Sewer Line Repair & Replacement | Atlanta
Your main sewer line is the one pipe that carries everything from your house out to the city main or your septic tank. When it cracks, sags, or fills with roots, you find out fast. Toilets gurgle, drains back up, and the yard starts to smell. A&G Plumbing & Drain has handled sewer lines across Marietta and Metro Atlanta since 2006. We find the real problem with a camera first, then give you honest options instead of pushing the biggest job.
Warning Signs Your Main Sewer Line Is Failing
One slow drain is usually a local clog. A main line problem shows up everywhere at once. Watch for these:
- Several drains backing up at the same time, especially the lowest ones (basement floor drain, first-floor toilet, tub).
- Gurgling toilets, or water rising in the tub when you run the washer.
- A sewage smell in the yard, the basement, or near a floor drain.
- Patches of bright green, soggy grass over the line when the rest of the lawn is dry.
- Repeat clogs that come back a few weeks after every snake job.
- Foundation cracks or sinkholes in the yard following the path of the pipe.
If you are seeing two or three of these together, do not keep snaking it. A snake clears the blockage but tells you nothing about why it keeps happening. That is what the camera is for.
Step One: The Camera Inspection
We do not guess and we do not dig blind. Every main line job starts with a sewer camera inspection. We feed a waterproof camera down the line and watch the screen with you. You see the same picture we do: the crack, the root mass, the belly where the pipe has sagged, or the offset joint where two sections have separated.
The camera also tells us how deep the line runs, what it is made of (cast iron, clay tile, Orangeburg, or PVC), and exactly how far the problem sits from the house. In Metro Atlanta a camera inspection typically runs from around $140 for a quick look up to $900 or more for a longer, harder-to-reach line. That fee is money well spent, because it stops you from paying for a full replacement when a spot repair would do.
Sometimes the camera shows the line is fine and the real trouble is a grease or debris clog further in. In that case we move to drain cleaning and you save thousands.
Why Sewer Lines Fail in Georgia
Two things wreck more sewer lines around here than anything else: red clay soil and tree roots.
Georgia red clay swells when it is wet and shrinks rock-hard in a dry summer. That constant movement shifts pipe joints, opens up cracks, and creates low spots (we call them bellies) where waste collects and clogs. Older clay tile and Orangeburg pipe, common in homes built before the 1980s, crack under that pressure.
Then come the roots. Metro Atlanta is full of mature oaks, pines, and water oaks, and their roots hunt for moisture. A hairline crack or a loose joint leaks just enough water to draw them in. Once a root finds the line it grows into a thick mat that traps paper and grease until the pipe is blocked solid. Root intrusion is the single most common cause of sewer backups we see in Marietta, Norcross, and the surrounding cities.
Trenchless vs. Traditional Dig
Once we know what is wrong, there are two ways to fix it. Here is the straight version of each.
Traditional Dig (Open Excavation)
We dig a trench down to the pipe, remove the bad section, and lay new PVC. This is the right call when the line is fully collapsed, the slope has to be corrected, or the pipe runs shallow with clear access. The downside is the surface damage. Digging up a yard, driveway, walkway, or patio means restoration costs on top of the pipe work. In Metro Atlanta a traditional dig replacement commonly runs from about $3,000 to $15,000 or more, depending on length, depth, and what we have to dig through.
Trenchless Repair
Trenchless work fixes the line through one or two small access points instead of a long trench. There are two main methods. With pipe lining (CIPP), we pull a resin-coated liner through the old pipe and cure it in place, creating a new pipe inside the old one. With pipe bursting, we pull a new pipe through the old one while a head breaks the old pipe outward. Trenchless saves your landscaping, driveway, and concrete, which is why a lot of homeowners prefer it even when the pipe price is similar. In Metro Atlanta trenchless work generally runs from roughly $80 to $250 per linear foot, with full-line projects often landing between $4,000 and $25,000 depending on length and conditions.
Trenchless is not always possible. A fully collapsed line or one with a bad belly may need a dig. We will tell you which method actually fits your line after the camera run, not before.
Honest Cost: Repair vs. Replacement
Not every sewer problem needs a full replacement, and we will not sell you one you do not need. Here is roughly what Metro Atlanta homeowners pay:
- Spot repair (one cracked section or a single root intrusion point): commonly $1,000 to $4,000.
- Trenchless full-line replacement: often $4,000 to $25,000, depending on length and access.
- Traditional dig replacement: commonly $3,000 to $15,000 or more.
- Permits: most local jurisdictions run about $185 to $400.
These are ranges, not quotes. The real number depends on how long the line is, how deep it sits, the soil, and whether we have to work around a driveway or septic tank. After we run the camera we give you a flat price in writing before any work starts.
Sewer Line Repair Across Metro Atlanta
We are based in Marietta and run sewer line work throughout Metro Atlanta. If you need sewer line repair in Marietta or sewer line repair in Norcross, that is our home turf, and we know the soil and the older pipe materials common in both. We also serve:
Wherever you are in the metro, the process is the same: camera first, honest options, flat price, clean work.
Why Homeowners Call A&G
We are family-owned, licensed, and insured, with a 4.9-star rating across 420+ reviews. We have been doing this in Cobb County and across Metro Atlanta since 2006, so we have seen what red clay and oak roots do to a line, and we know how to fix it without tearing up your whole yard. Call (770) 627-4421 for fast scheduling, with same-day service when available during business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I need sewer line repair or just a drain cleaning?
If only one fixture is slow, it is usually a local clog and drain cleaning fixes it. If several drains back up at once, you smell sewage, or clogs keep returning after every snake job, the main line is the likely culprit. A camera inspection settles it for sure.
Is trenchless sewer repair cheaper than digging?
The pipe work itself often costs about the same. Trenchless usually wins on total cost because it skips the expense of tearing up and replacing your yard, driveway, or patio. On a clean dig with easy access, traditional excavation can come out lower. We compare both for your specific line.
How much does sewer line repair cost in Marietta and Metro Atlanta?
A spot repair commonly runs $1,000 to $4,000. A full replacement runs roughly $3,000 to $15,000 by dig, or about $4,000 to $25,000 trenchless, depending on length and access. We give you a flat written price after the camera inspection.
Will tree roots come back after the line is fixed?
If we replace or line the pipe with a sealed, jointless run, roots have nothing to grow into, so the problem stops. With a spot repair on an older line, roots can still find another weak joint later, which is why the camera matters for choosing the right fix.
Do I need a permit to replace my sewer line?
Yes. Most Metro Atlanta jurisdictions require a permit for sewer line replacement, usually around $185 to $400. We handle the permitting as part of the job so you do not have to chase paperwork.
Can you do same-day sewer service?
We offer fast scheduling and same-day service when slots are available during our business hours, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Call (770) 627-4421 and we will get you on the schedule as soon as we can.