Collapsed or broken sewer line: what to do now
Repair becomes urgent when waste cannot leave the house. A collapsed pipe stops flow entirely, and a broken one lets sewage seep into the soil beneath your yard or foundation. The first sign is usually a backup that returns right after a cleaning.
Before we arrive: keep the damage small
A failed sewer line gives you little warning, so protect the house while you wait.
Stop water use
No laundry, showers or dishwasher. Water that cannot drain goes to the lowest fixture in the house.
Avoid contact
Sewage in a basement is a health risk. Keep children and pets away and wear gloves if you must enter.
Do not dig
Do not start digging to find the pipe. Gas, electric and water lines may cross your yard, and Pennsylvania law requires homeowners and contractors to call 8-1-1 at least three business days before digging.
Photograph the damage
Pictures of wet areas, sunken ground or stains help with an insurance claim, if your policy covers it.
Signs a sewer line needs repair, not another cleaning
Backups that return fast
If a cleaning holds for days or weeks and then fails again, something in the pipe is catching debris.
Sunken or soggy ground
A depression or a persistently wet strip between the house and street can mean a leak below it.
Sewer odor outdoors or in the basement
Gas escapes through a crack or a disconnected joint. A smell near a floor drain or in the yard deserves a camera visit.
Rodents or insects near drains
Rats and cockroaches use broken pipes as tunnels into a house.
Slow drains in every fixture
Partial collapse shrinks the pipe. Water still passes but slowly, and the symptoms look like a clog.
Cast iron, clay and Orangeburg: what the camera usually finds
The pipe material shapes the repair. Cast iron was used widely in older homes and can corrode through the wall, which leaves flaking scale and thin spots. Clay tile sections are short, so there are many joints for roots to enter. Orangeburg, a pipe made of compressed tar paper, can soften, oval and collapse.
We tell you which one we see, with the footage, and we do not guess from the age of the house. A pipe that looks rough may still carry flow and may need only routine care, which is why a camera inspection comes before any quote for replacement.
Plastic, usually PVC or ABS, is common in newer lines. It resists corrosion and roots, but ground movement or a poor connection can still crack or separate it.
Trenchless repair or excavation: how we choose
Both methods work, and neither is always better. The camera, the depth of the pipe and what sits above it decide. A line under a driveway, a mature tree or a finished patio often favors trenchless methods. A collapsed or heavily bellied pipe often needs a trench.
Trenchless repair
- Pipe lining adds a cured resin liner inside the existing pipe
- Pipe bursting pulls a new pipe through as the old one is broken apart
- Small access holes instead of a long trench
- Needs a pipe that is open enough to run equipment
- May not be possible if the pipe is collapsed or badly bellied
Excavation and replacement
- Opens a trench along the failed section
- Lets us fix collapsed pipe, bellies and bad connections directly
- Lets us verify slope and bedding as we go
- Disturbs lawn, walks or pavement that must be restored
- Usually required where trenchless is not possible
Some customers ask about lining a line under a concrete slab. It can be possible when the pipe is accessible from a cleanout and not collapsed, and the camera decides. We would rather tell you it will not work than sell a liner that cannot cure properly.
Sewer line failing? Talk to a plumber now
Call, describe the backup and the history of your line, and we will tell you whether this is a repair or a cleaning. After-hours calls are answered and same-day visits are booked when the schedule allows. Call (215) 714-6692.
Who owns the sewer lateral
The Horsham Water and Sewer Authority owns the service lateral up to the right-of-way or easement line. You own the building lateral from that line to the house and pay to maintain it. Before you approve a repair, have the camera mark where the failure sits relative to that line, because it decides who pays.
We can make the camera footage available to you, to the authority or to a second contractor, so you can confirm what is wrong. If the failure is in the Authority's section or the public main, call the Authority at (215) 672-8011 and we say so rather than quote you for it.
Authority rules also call for a cleanout on your lateral at the right-of-way, at every bend and every 100 feet, so we check for those and discuss adding one while the line is open.
How a repair goes from first call to finished pipe
- 1
Camera and locate
We record the line and mark the failure above ground, with its depth and distance from the cleanout.
- 2
Options and price
You see the footage and the choices. The price comes before any digging or lining.
- 3
Marking and permits
We call 8-1-1 for utility marking, which takes three business days, so we place the call early. Ask Horsham Township Code Enforcement at (215) 643-3131 whether your repair needs a permit, since the township fines work done before a required permit.
- 4
Repair
We line, burst or replace the failed section and connect it to the rest of the pipe.
- 5
Prove it
A final camera run and a water test show the repaired section is clear and flowing.
Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code adopts the International Plumbing Code for plumbing work, and we install pipe to the code that applies. We do not claim a permit is waived for any job, and we will tell you if the township asks for inspection.
Keep the old line running in the meantime
If the repair cannot happen today, a clearing may restore flow temporarily. A sewer line cleaning visit can buy time, but it is a stopgap if the pipe is cracked or collapsed. Water jetting, described on our hydro jetting page, is not safe on a broken pipe, which is why the camera comes first.
What affects the price of sewer line repair
Repair costs depend on the pipe, the method and the site. We give you a number before work starts.
Method
Lining, bursting and trench replacement involve different equipment, labor and restoration.
Length and depth
Deeper pipe and longer sections take more time and more material.
What is above the pipe
Driveways, patios, trees and landscaping affect the access and the restoration.
Pipe condition
A collapsed pipe limits trenchless choices, and a partly sound pipe offers more.
Permits and inspections
Code Enforcement asks for 24 to 48 hours notice before an inspection, which sets part of the schedule.
Insurance rarely covers the pipe itself, but may help with resulting damage. Want your real number? Call (215) 714-6692.
We also dispatch to neighboring townships such as Warminster. Give us your address and we will confirm service.
Questions about sewer line repair in Horsham
Yes. Our dispatch line runs 24/7, and we book same-day appointments when available, including nights and weekends. We stop the immediate problem, then film the line to find the failure.
Signs include backups that return soon after cleaning, sunken ground, sewer odor and slow drains in every fixture. A camera inspection confirms it.
No. Trenchless methods leave the yard intact, but they need a pipe that is open enough to work with. Collapsed or heavily bellied pipe often needs excavation.
Orangeburg was common for a stretch of mid-century construction, but the year alone does not settle it. The camera shows the pipe wall, and we tell you what we see.
You pay for the building lateral on the house side of the right-of-way or easement line. The Horsham Water and Sewer Authority owns the service lateral beyond it, so a failure there is its job. The camera footage shows which side the break is on.
Ask Horsham Township Code Enforcement at 1025 Horsham Road, (215) 643-3131, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The township fines work started before a required permit, so confirm first. We tell you what we see and what the township asks for.
A trench disturbs lawn, walks or pavement. Trenchless methods use smaller access points. We discuss restoration before work begins.
Often yes. A short failed section can be lined or replaced, which is why we film the whole line first.
Sources we checked
Local facts on this page come from these public pages. Plumbing work in Pennsylvania falls under the Uniform Construction Code, which adopts the International Plumbing Code (IPC) provisions, so ask Horsham Code Enforcement which edition applies before a permit is pulled. Rules and phone numbers change, so confirm with the office before you act.
- pa1call.org State agency
- nwwater.com/horsham-water-and-sewer-customers Authority report
- census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/horshamtownshipmontgom... Census
- horshamwater-sewer.com/sites/default/files/2026-02/horsham-water-se... Authority rules
- horsham.org/10737/Permits Township page
- puc.pa.gov/pipeline-safety/pa-one-call State agency