lateral Repair
Your lateral is clay, it is sixty years old, and the city may pay for it
Most Florissant homes were built between 1947 and 1980 on clay tile sewer laterals. Clay has a joint every few feet, roots find those joints, and eventually the line fails. The good news is the City of Florissant runs a lateral program — and it starts with a camera inspection.
- Camera inspection first, always
- Root intrusion and clay tile joints
- Documentation for the city program
- Footage is yours to keep
How the city program works
The short version, in plain language
This is the single most valuable thing a Florissant homeowner can understand about their plumbing. Details change, so confirm current terms with the City of Florissant Engineering Division.
You are responsible near the house
The program does not cover the portion of the lateral inside the home or within about five feet of the foundation. That part is yours.
The city may cover the rest
For qualifying single-family and small multi-family properties, the program can cover repair of the lateral running out to the MSD main.
It starts with a camera
The city needs a televised inspection showing the defect before it will act. That inspection is what we do, and the footage is yours.
We wrote the whole thing out — see our guide to the Florissant sewer lateral program before you call anyone.
Why it matters
Why the camera comes first, every time
You see what we see
We are not asking you to take our word on a several-thousand-dollar repair. The footage shows the defect and where it sits.
The city needs the documentation
A claim without a televised inspection showing a defect does not go anywhere. The inspection is not an upsell, it is the entry requirement.
It separates roots from structure
Roots at a joint can sometimes be cut back and managed. A collapsed or offset section cannot. The camera tells you which conversation you are having.
And it sizes the job honestly
One bad joint at eighteen feet is a spot repair. A line failing along its whole length is a replacement. Very different numbers.
What we find
Three failures that put a Florissant lateral on the table
After sixty years in the ground, clay tile has a limited number of ways to go wrong.
Root intrusion at the joints is the most common by far — the mature trees that make these subdivisions pleasant are the same trees whose roots find every clay joint in the yard. Second is offset or collapse, where a section has cracked or shifted and every clog after that is a symptom rather than a cause. Third is a belly, where the ground settled and a stretch of line now holds water instead of draining, so solids accumulate and the line backs up on a schedule. Cabling clears all three temporarily. Only one of them is actually fixed by cabling.
How we work
What to expect when you call
- 01
Camera inspection
We run the lateral, locate any defect by depth and distance, and record it. You get the footage whether or not you hire us for the repair.
- 02
Documentation and options
If the line qualifies, we give you what you need for the city application. If it does not, you get spot repair and replacement numbers.
- 03
The repair and cleanup
Excavation kept as tight as the job allows, the repair made and tested, and the yard put back.
Free estimate
Backing up more than once? Get it looked at
Repeat main line clogs, sewage smell, or multiple fixtures backing up at once all point at the lateral. The camera settles it.
Related: the city program explained, lateral repair cost, camera inspection, clay laterals and roots, drain cleaning
Got a plumbing problem that is not getting better on its own?
Call for anything urgent, or send the form and we will get back to you within one business day with a real number.