Sewer Leak in the Yard? Wet, Sunken or Green Patches
Is it a sewer leak in the yard, an irrigation break or the water service line? How to check a soft, sunken or extra-green patch yourself before calling.
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Sewer line advice for San Jose homeowners
Straight answers about sewer line problems, costs and what to expect from a contractor — written for houses in San Jose and Santa Clara County, not for the whole country.
Sewer Repair in the Rainy Season: What Changes on the Job
Sewer repair in the rainy season means wet trenches, groundwater in the pits and weather waits for concrete. What changes from November to March, and why.
Drought, Clay Soil and Sewer Line Breaks: What Dry Years Do
Drought and sewer line breaks go together: adobe clay soil shrinks in a dry year, pulls old pipe joints open, and the first big storm finds the damage.
Running a Sewer Liner Through Bends, Tees and Roots
What a sewer liner through bends, tees and root-damaged joints actually does in a San Jose clay lateral, and the features a liner can't get past.
Grease Clog in a Sewer Line: Why the Kitchen Goes First
How a grease clog in a sewer line builds up from the kitchen drain, why a cold December kitchen makes it worse, and what actually clears it for good.
Cast Iron Sewer Pipe Lifespan and Channel Rot in San Jose
Cast iron sewer pipe lifespan runs 50–75 years before the bottom wears through. What channel rot looks like on camera, and how San Jose homes fix it.
Hydro Jetting vs Snaking: Which One You Actually Need
A cable machine opens a hole through a clog; hydro jetting a sewer line cleans the pipe wall. When each is the right call in San Jose, and when neither helps.
Sump Pumps vs Sewer Backups in San Jose: Not the Same Problem
Sump pump vs sewer backup in San Jose, where a sump pump is a crawlspace pump: how to tell groundwater under the house from sewage in the tub.
Fall Sewer Checklist for San Jose Homes, Before the Rains
A ten-item fall sewer checklist for San Jose homeowners to run in late September, before November rains surcharge the mains and push old laterals over.
Root Season: Why San Jose Sewer Clogs Peak in Late Summer
Mid-September starts the busiest stretch of the year for sewer root clogs in San Jose. What the dry summer and first rains do to an old clay lateral.
Tree Roots in Sewer Lines: Why San Jose Yards Are Full of Them
Tree roots in a sewer line, San Jose style: why redwoods, oaks and orchard trees get into clay laterals, how a root pries a joint open, and which fixes last.
Who Owns the Sewer Lateral in San Jose? Where Your Job Starts
In San Jose the owner is generally responsible for the sewer lateral to the city main, street included. What that means for permits, cost and who to call.
Sewer Camera Inspection: What It Shows and What It Costs
Sewer scope inspection cost in San Jose ($250–$500) and what the camera shows — clay joints, roots, bellies, cast iron rot — and what to ask for.
Trenchless Sewer Repair Explained: Lining vs Pipe Bursting
Pipe lining vs pipe bursting: how each trenchless method works, which fits clay, cast iron, Orangeburg or a slab, and when neither is right in San Jose.
What Sewer Repair Costs by Method in San Jose (2026)
What sewer repair costs by method in San Jose in 2026: spot repair, open trench, lining and bursting, plus a worked quote for a 1960s ranch home.
Signs of a Broken Sewer Line in a San Jose Home
Signs of sewer line problems in a San Jose ranch home or Eichler: the tub that backs up, the smell by the cleanout, the green stripe in August.
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