How to Hire a Sewer Contractor in New York

Who licenses sewer contractors in New York

New York leaves plumbing licensing to cities and counties, so the first question is which jurisdiction your property sits in. In New York City the Department of Buildings issues the Licensed Master Plumber credential, and only a master plumber may apply for the sewer permits that make a house connection legal; look the plumber up in the Department's online license search by name or number. Buffalo licenses master plumbers through its Department of Permit and Inspection Services, Rochester and Syracuse through their own code offices, and the Long Island and Hudson Valley suburbs mostly through county boards such as the Nassau and Westchester plumbing examiners. Outside those programs a sewer firm may hold nothing more than a local business registration, and New York has no statewide general contractor license either. Whatever the jurisdiction, ask for the license certificate, the workers' compensation certificate that state law requires of nearly every employer, and a general liability policy.

Permits and inspections

New York City is its own system. For an existing lateral, the master plumber files a repair or relay permit with the Department of Environmental Protection, which governs connections to city sewers; a new or enlarged connection first needs a House Connection Proposal or Site Connection Proposal prepared by an engineer or architect. The Department of Buildings inspects the pipe between property line and foundation, DEP inspects the street side, and any pavement cut needs a Department of Transportation street opening permit. Upstate, the city plumbing inspector issues the sewer permit and public works the street permit; in Buffalo the Buffalo Sewer Authority is also involved. Expect an open-trench inspection or a post-lining video. Dig Safely New York, the 811 center, needs at least two working days' notice. The plumber pulls the permit.

Who owns the pipe under the street

In New York City the house connection, the local name for a lateral, belongs to the owner from the building to the city sewer in the street, and the owner also carries the cost of the street repair. Buffalo takes the same position: city officials have said plainly that the lateral from house to main is the homeowner's, regardless of cause. Rochester, Syracuse and many suburban towns stop private responsibility at the curb or property line and maintain the portion under the street, so a break in the right-of-way can be either party's problem. Ask the sewer authority before accepting a bid for street work. New York has no statewide point-of-sale lateral law, though a handful of Long Island and Westchester villages require a certificate at transfer.

What is under New York, and why it shapes the bid

New York's sewers are old. New York City, Buffalo, Albany and Rochester all have house connections laid between the 1890s and 1920s, usually vitrified clay or cast iron, running to brick or clay mains ten feet down or more. Suburban Long Island and Westchester tracts of the 1950s used clay and, in places, Orangeburg fiber pipe that is now collapsing. Frost reaches three to four feet upstate, so pipe is deep and winter excavation is costly. Glacial till with boulders is common from Syracuse west, while Long Island sits on sand with a high water table that makes dewatering a line item. In the five boroughs the cost driver is the street itself: stacked utilities, traffic control, and pavement restoration.

For the lining methods themselves, the Sewer Pipe Lining New York pipe lining guide goes into what fails in the ground here and which method fits.

What a New York sewer bid must include

• The plumber's license number and the issuing jurisdiction, such as the New York City Department of Buildings or the Buffalo permit office.
• In New York City, the DEP repair or relay permit and, for a new connection, the approved House Connection Proposal.
• The street opening permit and traffic control plan for any work under the public right-of-way.
• Camera inspection before and after, with footage reaching the city sewer or at least the curb.
• Dewatering, shoring and winter conditions priced where the trench is deep or the water table high.

The full checklist, for any state, is on what a sewer bid should include.

Red flags in New York

• A New York City contractor who is not a Licensed Master Plumber yet promises to handle the sewer connection.
• A claim that no DEP or city permit applies to a repair in the street.
• No workers' compensation certificate; New York requires one and permit offices will ask.
• Replacement pushed without camera footage of the existing pipe.

Finding a sewer contractor in New York

New York does not yet have a verified contractor listed on this site, which is why the number on this page rings the national line. Call it or send the form with the property address and what the symptoms or the camera are showing, and we will locate a qualified sewer contractor near you, screen them the same way we screen every listing, and make the introduction. There is no charge for that. You can also search the CIPP Verified Installer directory yourself.

Estimates are free. Call now. (855) 804-1434

Where New York property owners ask for help most

The rules above apply statewide; the communities below are the ones that generate the most questions.

New York sewer contractor questions

Is there a statewide plumbing license in New York?

No. New York leaves plumbing licensing to local governments. New York City licenses master plumbers through the Department of Buildings, Buffalo through its permit department, and many suburbs through county boards. Find out which office covers your address and verify the number there.

What permits does a sewer repair need in New York City?

An existing house connection repair needs a repair or relay permit from the Department of Environmental Protection, filed by a Licensed Master Plumber. A new connection first needs an approved House Connection or Site Connection Proposal. Street work also needs a Department of Transportation opening permit.

Who owns the sewer line under the street in New York?

It depends on the municipality. In New York City and Buffalo the owner is responsible all the way to the main, pavement included. Rochester, Syracuse and many suburban towns maintain the portion in the public right-of-way. Confirm with the sewer authority before accepting a bid for street excavation.

Does New York require a sewer inspection when selling a home?

There is no statewide requirement. A few New York villages on Long Island and in Westchester ask for a lateral certificate at transfer. Buyers of older homes should order a sewer scope on their own regardless.

Why are New York sewer bids so often for lining rather than digging?

Depth and the street. Upstate frost puts pipe three to four feet down or more, and in New York City the sewer may sit ten feet below stacked utilities and traffic. Restoring city pavement can cost more than the pipe, so lining or bursting from the building side is usually cheaper.

The short version for New York

Find out which government licenses plumbers at your address, then verify the number there. In New York City that is the Department of Buildings, and the sewer permit comes from DEP. Learn where your responsibility ends before pricing street work, because Buffalo and the city say the main while many upstate towns say the curb. Get a camera inspection, demand the permit number in writing, and keep every New York inspection sign-off.

Estimates are free. Call now. (855) 804-1434

Sources checked for this page: www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/house-connections.page · home4.nyc.gov/site/dep/about/sewer-connections.page · www.housecallpro.com/licensing/plumbing/new-york/ · www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/buffalo-homeowner-learns-hes-re...