Sewer Line Repair in Sarpy County, NE

• Coverage across the county: Bellevue, Papillion, La Vista, Gretna, Springfield, Chalco and the subdivisions along the Platte River.
• Crews run US 75, Highway 370, Highway 50 and I-80 between the north county and Gretna.
• Have your city named when you call; permits and inspections differ between Bellevue, Papillion and La Vista.

• Clearing root and grease blockages in house sewer lines
• Camera inspections before buying an older Bellevue home
• Spot repairs on settled or bellied runs in newer subdivisions
• Lateral replacement from the house to the city main
• Backwater valves for basements below street level

• HomeGuide's published national average for replacing a residential sewer line is $6,000, and most jobs fall between $2,000 and $10,000.
• HomeGuide lists a camera inspection at $125 to $500, which is the first step for any line whose condition you don't know.
• Trenchless methods are priced per linear foot: HomeGuide lists pipe bursting at $60 to $200 and cured-in-place lining at $90 to $250.
• Local permit costs are modest. La Vista's Master Fee Ordinance lists a $30 sewer repair permit and a $30 base plumbing permit.
• Method: national ranges from HomeGuide, adjusted for local depth to the main, street cuts in the right-of-way and the city's permit fees.

• Step 1, find the cause: Bellevue's homeowner guide asks residents to check their own fixtures and cleanout and to ask neighbors, then call a plumber if the problem is private.
• Step 2, report a public problem: Bellevue's Wastewater Division takes sewer service calls at 402-293-3135, or 911 after hours for an emergency sewer issue.
• Step 3, permit: La Vista's Master Fee Ordinance sets a $30 sewer repair permit; Papillion and Bellevue issue their own permits for work on a sewer connection.
• Step 4, right-of-way: a repair that crosses the street or sidewalk needs the city's right-of-way permit as well as the plumbing permit.
• Step 5, inspection: the city inspects the repair before backfill. Leave the trench open and the pipe exposed until the inspector signs off, or you may have to dig it up again.

• Census ACS figures count 76,780 housing units in Sarpy County with a median year built of 1996, so most homes have PVC sewer lines rather than clay tile or cast iron.
• Older homes in Bellevue's original neighborhoods near Offutt Air Force Base and along the Missouri River bluffs are the main exception, and some still have clay tile laterals.
• Bellevue's guide names tree roots, grease and system deterioration among the causes of backups; roots from mature trees in neighborhoods near the older city core are the usual culprit.
• Loess soils settle when wet, and lines in newer subdivisions can belly where backfill was not compacted.
• Deep frost in Nebraska winters can shift shallow pipe near the house. Heavy spring rain is the other test: a backup that shows up only after a storm points to groundwater or roof water getting into the line, which a camera inspection can usually confirm.

Bellevue · Papillion · La Vista · Gretna · Springfield · Chalco