Staten Island houses usually sit further back from the street than in the rest of the city, so the house sewer is a longer run: out of the house, under a yard or a driveway, under the sidewalk and into the city sewer. We camera it first to find where it failed, then dig over that section, or replace the run if it has to go.
The age of the pipe follows the age of the neighborhood: clay tile and cast iron in the older parts of St. George, Stapleton and Port Richmond, PVC in many newer houses further south. Long runs mean more joints for roots to find, and a sagging section can sit a long way from the house.
The North Shore is hilly and the South Shore flatter, and on some blocks city sewers arrived later than in the rest of the city, so part of every job is confirming where the line actually goes.
One of these is a warning. Two or more, together, usually mean the line itself.
We find out what is wrong before anyone digs. A sewer camera inspection is a paid service: you get the video and a written report, and the repair is priced from what the camera found. Anyone who quotes a sewer repair over the phone is guessing, and you pay for the guess later.
Repairs and replacements are done in extra-heavy cast iron or NYC-approved PVC, with a new house trap and cleanout where they are needed. Where the line allows it, trenchless repair leaves less of the sidewalk or yard open. More on NYC sewer line repair and NYC sewer line replacement.
A snake clears a blockage. It does not fix a broken pipe. If a backup clears and never comes back, you probably did not need us. If it keeps coming back, the line is usually cracked, sagging or full of roots, and the camera will show which.
In New York City the house sewer belongs to the property owner all the way to the connection at the city sewer, including the part under the sidewalk and the street. DEP maintains the city sewer itself, and when it finds a defect on the owner's side it can send a sewer defect notice. We handle those too: see DEP notices and compliance.
The digging is the quick part. The permits set the calendar.
Our customers took these photos on recent sewer jobs in New York City and posted them with their Google reviews.
“They came in a timely manner on the initial request and kept me updated on the process of pulling the permits and when the job was going to be completed. The workers were professional and restored back my front yard in a clean manner plus put seeds down.”
Von W., Google review
“We are so grateful to Ed and his professional team for helping us repair the broken sewer line. They were responsive and efficient, securing permits on short notice and completing the work in a single day. They even cleaned the street afterward.”
Luya S., Google review
We work across Staten Island: St. George, Tompkinsville, Stapleton, Clifton, Rosebank, Grymes Hill, Silver Lake, Sunnyside, West Brighton, Port Richmond, Mariners Harbor, Elm Park, Graniteville, Bulls Head, Willowbrook, New Springville, Bloomfield, Chelsea, Travis, Arden Heights, Annadale, Eltingville, Great Kills, Bay Terrace, Richmondtown, Tottenville, Pleasant Plains, Huguenot, Prince’s Bay.
The property owner. In New York City the house sewer is private from the building to the connection at the city sewer, including the part under the sidewalk and the street. DEP maintains the city sewer itself.
Yes. It is a paid inspection, and you keep the video and a written report. If the line needs work, the repair is priced from that footage.
If several buildings on the block back up at the same time, the city sewer may be the problem: report it to 311. If it is only your building, it is usually your line, and the camera will show where.
Sometimes. The city treats recently resurfaced streets as protected: opening one needs DOT approval, comes with stricter restoration rules, and some work has to wait. We check a street's status before we quote, so you know before anything is scheduled.
Not unless it needs it. The camera shows where the line has failed, and on a long run that is often one section. If the line is failing along its length, we replace it out to the city sewer.
All of it, from St. George, Stapleton and Port Richmond on the North Shore to Great Kills, Annadale and Tottenville on the South Shore.
Sewer trouble on Staten Island? Call (718) 965-3500. A person answers, 24/7/365.
Water main trouble instead? See water main repair on Staten Island.
A broken water main or a sewer backup on Staten Island needs a crew, not a callback. A person answers the phone at any hour, and a licensed crew is dispatched across Staten Island for emergency water main and sewer repair, 24/7.
