Sewer excavation
Illinois’ plumbing law leaves out “the trade of drain-laying.” Open ground and buried pipe are a different trade, and it’s ours.
What we dig for
A sewer trench gets opened for a handful of reasons, and a clean-out or a short exposed section can be as small a hole as the job allows.
- Getting to a break for repair
- Taking out and replacing an old line
- New installs and trenching for new construction
- Utility access
- Clean-out installation
- Regrading a line that has lost its fall, then backfill
The call that comes first
Illinois requires anyone digging to notify JULIE not less than 2 days and not more than 10 days ahead. The count leaves out Saturdays, Sundays, JULIE’s holidays and the day of the notice. A notice runs out after 25 days, and faded marks need a re-mark request. Homeowners digging their own trench follow the same rule, and 811 reaches JULIE.
What JULIE won’t mark
JULIE’s members don’t locate private lines, and that includes your sewer lateral. Your gas and electric service may be painted on the lawn while the pipe everyone came for isn’t. Its path has to be worked out from the clean-out, the footage and the connection point. An old plan or a neighbor’s memory can help too.
Putting it back
Grade decides whether the work holds. A line laid without steady fall starts collecting solids at the low spot, and backfill that settles unevenly can pull it out of grade later. The trench then gets closed and the ground brought back up. If a driveway, patio or old tree sits on the path, ask about trenchless options before anyone starts digging.
Related work
Sewer Excavation across 77 Illinois towns, including Granite City, Collinsville, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Alton, O'Fallon, Godfrey, Belleville.
Answers
Sewer Excavation: common questions
Do I have to call JULIE before digging for a sewer line?
Yes. Illinois requires notice through JULIE at least 2 days and no more than 10 days before excavation, leaving out weekends and holidays. Dial 811 or 800-892-0123. A sewer contractor files its own notice for its own work, while anyone digging their own trench has to file too.
Will JULIE mark my sewer line?
No, not usually. JULIE’s members mark the utilities they own, and they don’t locate privately installed lines. Your sewer lateral is typically private, so it won’t get paint or flags. Its route has to be traced from the clean-out and the connection, sometimes with help from a camera run.
How much does sewer line excavation cost?
We don’t publish prices, because depth, soil, access and whatever is on top of the trench change the job a great deal. Concrete, mature trees and street work all add to it. Tell us what’s over the line and a company representative will talk through an estimate.
Does excavation ruin my yard?
It leaves a mark for a while. The trench gets backfilled, but soil settles and grass takes time to return, and pavement over the line has to be cut and replaced. If what sits on top matters a lot, a camera run can show whether trenchless work is possible.
How do you find where a sewer line runs?
Start at the clean-out and the point where the line leaves the foundation, then follow it toward the connection at the main. Camera footage gives distance along the pipe. Town sewer maps and old permits can help as well, because JULIE’s locators won’t mark a private lateral for you.