Cleanout installation

Adding or replacing an access point on the line.

What this page cannot establish

SewerOwner cannot establish whether cleanout installation or replacement is appropriate for your property
this approach cannot establish the condition of the line
this approach cannot establish that the access point reaches the full line

What it attempts to do

Create a usable access point so that future inspection and cleaning can be performed from a known position.

When contractors may discuss it

These are circumstances in which the approach comes up, not a checklist that makes it correct. There is no situation in which one method is universally right.

when no usable access point has been found
when the existing access point does not reach the section of interest
as part of larger work, while the line is already exposed

What has to be known before applicability can be judged

If a proposal for this work is priced without these, it is priced against assumptions. That is not necessarily wrong — but the assumptions should be written down.

where the line runs and at what approximate depth
what surfaces sit above the proposed position
what the access point is intended to reach

Access and site considerations

requires excavation at the chosen position
position determines what future work can reach
the finished cover needs to remain findable

What to clarify in a proposal for this work

These are the details that most often differ between two proposals for what sounds like the same job.

the proposed position and what it will reach in each direction
the finished surface treatment
whether the position is recorded anywhere for future reference
whether a permit applies

What to keep afterwards

a photograph and a measurement to the finished position
the permit record where applicable
the invoice

Alternatives worth asking about

Asking why one approach is proposed rather than another is a reasonable question, and the answer tells you what the contractor believes about your line.

Traditional excavation

Digging along the line to expose and replace pipe directly.

Expose the line so that pipe can be removed and replaced, and so that what is uncovered can be observed directly.

Cannot establish: the condition of any section outside the excavation; that no further conditions exist elsewhere; that the new installation will perform for any stated period.

Connection repair

Work at the point where the private line meets the public system.

Address a condition at or near the connection between the private line and the public system.

Cannot establish: who is responsible for the connection in your jurisdiction; that the authority will agree with a contractor’s view; the condition of the public system.

What would change the answer

where the line runs and at what approximate depth
what surfaces sit above the proposed position
what the access point is intended to reach

What to do next

A cleanout nobody can find later is worth much less than one whose position is recorded.

Record where it ends up

If your situation is different

You want to understand access points generally: Cleanouts and access points

Cleanouts
Why the access point determines inspection coverage.