I bought my 1925, brick bungalow in 2007. It was newly remodeled and the inspection went very smoothly. Having checked on the status of the roof, interior plumbing and electrical system, I felt I had “done my homework” and made a great investment.

Just over one year later, I came home to a large puddle of raw sewage in my basement. I was taken completely by surprise. The sewer line running from my house to the city sewer system had collapsed. After hazardous material clean-up (about $200), a major home repair had to be done, and done quickly. I called 4 different plumbers and described the problem, each one responded with the words, “OK, you need to think of this like buying a car…” A very bad omen.

Part of the floor of my basement had to be jackhammered out, my side front lawn had to be dug up and a new, plastic sewer line was run from the house to the city system. The total cost: over $10,000.

I learned a great deal about sewer line construction over the next 2 weeks. Sewer lines for most homes in my area, built prior to 1940, were made of clay. Over time, the clay breaks apart leaving a “sewer line” of broken clay and surrounding dirt. Although this situation may not become problematic for several years, eventually it will collapse and the only recourse is to put in a new line. Lines today are made of heavy duty plastic. The line I had installed is guaranteed for 50 years.

A standard home inspection does not include an inspection of the sewer line. Standard home insurance does not cover this repair and the city is not responsible for the line from the house to the street. Although my city has a program to help pay for major home repairs, I did not meet the income requirement to participate. My city does offer an insurance program for home owners in my area for this particular issue.

My Advice

1. When purchasing an older home, request the seller give proof of a sewage line inspection and be certain to find out which material was used to construct the line.

2. If you have an older home, find out what your sewer line is made of. If it was constructed of clay or metal, check with your home owner’s insurance or contact your city government to find out if you can get insurance that covers a sewer line collapse.


3. If your sewer line has collapsed, contact your city government to see if you qualify for help with the repair.

Now my home has a sewer line that will probably outlive the foundation. I just wish I had been able to deduct that $10,000 repair from the purchase price of my home.