Please check your email for your login details.Sewer Line Excavation in Metro Detroit
Compare verified contractors who dig up and replace broken, root filled or collapsed sewer laterals. Get free quotes, check licenses, and hire with confidence.
Get sewer line excavation quotes
Add your ZIP. We route your request to local excavation contractors. Free, no obligation.Protected by reCAPTCHA. Google Privacy Policy and Terms apply.
Top Sewer Line Excavation Pros in Metro Detroit
Featured spots are paid placements shown first. The Verified badge records dated checks; other listed businesses have not been verified yet. Confirm current licensing, insurance and written scope with each provider.
Featured excavation contractors spots are open for sewer line excavation.
No business holds a featured or verified spot here yet. Tell us what you need and Rebuild Detroit will route your request to local excavation contractors.
Own an excavation company in Metro Detroit? Claim the first featured spot →
Sewer line excavation in Metro Detroit: what to expect
When a camera inspection shows a collapsed, offset or root choked sewer lateral, the fix is often to dig down and replace the broken section or the whole line. Many older homes in Detroit and the inner ring suburbs still have original clay tile laterals, which crack and let roots in at the joints. Backups into the basement are the usual first sign.
The job pairs an excavation crew with a licensed plumber: the excavator digs a safe trench or pit to the break, the plumber installs new pipe and connections, and the crew backfills and restores the yard or pavement. Some lines can be lined or burst without a full trench, so ask whether trenchless repair fits. For camera work and drain issues, see plumbers.
What a proper job includes
- Camera inspection results reviewed to locate the break
- MISS DIG 811 ticket before digging
- Permits pulled for the plumbing and any street work
- Excavation with shoring or a trench box when deeper than 5 feet
- Pipe replaced and connected by a licensed plumber
- Inspection before backfill
- Backfill, compaction and restoration of lawn or pavement
What drives the price
- Depth of the sewer line and length to replace
- Location: yard, under a driveway, or in the street
- Trench protection needed for deeper digs
- Street or sidewalk cutting and restoration
- Groundwater or unstable soil in the trench
- Trees, porches or structures over the line
- Trenchless options versus open cut
Rebuild Detroit does not publish price ranges. Get written quotes for the same scope and compare.
Permits and licensing in Michigan
Sewer lateral replacement is plumbing work that needs a plumbing permit and inspection from the local building department, with the pipe work done by a licensed plumber. In Detroit, sewer service repairs and new taps involve a DWSD permit, and digging in the street or sidewalk needs a DPW right-of-way permit. Michigan law requires notice to MISS DIG 811 at least three business days ahead, and MIOSHA Part 9 requires a protective system for trenches deeper than 5 feet.
For the dig itself, look for a LARA Maintenance & Alteration license listing Excavation, and check the plumber license on the LARA lookup.
Verify: LARA license lookup MISS DIG 811 and safe digging (MPSC) Soil erosion permits (EGLE) How We Vet
How to compare quotes
- Ask to see the camera video and where the break is located.
- Ask whether open cut or trenchless repair suits your line.
- Confirm who pulls the plumbing, DWSD and right-of-way permits.
- Ask how the trench will be protected and how deep it will go.
- Check the excavation and plumbing licenses and ask for proof of insurance.
- Get restoration of lawn, drive or sidewalk in writing.
Ready to get started?
Tell us once. Rebuild Detroit routes your request to Metro Detroit excavation contractors.
Sewer Line Excavation FAQ
Get sewer line excavation quotes from local pros
Compare Metro Detroit excavation contractors and confirm credentials, scope and cost drivers before you hire.