SEWER REPAIR · SHERMAN OAKS, CA
Sewer Trouble in Sherman Oaks? We’ll Show You the Problem on Camera First.
Backups, slow drains, a sewage smell, or a soggy patch of yard: we run a camera down your line, show you the footage, and give you a written price for the fix. We go trenchless whenever the pipe allows it.
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🔒 Confirmed within 1 hour. No obligation. Your details are never shared.
Signs your sewer line needs attention
If your West Hills water heater is acting up, these are the usual signs:
Several drains backing up, or water rising in the tub when flushing the toilet
Gurgling toilets and drains that clear, then clog again within weeks
Sewage smell inside or outside the house
A wet, sunken, or unusually green strip of lawn between the house and the street
Roots cleared from the line before, and they’re back
Recurring sewage backup or blockage near the home’s main sewer cleanout
One clog is a drain problem. Repeat clogs are usually the line. Call, and we’ll tell you which.
Sherman Oaks sewer lines are reaching their limit
Sherman Oaks was laid out by General Moses Sherman’s Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company, and lots were selling by 1927. Most of the houses came later. The City’s own historic survey of the area says the 1950s and 1960s brought new subdivisions and a wave of construction, with concentrations south of Ventura Boulevard. That puts a large share of Sherman Oaks sewer laterals at 60 to 75 years old.
Homes of that era were typically built with clay or cast iron sewer laterals. Clay joints let roots in, and cast iron scales and cracks from the inside. After six or seven decades, the camera usually shows some mix of root intrusion, offset joints, and low spots where waste settles.
Where you live changes the job. North of Ventura, the ground is flat, and the lateral usually runs under a front lawn or driveway. South of Ventura, the streets climb into the Santa Monica Mountain foothills, and laterals can be long, steep, and tucked behind retaining walls and landscaping. On those lots, trenchless repair is often the difference between a one-day job and tearing out a hillside.
Who owns the sewer line in Sherman Oaks, and what permits a repair needs
Sherman Oaks is part of the City of Los Angeles. The City owns the sewer main in the street. The pipe that connects your house to it, called the lateral, is private, and LA Sanitation is clear that property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing the entire lateral, from the building all the way to the street connection. That includes the part under the sidewalk and street, and the City’s Bureau of Engineering says tree roots in the lateral are the owner’s responsibility even when they are in the public right-of-way.
Permits depend on where the work happens. Repairs on your property are permitted through LADBS. If the repair means digging in the sidewalk or street, the Bureau of Engineering issues a separate sewer permit, and that permit has to be pulled by a City-bonded sewer contractor. Pipe bursting on a house connection also requires a camera video of the line before and after the work.
You don’t have to sort any of that out. After the camera inspection, we tell you exactly which permits your job needs, and the permit costs are in the written price before we start.
Your repair options, from least digging to most
|
Method
|
Best for
|
Digging
|
|---|---|---|
|
Roots, grease, and scale in a pipe that is still structurally sound (a cleaning, not a repair) |
None |
|
|
Pipe lining |
Cracked or root-damaged pipe that still holds its shape; a new pipe is cured inside the old one |
Usually none; or one small access point |
|
Pipe bursting |
Collapsed, badly offset, or undersized pipe; a new HDPE pipe is pulled through as the old one is split |
Two small pits |
|
Spot repair |
One broken section, with the rest of the line in good shape |
One small trench |
|
Open-trench replacement |
Lines too damaged or misaligned for trenchless, or where the route has to change |
Full trench |
The camera decides, not the sales pitch. If jetting will do it, we’ll tell you. See how trenchless sewer repair works, or book a sewer camera inspection.
What sewer repair costs in Sherman Oaks
Every job gets a written price after the camera inspection, before we start. Sewer work covers a wide range. Clearing roots is a service call, a single spot repair sits in the middle, and full lateral replacement, trenchless or open-trench, commonly runs from about $3,000 to $15,000 or more.
What moves the number: the length and depth of the line, how many sections are damaged, whether the work reaches the sidewalk or street (which adds a City permit and a bonded contractor), access on hillside lots, and the method the pipe allows. Permit fees are in the quote.
Why Sherman Oaks chooses Advantage Plumbing & Rooter
We answer 24/7
Real people answer, day or night, weekends and holidays. Not a call center.
Written prices up front
You approve the price before we start. No surprises on the invoice.
Licensed, bonded & insured
CA License #1067555 (verify at cslb.ca.gov). Workers’ comp included.
Family-owned since 1997
27+ years of sewer and drain work. We compete with the national chains by doing it right.
Workmanship guarantee
We don’t leave until the job is done right, and we stand behind our work.
Confirmed within 1 hour
Request online, and we confirm your appointment within one hour.
How it works
Call or request online
We confirm your appointment within one hour.
We camera the line
You see the footage and get a written price and options.
We fix it right
Trenchless when possible, permitted, and guaranteed.
Serving Sherman Oaks and the South Valley
From our base in La Crescenta-Montrose, we cover Sherman Oaks from the flats to the hills south of Ventura, plus the neighboring communities. Need a general plumber in Sherman Oaks, or sewer drain cleaning in Sherman Oaks instead? We do that too.
Rated 5.0 ★ across 300+ reviews
Sherman Oaks Sewer Repair FAQs
See What’s Wrong With Your Sewer Line Today
Licensed, family-owned sewer repair since 1997. Camera inspection first, written price, trenchless whenever possible.
Get A Free Estimate
CONFIRMED WITHIN ONE HOUR
🔒No obligation. Confirmed within one hour. Never shared.