How to Hire a Sewer Contractor in Rhode Island

Who licenses sewer contractors in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training licenses the plumbing trade through its Board of Examiners of Plumbers: master plumber, journeyperson and apprentice. The state plumbing code treats the building sewer as plumbing, so repairing, lining or renewing a lateral in Rhode Island is normally master plumber work. Separately, the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board registers contractors who build or repair structures, requiring a five hundred thousand dollar liability certificate and workers' compensation proof; a plumber working within the plumbing license is exempt, but an excavation company that is not a plumber must hold the registration. There is no separate drainlayer license at the state level, though cities set their own rules for opening the public way. Check the plumber in the Department of Labor and Training's online license verification and the company in the board's registrant search, which also shows complaints. Ask for the insurance certificate directly.

Permits and inspections

The plumbing permit in Rhode Island comes from the city or town building official, who enforces the state building code, and a licensed master plumber must pull it. In Providence, the Department of Inspection and Standards issues the permit and Public Works issues the street opening permit; because the Narragansett Bay Commission owns the public sewers in Providence and neighboring cities, confirm its connection requirements before the tap is touched. Warwick and Cranston run connection permits through their own sewer authorities alongside the building permit. The inspector views the pipe in the open trench, or reviews video for a lined one. Dig Safe, the one-call center for Rhode Island, requires notice seventy-two hours before excavation, not counting weekends and holidays. The contractor pulls the permit, not the owner.

Who owns the pipe under the street

In Providence and the other Narragansett Bay Commission cities the lateral is generally the owner's from the foundation to the public sewer, street portion included, and the commission's crews touch only the main; confirm the exact line with the commission or the city before you sign. Warwick and Cranston apply a similar house-to-main model through their sewer authorities; ask each directly whether it rebuilds the tap at the main itself. A few smaller towns stop private responsibility at the property line, so ask yours. Rhode Island has no point-of-sale sewer inspection law. Septic properties are the exception: the Department of Environmental Management licenses onsite system designers and installers, and several coastal towns require a septic inspection at sale.

What is under Rhode Island, and why it shapes the bid

Rhode Island is glacial ground: till with boulders on the uplands, outwash sand and gravel in the valleys, and a water table a few feet down across much of Warwick, Cranston and the coast. Frost reaches about three feet, so laterals run four to six feet deep and winter excavation costs more. Providence, Pawtucket and Woonsocket carry laterals from the 1880s through the 1920s, mostly vitrified clay and cast iron running to brick mains; postwar suburbs used clay and some Orangeburg, and PVC arrived in the 1970s. Boulders stop a trench without warning, so a rock allowance belongs in any open-cut bid, and groundwater makes dewatering a line item near the bay. Combined sewers in Providence and Pawtucket mean a lateral may carry roof drains too.

What a Rhode Island sewer bid must include

• The master plumber license number from the Department of Labor and Training and, for an excavation firm, the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board number.
• The city building permit and the sewer authority's or Narragansett Bay Commission's connection approval, named for Providence, Warwick or Cranston.
• A street opening permit and pavement restoration where the lateral runs under the public way.
• A boulder allowance and a dewatering line for a trench in glacial till near the water table.
• Camera footage before and after, including the connection at the public sewer.

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

Red flags in Rhode Island

• An excavation company with a Rhode Island contractor registration but no master plumber on the job.
• A claim that the Narragansett Bay Commission or the city will repair the lateral under the street.
• No Dig Safe ticket before digging; Rhode Island requires seventy-two hours' notice to the one-call center.
• Renewal priced before a camera has shown the problem.

Finding a sewer contractor in Rhode Island

Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island property owners ask for help most

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

Rhode Island sewer contractor questions

Who licenses sewer contractors in Rhode Island?

Two state bodies. The Department of Labor and Training licenses master plumbers, and the building sewer is plumbing under the Rhode Island code. The Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board registers contracting companies and requires insurance; a plumber working inside the plumbing license is exempt, an excavation firm is not. Check whichever numbers apply online.

Who owns the sewer lateral in Providence, Rhode Island?

The owner does, generally all the way from the house to the public sewer, pavement included. In Providence that public sewer belongs to the Narragansett Bay Commission, whose crews repair only the main. Warwick and Cranston follow a similar rule through their sewer authorities; ask each whether it will rebuild the tap itself.

Does Rhode Island require a sewer inspection when a house is sold?

Not for homes on public sewer. Rhode Island has no point-of-sale lateral ordinance. Septic homes are different: several coastal towns require a septic inspection at transfer, and the Department of Environmental Management regulates onsite systems. Buyers of older Providence homes should still order a sewer scope.

What does Dig Safe require in Rhode Island?

Notice at least seventy-two hours before excavation, excluding weekends and holidays, through the Dig Safe center or 811. The contractor should give you the ticket number. Skipping it violates Rhode Island law and marks a careless crew.

Why do Rhode Island sewer bids often include a rock allowance?

Glacial till. Much of Rhode Island sits on boulder-laden till, and a trench that opens cleanly for ten feet can hit a boulder the size of a car at eleven. A rock allowance stated as a unit rate keeps that from becoming an open-ended extra. Near the bay, expect a dewatering line too.

The short version for Rhode Island

Run the camera first and keep the recording. Verify the master plumber in the Department of Labor and Training lookup and the company in the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board search. Ask your sewer authority where the owner's pipe ends; in Providence, Warwick and Cranston expect the main. Have the contractor pull the permits in its own name, confirm the Dig Safe ticket, and get the video before paying the Rhode Island balance.

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

Sources checked for this page: crb.ri.gov/contractor-registration/faqs · dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/professional-regulation/boa... · law.justia.com/codes/rhode-island/title-5/chapter-5-20 · 811beforeyoudig.com/811-states/state-rhode-island