Roswell's water comes from either the city or Fulton County depending on the street, but all sewer lines in the city are Fulton County's. The county makes the owner responsible for the lateral from the home to the property line, even when a blockage sits in the public right-of-way. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Roswell.
What happens when you call
You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Roswell. Expect a few questions: which fixtures are backing up, how old the house is, and whether the line has been cleared before. The plumber will usually start by opening the line from a cleanout to get water moving, then feed a camera through the pipe. That inspection shows the material, the type of damage, its location and its depth, which is what any honest repair recommendation should be based on.
If the camera points to a problem past your property line, the plumber can tell you so, and Fulton County's North Fulton sewer line (404-612-3061) is the next call.
What affects the price
- Depth of the pipe and distance from the house to the defect
- Surface over the line: lawn, landscaping, a paved drive or hardscape
- Whether a single joint, a section or the whole lateral needs work
- Lining versus excavation, which depends on the pipe's condition
- Permit handling through the City of Roswell Community Development Department, whose building permit application includes plumbing as a trade
Local conditions in Roswell
Roswell grew from an 1850s textile mill town on the Chattahoochee, and the streets around the National Register historic district and the old mill on Vickery Creek hold some of the oldest houses in north Fulton. Citywide, the median home dates to about 1989, and roughly 22% were built before 1980. Those older homes are where cast iron and clay laterals turn up, and mature trees in established neighborhoods give roots plenty of chances to find a cracked joint.
A detail that confuses many owners: even if your water bill comes from the City of Roswell, your sewer is still Fulton County's. The county's lateral flyer puts the pipe from the house to the property line on the owner, and that holds even if the blockage itself is in the public right-of-way.
Before the plumber arrives
- Stop running the washer, dishwasher and showers
- Find your cleanout if you can; it is often a capped pipe near the foundation
- Note which drains backed up first and when
- Move anything valuable away from the lowest floor drain
- Have any past camera reports or repair invoices handy
Sewer Line Repair questions in Roswell
Which part of the sewer pipe is mine to fix, and which belongs to the utility?
Who do I call if the backup might be in the public sewer main?
What is the sewer pipe under a house this age likely made of?
Why does the plumber want to run a camera before quoting a repair?
More plumbing services in Roswell
Sewer Line Repair nearby
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