Sewer Leak Detection in San Diego
A sewer leak isn't pressurized, so it hides. It shows up as a slow drain, a sinkhole in the yard, or a persistent sewage smell in the yard or crawlspace. We camera the line, mark the exact failure with a locator beacon, and give you honest repair versus trenchless options.
What this actually is
Unlike a water leak, a sewer leak is gravity-flow. It doesn't push water into the soil under pressure, so you don't see obvious symptoms until the pipe is already badly compromised. By the time you smell sewage in the yard or see a wet, sunken strip of grass, there is usually a full break or a joint offset in the line.
We diagnose from inside the pipe with a self-leveling color camera and a 512 Hz sonde transmitter. That combination shows the exact failure on video, and marks the location on the surface within an inch or two of vertical accuracy so nobody digs blind.
Sewer Leak Detection
- HD in-line sewer camera inspection
A self-leveling color camera is pushed through the cleanout to visually inspect the entire lateral, from the house to the city tap.
- Locator beacon and depth measurement
A 512 Hz sonde in the camera head is tracked from the surface with a locator wand. We mark the surface location and pipe depth in inches.
- Root, offset, and belly diagnosis
The video call-out identifies the specific failure: root intrusion at a joint, offset from settlement, belly holding water, or a full separation and collapse.
- Repair or trenchless replacement quote
Every diagnosis comes with two priced options where possible: open-cut spot repair and no-dig trenchless pipe lining or pipe bursting.
Need it handled today?
Give us a call. Same-day windows available.
Our process, step by step
- 1Pull a cleanout and camera the line
Access is usually through the two-way cleanout near the front of the house. If there isn't one, we install one, which is worth doing regardless.
- 2Video walkthrough of the entire lateral
We record the run from the house to the city connection and narrate what we see: material, joints, roots, offsets, bellies, and any breaks.
- 3Locate the failure from the surface
The camera is parked at the failure. The sonde inside the head transmits a signal, and we mark the surface directly above with paint and pipe depth in inches.
- 4Confirm scope with hydrostatic test if needed
For suspected leaks that don't show clearly on camera, we can plug the line and hydrostatically fill the lateral to force the leak to reveal itself.
- 5Present open-cut and trenchless options
You get both a spot-dig price and, when the line is a candidate, a trenchless lining or bursting price. We share the video so you make the call, not us.
Sewer line failure in San Diego breaks along neighborhood age. Older tracts like North Park, Kensington, University Heights, South Park, and parts of Point Loma still have original clay or Orangeburg laterals from the 1920s to 1950s. Mature ficus, magnolia, and pepper trees find every joint and split them wide open. Mid-century Clairemont, Bay Park, and Serra Mesa are cast-iron laterals that scale internally and eventually collapse from the bottom up. Newer builds in Otay Ranch, Del Sur, and Carmel Valley are PVC and rarely fail from age, but do fail from settlement bellies where fill wasn't compacted right. Every City of San Diego, La Mesa, or unincorporated county sewer repair is permitted and inspected before backfill, and we handle both.
What homeowners actually notice
If any of these match what you're seeing at home, it's worth a call before it gets worse.
- Sewage smell in the yard, garage, or crawlspace
- Wet, sunken, or unusually green strip of lawn along the sewer path
- Multiple drains slow or gurgling at the same time
- Toilet bubbles when the washing machine drains
- Rodents, gnats, or drain flies showing up indoors
- Water backing up into the lowest tub or shower in the house
What this typically costs
A camera inspection and sonde location in San Diego is typically $325 to $475, including the video file you keep. If we have to install a two-way cleanout to access the lateral, that's a separate line item, usually $650 to $1,200 depending on hardscape. Open-cut spot repair pricing depends on depth, soil, and hardscape and is quoted after the locate. Trenchless lining runs by the foot and we quote it against the exact linear footage the camera shows.
Common questions
Can you show me what you find on camera?+
Yes. We record the entire camera run and send you the video file the same day. You see the roots, the break, or the belly with your own eyes before you approve any work.
What's the difference between a leak, a belly, and a break?+
A leak is water escaping the pipe through a crack or bad joint. A belly is a sag in the line where solids settle and cause chronic backups. A break is a full separation where the pipe has offset or collapsed. Repair strategy is different for each.
Do you have to dig up the whole yard?+
Almost never. Once the sonde marks the exact failure and depth, spot repairs open a 4 to 6 foot section. Trenchless lining and pipe bursting need only two small access pits at each end of the run.
How much of my sewer line can trenchless replace?+
Anywhere the existing pipe holds shape for a liner or where a bursting head can pull through, which covers most residential laterals. Lines that are fully collapsed or crushed have to be open-cut at that section.
Do I need a permit for a sewer repair in San Diego?+
Yes for any lateral replacement, and yes for a trenchless liner in the City of San Diego. We pull it and get it inspected before backfill on every job.
Will the city cover any of the repair?+
The city owns the tap and the main line in the street. Everything from your house to the tap is the homeowner's. We show you exactly where the failure is on the video, so if it's on the city side we help you file with them instead.
The Lefty guarantee
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Every job backed in writing. If it fails, we come back.
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Trusted by San Diego homeowners across the county.
Got a leak? Give Lefty a call.
Real diagnostics. Real prices. Real people who show up.