Digging and draining in University Place depend on the soil. A high glacial plateau that drops in steep bluffs to the Narrows and Chambers Bay, cut by Leach Creek and Chambers Creek Canyon. Gravelly outwash on the plateau drains well; the bluff edges and the creek canyons hold water and move. We reach University Place in about 40 minutes from Port Orchard, over the Narrows Bridge and south on Bridgeport Way or Jackson Avenue, and the trucks go out stocked for the jobs this community generates most.
Why sewer line repair & replacement is a little different in University Place
Winter rain in University Place saturates the ground and can surcharge an already weak lateral. If your sewer only gives trouble in the wet months, the camera will usually show either infiltration at a joint or a belly that fills when the water table rises.
Where the water comes from changes the diagnosis. Tacoma Water, part of Tacoma Public Utilities, supplies most of University Place with Green River water backed by wells. A few pockets near the Lakewood line are served by Lakewood Water District. Private wells are uncommon.
Local conditions that affect sewer line repair & replacement in University Place
Ask a University Place homeowner what goes wrong with plumbing here and you will usually hear a version of this: Water heaters past their life in garages of 1970s split-levels
Many University Place properties are on septic, which means the sewer repair runs from the house to the tank inlet and stops there. We handle that line and coordinate with a septic contractor when the tank or baffle also needs attention.
Here is a University Place detail that changes how we approach the job: Pinhole leaks in 1960s and 70s copper, often in slab-on-grade ramblers
Driveways, patios and additions built over the sewer path are common in University Place. We locate the line precisely from the surface, cut only the concrete we have to, and patch it when the pipe is in.
Signs University Place homeowners call us for sewer line repair & replacement
Worth a call
- A soggy or unusually green strip of lawn between the house and the street
- A dip or sinkhole appearing in the yard or driveway over the sewer path
- Multiple drains back up at once and a cable will not pass a certain footage
- The house drains through Orangeburg, clay or badly scaled cast iron
- A sewer scope during a home purchase found a defect the seller is willing to address
How we handle sewer line repair & replacement in University Place
When a University Place homeowner books sewer line repair & replacement, the job unfolds as camera and locate, written estimate, your decision, permit and utility locates, excavate and replace, inspect, test and backfill, then footage and records, and you can watch and ask questions the whole way.
Read the full step-by-step for sewer line repair & replacement →
University Place neighborhoods and areas we serve
We have worked in Fircrest border east of Orchard Street, in Leach Creek and Chambers Creek Canyon and most of the University Place neighborhoods in between, including the homes out by Tacoma Narrows Bridge view from the bluff and Chambers Bay golf course and Chambers Creek Regional Park.
Sewer Line Repair & Replacement questions from University Place
How do you decide between a spot repair and a full replacement in University Place?
The camera footage and the surface locate. One bad joint in otherwise sound pipe gets a spot repair. Multiple failures, a long belly, or Orangeburg and badly scaled cast iron point to replacement. You see the same footage we do.
My University Place house is on septic. Is sewer repair different?
The repair runs from the house to the tank inlet. If the tank or its baffle is the problem, a septic company handles that part, and we will tell you which it is.
Will you locate underground utilities before digging in University Place?
Always. Gas, water, power and communications lines are marked before any excavation, and we hand-dig near anything the locates show.
How long will my University Place yard be dug up?
A spot repair is usually opened and closed in a day. A full lateral replacement is typically two to three days. The trench stays open only as long as the inspection requires.
How do you know where to dig?
The camera head carries a beacon. After scoping the line we walk the surface with a receiver, find the exact spot above each defect, and mark it with the depth. The trench goes there, not the whole length of the yard.
University Place homeowners often find us after a larger outfit quoted a replacement for something that only needed a repair. We would rather earn a customer for life than win one big ticket.