Sewer contractor San Jose: how we work and what to ask any company

How we work

We look before we quote. Every job starts with a recorded camera run from the cleanout to the main, and you watch it with us. A sewer contractor who quotes a replacement from the driveway is guessing with your money. The footage is yours whether or not you hire us.

We match the method to the pipe. Spot repair for one bad joint. Lining for clay and cast iron that still hold their shape. Bursting for Orangeburg and crushed pipe. Open trench for bellies and short shallow runs. Trenchless is the norm in San Jose because of what a trench through a driveway, a sidewalk and a city street costs here, but it isn't the answer to everything and we say so when it isn't.

We pull the permits. A city plumbing permit on every lateral replacement, a Public Works permit on anything in the right-of-way, and the inspector's sign-off before the pits are closed. That paperwork is what lets you disclose the work cleanly when you sell.

We tell you when you don't need us. If a cable clears it and the camera looks sound, you pay for a cleaning and an inspection and we leave. If the line has a few years in it, we'll say so and suggest an annual jet-and-camera instead.

Licensing and bonding in California

California requires a contractor's license from the Contractors State License Board for any job over $500 in labor and materials. Sewer lateral work falls under the C-36 plumbing classification or the C-42 sanitation system classification, and every licensed contractor must carry a contractor's bond and workers' compensation coverage for employees. We carry ours. Ask us for the license number and check it at cslb.ca.gov before you sign — it takes a minute, it shows whether the license is active and bonded, and it lists any complaints. Ask every contractor for the same. An unlicensed crew doing a $20,000 lateral leaves you with no bond, no recourse and a job you can't disclose.

What to expect from any sewer contractor in San Jose

Whichever company you call — us included — you should get:

• A recorded camera inspection before any repair or replacement price, with the recording sent to you
• A written quote naming the method, the length, the depth, the permits, the restoration and the warranty
• The CSLB license number on the quote, and proof of bond and insurance on request
• A price that doesn't change if you don't sign today
• A second camera run when the work is done

A company that fails two of those is a company whose job you'll be paying someone else to redo.

What we don't do

We don't do interior plumbing beyond the drain lines, we don't do septic systems, and we don't sell trenchless to people whose short, shallow line across a lawn would be cheaper to dig. We'll tell you when the problem is the city main rather than your lateral, and when to call San Jose 311 instead of us.

Where we are

Based in San Jose, working across Santa Clara County: Willow Glen, Cambrian, Almaden, Rose Garden, Berryessa, Evergreen, Alum Rock, and Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Cupertino, Milpitas, Mountain View, Morgan Hill, Los Gatos and Saratoga. Area codes 408 and 669. If you searched sewer line repair near me San Jose and found this page, you're in the service area. No travel charge anywhere in the county.

Call, text or request an estimate. Estimates are free and good for 30 days. For an active backup, call — that goes to the front of the day.