Who is responsible for the sewer line? In most of Los Angeles County, you are, from the house all the way to where your pipe connects to the public main, including the stretch under the sidewalk and the street. That pipe is called the sewer lateral. The city or the county owns the main. And in the City of Los Angeles, owners can get back up to $300 for a camera inspection and up to $2,500 for a repair.
The conversation usually happens in the driveway, looking at the camera screen. The roots are past the sidewalk, under the street. And the homeowner says what almost everyone says: “That’s the city’s part, though, right?”
Usually, no.
Who Is Responsible for the Sewer Line Under the Street
The property owner is responsible for the whole lateral, not just the part inside the property line. LA Sanitation states it plainly: property owners in the City of Los Angeles are responsible for maintaining and repairing their entire private sewer lateral, from the building all the way to the street connection.
LA County Public Works says the same for the sewers it maintains. Its homeowner guidance says laterals are entirely owned by the property they serve, and that the owner is responsible for the entire length, including the portion under the street. County code requires owners to keep them in a safe and sanitary condition.
The public main is different. That’s the larger pipe running down the middle of the street, shared by every house on the block, and the city or county maintains it.
So the dividing line isn’t your property line. It’s the point where your lateral joins the main.
Is the Problem in Your Line or the City Main?
A few signs point one way or the other, and a camera settles it.
- Only your house is backing up: it’s almost always your lateral.
- Several neighbors are backing up at once: the main may be blocked. In the City of Los Angeles, report it through 311.
- The camera stops before the main: roots, a break, an offset joint or a sag in your lateral is yours to repair, even under the street.
- The camera reaches the main and the main is the problem: that’s the public agency’s to fix.
Our camera inspection and sewer line service records the run, marks the depth and distance of the problem with a locator, and shows you exactly which side of that connection it’s on before anyone talks about cost. If you’ve had backups during storms, our article on sewer backups after the first big rain covers why laterals give out then.
City of LA Rebates Most Owners Never Use
The City of Los Angeles offers two rebates to property owners who pay the city’s sewer service charge, and LA Sanitation’s own page admits most owners don’t know they’re responsible for the lateral at all.
| Rebate | Up to | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Camera (CCTV) inspection | $300 | Licensed and bonded contractor; apply within 6 months of the inspection |
| Lateral repair | $2,500 | Licensed and bonded contractor; apply within 60 days of the city inspector signing off the final permit |
Both are first come, first served until the year’s money runs out, and both cover residential, multifamily, commercial and industrial property. The application asks for the contractor’s invoice showing the license number, itemized costs and proof of payment.
Apply as soon as the work is done. The rebate money is set each year and it runs out, and the camera rebate expires six months after the inspection.
Burbank’s Rules for City Trees and Permits
Burbank owners are responsible for their laterals too, and the city adds two rules worth knowing before anyone digs. Both come from the city’s lateral replacement specifications.
First, trees. If a City-owned parkway tree has crushed or displaced your lateral, you may be eligible for reimbursement under Resolution No. 17,805. But a City inspector has to see the damaged pipe before it’s removed, and photographs aren’t accepted instead. The rule is written for pipe that’s crushed or displaced, so ask the city before assuming a root clog qualifies.
Second, permits. Work on private property needs a plumbing permit from the Building Department. Work in the street or sidewalk needs an excavation permit from Public Works, and the contractor has to call in a utility locate first. Burbank also runs a small rebate for single-family homes and duplexes that have their lateral cleaned and video recorded. Check with the city for the current amount.
We’re based in Burbank, so Burbank sewer jobs are home turf for us.
Other Cities in LA County
The pattern holds across most of the county: the owner has the lateral, the agency has the main. What changes from city to city is the paperwork. Each city issues its own permits for work in its streets, and a few run rebate or reimbursement programs like Los Angeles and Burbank do.
It depends on where you live, so before a lateral repair, ask your city’s public works department two questions. Is there a rebate or reimbursement program? And which permits does work in the right-of-way need? A good contractor will know the answers for the cities they work in.
What This Means If You’re Buying a House
The day escrow closes, the lateral is yours, every foot of it. In older LA neighborhoods with clay pipe and mature street trees, that can be one of the larger repairs a house will ever need.
That’s why a camera inspection before you close is worth the cost. If the video shows roots, cracks or an offset joint, you’ll know what you’re buying and can talk with your agent about how to handle it in the deal.
Hard Hat Rooter and Plumbing records every inspection, shows you the video and explains it in plain language. The LA Sanitation rebate application asks for the contractor’s license number. Ours is CSLB #981593. You get a flat-rate price before any work starts. Call (855) 331-7788, and check our current coupons before you book.
