Sometimes the best fix for a sewer line is to stop using the path it takes. If a new foundation, an ADU, a pool or a cracked pipe under the slab is in the way, Target Plumbers designs a new route for your sewer or drain line, files the permits and builds it so it passes inspection the first time. You see the planned route and the price before anything is dug.
| Your situation | Why the existing line is a problem | Where the new line usually goes |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked or backed-up pipe under the slab | Repairing it in place means breaking up floors inside the house | Out of the slab: around the perimeter, or through walls and the attic for upper drains |
| Kitchen move, new bathroom or ADU | The new fixtures sit where the old line can’t reach with proper fall | A new branch tied into the main line at a point with enough depth |
| Pool, retaining wall or hardscape | Nothing permanent should be built on top of a sewer lateral | Around the build zone, with a cleanout left accessible |
| Foundation repair or new footings | Piers and footings would land on, or crush, the existing pipe | Clear of the footing line, before the foundation crew starts |
| Line under a large tree or driveway | Roots keep coming back and digging out the old run is costly | A shorter, root-free path to the lateral or the street connection |
Four questions decide it. We answer them with the camera footage and a site survey, then price whichever options are realistic.
When the answer points to fixing the existing pipe, see sewer line repair and replacement.
A reroute is cheapest before the concrete, the pool shell or the new footings go in. We schedule the underground work into your contractor’s sequence:
Every reroute needs a plumbing permit and an inspection from your city’s building department. If the reroute changes where your lateral joins the public sewer, the City of Los Angeles also requires a Bureau of Engineering S-Permit for the house connection, and street work there is limited to Bonded Sewer Contractors. LA County Public Works places the lateral itself in the owner’s hands. Orange County cities and sanitary districts each run their own connection rules, so we confirm them for your address before quoting.
| Line item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Locating and camera survey | Length of the existing run and how many access points it has |
| New pipe and fittings | Feet of new line, pipe size and number of direction changes |
| Trenching or opening walls | Depth, soil or concrete, and whether the route runs through the house |
| Cleanouts and connections | How many fixtures and branches tie into the new line |
| Permits and inspections | City fees, plus any right-of-way work at the street |
| Abandoning the old line | Capping only, or filling the old pipe |
| Restoration | Concrete, landscaping or drywall to patch afterwards |
Rerouting during a remodel can be folded into the project budget, or paid over up to 48 months at 0% interest with approved credit.
Length, depth and what sits along the new path drive the price: a run through open yard is far simpler than one routed through the house. Permits, cleanouts and restoration are listed separately on the quote, which you get in writing after the route survey.
Usually, as long as a new path can keep a steady fall to the street connection and leave room for code-required cleanouts. The route survey confirms whether that path exists on your lot.
It is when the old pipe sits under a slab, a structure or planned construction, because nothing has to be demolished to reach it. When the old route is open ground, replacing the pipe where it lies is usually less expensive.
Yes. The usual approach is to abandon the section under the floor and run new drain lines around the house or through walls, joining the lateral outside. Floors stay intact.
Before the slab is poured or the footings go in. Once concrete is down, moving the line means cutting it back out.
Not realistically. The new line has to hold its grade, include cleanouts, separate from the water line and pass a city inspection before it is covered.
Short exterior reroutes can be finished quickly; longer runs or routes through the house take more time, and inspections set part of the schedule. Your quote states the expected timeline.
Reroute surveys are done on site by the office nearest your project:
Planning a remodel, pool or foundation job? Send the project details and we’ll schedule a survey before your contractor breaks ground. Sewage backing up now? Call (844) 941-2727 any time.