Sewer Line Repair in Bay County, MI

• Coverage includes Bay City, Essexville, Bangor Township, Hampton Township, Monitor Township, Frankenlust Township, Auburn, Pinconning and Kawkawlin.
• Crews work along I-75, US 10, US 23, Highway 13 (M-13), Highway 25 (M-25) and Highway 15 (M-15) across the county.
• Before booking in Bay City, call the Sewer Department's line; if the main is the problem, the city handles it at no charge to you.
• Outside the city, sewer service in Bangor, Hampton and nearby townships flows to the West Bay County regional plant, and the Bay County Department of Water and Sewer acts as the control authority under local ordinances.

• Camera inspections to find breaks, roots and sags in old laterals
• Spot repairs and full replacements of clay tile and cast iron building sewers
• Root cutting and descaling
• Cleanout installation outside the foundation
• Disconnecting footing drains, sump pumps and downspouts from the sanitary lateral
• Backwater valves in basements that flood in heavy rain

• HomeGuide's published national average for replacing a residential sewer line is $6,000, with most jobs between $2,000 and $10,000.
• HomeGuide lists a sewer camera inspection at $125 to $500, often the first cost when a Bay City basement backs up and the city has ruled out the main.
• By method, HomeGuide lists pipe bursting at $60 to $200 per linear foot and cured-in-place lining at $90 to $250 per linear foot.
• Permit: the city's plumbing permit application, from the Bay City Building Department, lists a $60 base fee plus $35 for sanitary sewer work, and an administrative fee equal to the permit, up to $250, when work starts before a permit.
• Method: national per-foot ranges from HomeGuide, adjusted for local factors: depth of the lateral, frost depth, street-cut and right-of-way work, and restoring lawns and driveways.

• Step 1, call the city: Bay City's Sewer Department asks homeowners to call its line first; it can check the main, locate the tap and dye-test.
• Step 2, permit: Bay City's Building Department, 301 Washington Avenue, Suite 211, issues plumbing permits; the city's application lists a $60 base fee plus $35 for sanitary sewer work.
• Step 3, right-of-way: the application says anyone replacing or repairing a sewer lead that attaches to the city system must contact DPW at (989) 894-8321 first, and no work in the city right-of-way may be done without a city permit.
• Step 4, townships: in the West Bay County system, Ordinance 305 makes the owner pay to install and connect the building sewer, and requires a connection permit and inspection before a new connection is opened.
• Step 5, clear water: Ordinance 305 bans connecting downspouts, footing drains or sump pumps to a building sewer, and lets the system order them disconnected at the owner's expense.

• Census ACS counts about 48,659 housing units in Bay County with a median year built of 1963, so a large share of homes have original clay tile or cast iron laterals.
• Lake plain clay: most of the county sits on flat, poorly drained clay soils of the old Saginaw Bay lake bed, and a high water table near the bay and along the Saginaw River keeps pipes wet and lets groundwater seep in at cracked joints.
• Tree roots from mature maples and elms in older Bay City neighborhoods are a common cause of repeat backups in clay tile laterals.
• Frost: Michigan winters drive frost deep into clay soils, and freeze-thaw movement can shift joints in shallow pipe and settle sections into a belly.
• Combined sewers: Bay City's system still includes combined sewers that carry storm water and sewage, and heavy rain can push water back toward basements in low neighborhoods near the river, which is why backwater valves are common.
• Clear water in sanitary lines: the West Bay County ordinance defines inflow to include roof leaders, footing drains and sump pumps, and bans those connections; older homes often still have them.

Bay City · Essexville · Bangor Township · Hampton Township · Monitor Township · Auburn · Pinconning · Kawkawlin