How to Find Underground Sewer Lines on Your Property

Juliet D'cruz

Updated on:

Did you know that there are more than 1.3 million miles of private and public sewer lines in the United States of America? That means that you most likely have a sewer line running under your yard. It is important to find these underground sewer lines when you’re building a new project as well as when you require a sewer replacement.

It might sound difficult to determine where your public sewer line and private sewer line are. This is in large part due to the fact that they’re likely under a few feet of soil. Despite that, there are still ways for you to locate these sewer lines. You’re in luck because you’ve come to the right place to learn about locating these sewer lines.

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Continue reading to learn more about the best ways to find underground sewer lines in your yard.

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How to Find Your Sewer Lines

Unless your home is hooked up to a septic tank, you’re likely to find sewer lines running to and from your home. These lines are designed to carry your waste away from your home and into the public sewer system for your area. It is important that you know the location of these sewer lines in case they break or get clogged.

A great way to stay aware of where your sewer lines are on your property is to mark their access points. This will make it much easier for you to remember where they’re at while also helping the sewer technician should they need to perform a trenchless sewer line replacement or repair.

Here is a closer look at the best ways to find your main sewer line in your home and in your home’s yard.

Finding Your Sewer Line In Your Home

More often than not, when you’re looking for where your sewer line connects to your home it is located in the basement. This doesn’t mean that you won’t need to do some searching to find it. If you don’t have a basement in your home then the most likely location for your sewer line is either your crawlspace or your garage.

Your sewer line will look like a pipe that is around 4 inches in diameter. This pipe will have a screw cap at the end of it with a square nob on top of the cap. One important thing to be aware of is that not all homes have an interior cleanout point for their sewer. Some homes have their sewer cleanout point located outside of the home.

Finding Your Sewer Line Outside

If you’ve searched all over your home and still haven’t located your sewer line cleanout point then that means that it is most likely outside. When you begin your outdoor search for your sewer line there are a couple of good places to start with. Most times, you’ll find the sewer cleanout point near the foundation of your home or near your street.

For easy access, builders tend to make sure that the sewer line sticks out of the ground. This makes it easy to locate should anything go wrong where it needs repairs or replacement. Unfortunately, grass and weeds can cover it up and make it more difficult to find.

You might also have a buried sewer line cleanout. A good place to look if you’re still having a difficult time finding the sewer cleanout is near your home’s foundation closest to your main bathroom.

What If You Still Can’t Find Your Sewer Lines?

If you’re still having a difficult time locating your home’s sewer lines, there is still hope and you shouldn’t give up. There are still multiple options for you to try in order to determine where your sewer cleanout point is for repairs and replacements.

The first option is to contact the previous homeowners. This applies if you purchased the home from someone else, and it is especially helpful if those people were the ones that had the home built originally. They’re likely to know exactly where the sewer cleanout point is and help you locate it.

If that doesn’t work, the next option is to call your local municipality or City Hall. They’re likely to have maps showing all of the private and public sewer lines running through the area. These maps are a great resource that you have at your disposal for finding sewer lines on your home’s property.

If neither of those options gets the job done then you’ll have to call a plumbing professional to help you find the sewer cleanout point. This option kills two birds with one stone if you’re in need of sewer replacement or repair. The plumbing professional will not only help you locate your sewer lines but will be there to help repair or replace them as needed.

How to Tell if Your Sewer Lines Are Clogged

There are many telltale signs that will make it obvious that your sewer lines are clogged, but if you don’t know what to look for then you could cause the problems to grow worse.

If your sewer lines are clogged you’ll start to notice that the draining of water at your home is much slower than normal. You’ll also find that the normal methods for fixing a clogged drain aren’t effective at fixing the problem.

If you have plumbing backups in multiple spots on your home then that is also a clear sign that your sewer lines are clogged. Clogged sewer lines have a tendency to emit the smell of waste up through your drains and into your home, which is a sign that you won’t be able to miss or ignore.

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Locate Your Home’s Sewer Lines Today

It is vital that you know the location of your home’s sewer lines in the event that your underground sewer lines develop clogs that don’t allow them to drain water. This is not only bad for your plumbing and house, but it also has a negative effect on your health. Most homes have their sewer cleanout point located in the basement or garage.

If you’re not able to find your cleanout point in your home then it is likely out in the yard. Most times it is near the foundation of the home closest to the main bathroom.

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