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Sewer Repair & Replacement in Sherman Oaks

Mr. Pipe Plumbing works out from the pipe itself whether a damaged sewer line in Sherman Oaks should be repaired or replaced. Two lines our crew has handled there went different ways: one was descaled and fitted with a new liner, and the other had its shifted, root-damaged section dug out.

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  • Based in Studio City, CA
  • CSLB C-36 #1087910
  • Mon–Fri 6 AM–6 PM
  • Sat 7 AM–4 PM
Technician in a deep excavation holding a black pipe fitting beside new pipe and broken clay pipe pieces
New pipe in a sewer excavation.
Photo not attributed to a specific job.

In Sherman Oaks

Digging to the damaged section

Excavation was the route on one Sherman Oaks line, where the pipe had shifted out of alignment and roots had worked heavily into it. Our crew opened the ground over the affected section and took the old pipe out.

Roughly 71% of homes across the Sherman Oaks ZIP-code areas went up before 1980, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2024. That figure dates the buildings. A sewer line under one may be original or a later replacement, so we check its condition directly before suggesting a section repair or a new run.

The same 2024 Census estimates put about 60% of the area's homes in buildings of five or more units. For a building, we agree with the owner or manager on which part of the ground gets opened before any work is approved.

Sources U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5‑year; Mr. Pipe Plumbing Google owner update: Sectional sewer repair in Sherman Oaks; Mr. Pipe Plumbing Google owner update: Main Sewer Line Repair in Sherman Oaks.

What decides whether we dig

Excavation means reaching the pipe directly. The ground over the damaged stretch is opened, the failed pipe comes out, and new pipe goes in. Because the crew can see and handle the line, digging stays workable in conditions that rule out lining and bursting.

What a dig involves depends on how deep the line sits, what sits on top of it, and how the crew can get to that part of the property. A line under a garden is a different job from one under a driveway or a building's paved yard. We walk through those points with the owner, or with the manager for a building, before anything is approved.

Trenchless work is not our default and it is not available on every line. Where it is an option, we say so. Where the condition of the pipe or the access rules it out, we explain why and what the alternative involves.

A few useful answers

For anything else, talk to our office.

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Why is the lawn over my sewer line soft or sinking?

It can be the line. When a joint separates or the pipe cracks, what should run through it starts seeping into the soil, and the ground above can go soft, sink, or turn greener than the rest. It is a reason to have the line looked at, though on its own it does not settle the cause. The repair depends on where that damage sits.

Lining or pipe bursting: what's the difference?

Lining installs a new liner inside the pipe you already have, through an access point, so the old pipe stays in the ground and has to be sound enough to carry it. Bursting replaces the old pipe along the route it already follows, worked from access points. Which one fits depends on the condition of the line, its path, and the access at each end.

How many years does a sewer line last?

No honest figure covers every line. The pipe, the ground around it, roots, and how much of the first pipe is still working all change the answer. U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 place about 36% of Sherman Oaks homes before 1960, but a building's age does not tell us whether its line is original. We judge the line by what its accessible sections are in.

Roots, grease and the point where repair comes in

LA Sanitation says more than half of sewer backups are caused by tree roots and poured fats, oils and grease.

Grease builds up inside a line, and cleaning is how it comes out. Roots can be cleared the same way, but they get in through joints and small openings in the pipe, and clearing them leaves those openings as they were. When a backup keeps returning to the same spot soon after cleaning, the pipe itself becomes the question, and that is where an assessment for repair or replacement starts.

Know what happens next

  1. Discuss and assess

    Our goal is to identify the cause of the problem and recommend an appropriate repair based on the plumbing condition, accessibility, and scope of work.

  2. Findings and estimate

    We assess the issue, explain our findings, and provide an estimate before any approved work begins.

  3. Work completed and confirmed

    After approved work is completed, we test the repaired or installed plumbing where applicable, explain the completed work, and provide the customer or authorized contact with the appropriate service documentation.

Pricing depends on the plumbing condition, accessibility, materials, and actual scope of work. If additional work is discovered, it will be explained and approved before proceeding.

In our customers’ words

Read more reviews

Reviews of Mr. Pipe Plumbing. These reviews are not attributed to a job in Sherman Oaks.

★★★★★Google
“Z is always great and goes above and beyond for our building. He also is very patient with my incessant questions and concerns. He replaced corroded sewer lines and snaked our washer machines.”
Denise SlenskiGoogle Reviews
★★★★★Yelp
“Zlatko was super helpful and accommodating the whole way through! His work is great and his prices are more than fair. He shows up on time, is professional, and he explains everything thoroughly.”
Suzie W.Yelp Reviews

Let’s get it looked at

We provide a scheduled arrival window and communicate if the schedule changes.

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