Replaced my own sewer line!

[Longwaytogo]

So in full disclosure while I am currently a SAHD I was previously a remodeling contractor. So I do have some excavation/plumbing experience. But still in the "good old days" of construction in 2005-2007 I'm sure I would of just called one of my plumbers for something like this.

Basically had a sewage backup in my basement about 6 months ago that I was able to clear with a rented power snake from Home Depot.  Then I had another one last Thursday that I cleared again (and started to wonder if I had some issues). Then it was backed up again yesterday. So I scheduled someone else to watch my kids and my Dad to help me with repairing/replacing line today.

Started around 8:00 am and had replaced old clogged/incorrect cast iron line form house to septic tank by around 4:00 pm. Total cost - Gravel for proper back filling $55, plumbing fittings at Depot - $60. So around $115 total for a job a pro would have easily charged %K or more for (especially if you had it done in "emergency schedule"). My Dad had most of the pipe and fittings in his shop and refused to take any gas money for his bobcat which we used for a lot of the digging/back filling. But even had I bought pipe and rented a machine for 8 hours I'm sure my cost would have been under $700-$800.

Reminded me of the "necessity is the mother of badassity" post. I had a basement full of *hit and a bank account running on fumes after this Summer (my wife is a teacher and we do not have summer pay). So it was put on your big boy pants and get to shoveling.

[Greg]

Congrats on getting it done.  Not at all fun in the traditional sense.  But rewarding nonetheless.  There's a joke around some of the contractors I work with, none of them know how to use a shovel.

[expatartist]

Wow, that's impressive! Way to put your know-how to work.

[Exflyboy]

I did the same before we extended our house.. Found the sewer line was that awful "orangeburg" rolled up tarpaper tube is what it is.

my shovel went right through it.

I had to dig it out by hand and the joint between the house cast iron and the orangeburg was UNDER the house using about half a yard of concrete.

There was about a foot of crawlspace under the house at that point.

That was a miserable job but heck I did it and like you it was less than $100..:)

Frank

[hambeast]

I did something similar over the winter and also saved myself probably several thousand.  Thank god I have a friend stupid enough to help me dig up my yard and sewer.  I had to dig up 20 feet of clay pipe that was 100% clogged from roots getting in the joints that even a powered snake with cutting blades couldn't get through.  First day above freezing I broke up the frozen grass with a pickaxe and we hand dug with shovels the rest.  Luckily very sandy soil where I live.  The last portion we got out was 6 feet down and still heading deeper but thankfully nothing clogged past there.  The smell was...awful.  replaced it with like $40 worth of PVC and were good to go.  Finally being able to take a shower longer than 90 seconds was a fantastic experience.   Also a good thing we didn't rent a backhoe because the gas line went right above the sewer line and somehow all 3 of us forgot about it. 

[Longwaytogo]

Thanks all. Yeah it was hard work but oddly satisfying. We had a water line to hand dig around before we set in with backhoe also.