Sewer Line Repair Salt Lake City: $1,390 to $5,320 (2026)

National figures; we found no Salt Lake City sewer repair price. City repair permits go through Public Utilities.

Do this now: signs of a broken sewer line

1. Stop using water in the house if drains are backing up.
2. Keep people and pets away from sewage, and photograph it for your insurer.
3. Backup or manhole overflow from the street side: call Salt Lake City Public Utilities' 24-hour line, 801-483-6700. The city's sewer plan says a property owner must notify it immediately of a backup.
4. Do not dig to find the line yourself. Call 811 before any digging so buried utilities are marked.
5. Ask for a camera inspection before agreeing to any excavation.

Who owns the sewer line in Salt Lake City?

The property owner owns it. Salt Lake City's Sanitary Sewer Management Plan says that by ordinance, laterals are owned and maintained by individual property owners, and city code defines a sewer lateral as a building sewer owned by the user. The city's collection system does not include those laterals. That means the cost of a cracked, root-filled or collapsed lateral is yours, and the plan adds that the city does not pay for losses from a break, leak, backup or failure of private facilities. Ask your insurer whether your policy or an endorsement covers sewer backup.

Is it urgent? When a sewer line cannot wait

Sewage in the house is urgent; the Insurance Information Institute says to photograph the damage, save receipts and call your insurance professional after a backup. Slow drains, gurgling and a sewage smell are early signs, HomeGuide says, and can usually wait for a scheduled camera inspection. Salt Lake City's first public sewer went in in 1889, and the city's median home dates to 1965, Census figures show, so many laterals are old clay or cast iron. HomeGuide puts clay and Orangeburg pipe life at 30 to 60 years. For an active backup tonight, see emergency plumber in Salt Lake City.

Repair permits and the city's role

Water and sewer repair permits are handled by Salt Lake City Public Utilities Development Services, 801-483-6727, which accepts repair permit applications directly. Ask the plumber whether your repair needs one and who files it. Building Services also requires permits for plumbing alterations inside the building (801-535-7968). Look the contractor up on DOPL's licensee lookup before work starts.

Trenchless or dig: what changes the price

Trenchless lining and pipe bursting cost $60 to $250 a foot, while traditional excavation runs $50 to $200 a foot plus $400 to $1,200 or more for digging, This Old House reported in 2026. Trenchless saves yards and driveways but needs a pipe that can be lined or burst. Roots are a recurring cause: the city's sewer plan calls root intrusion an ongoing concern that can block pipes. Basic home warranties rarely cover sewer repairs, This Old House says.

Sewer line facts for Salt Lake City, from the official city, county, state, utility, Census and NOAA pages listed under Sources.

Questions to ask a Salt Lake City sewer contractor

1. Can I watch the camera inspection and keep the video?
2. Is the damage on my lateral or at the city main?
3. Is the pipe a candidate for lining or bursting, or does it need excavation?
4. Who pulls the Public Utilities repair permit, and what is your DOPL license number?
5. Can I see proof of insurance and a written price before work starts?

More Salt Lake City plumbing guides

Clogs first: drain cleaning in Salt Lake City. All plumbing: plumber in Salt Lake City. Other cities: sewer line repair in Denver and sewer line repair in Portland. National prices: sewer line repair. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).