A Tricky East Bay Sewer Lateral ConversionJune 7, 2023
The Story Of How Avalon Connected An East Bay
Home Built In The 1920s To The Sewer Main
This Tricky Sewer Lateral Conversion Was A Challenge
We Were Happy To Take On.
Plumbing and sewer work in the East Bay can be like trying to herd cats. There are just so many factors to consider and so many different regulations to follow to be in compliance, depending on your community.
Even when you think you have considered every angle and planned for everything, something ELSE comes up.
How Avalon Rooter Got The Job
The first plumbing company the homeowner hired had an untimely family emergency and had to back out of the job.
That left her to find a new plumbing company to either replace her septic tanks or, as it turned out, to connect her home to the main sewer line for good.
She reached out to four companies. One gave a low-ball estimate, one didn’t respond, and the third scheduled an appointment but didn’t show up.
The fourth one was Avalon Rooter.
Our company founder and CEO, Will, came out personally to assess the situation, perform a thorough survey, and provide her with an estimate. One thing that stood out to her was the fact that Will took his time to carefully examine her property before giving an estimate.
The other guys had given her a low-ball estimate RIGHT away, with a clause that allowed them to change the price if they wanted. That wasn’t going to work!
“Will’s bid was accurate and seemed fair,” she remembered, having done some research on what to expect from a sewer lateral conversion.
“It’s easy to get taken advantage of as a female homeowner. Contractors will try to jack up the price if they think they can. Avalon didn’t do that.”
A Sewer Line Conversion With Obstacle After Obstacle
Sewer line conversions involve cutting through a LOT of concrete and asphalt to construct a brand-new line from your home to the sewer main. This involves getting permission from the city.
In this case, we had to cut through 4 of the 5 lanes of traffic on the street where she lived, which meant the street was just barely accessible until we finished the project.
That wasn’t the only problem. The other, bigger problem was the water line, which ran only a few feet away from where we needed to put the new sewer lateral.
At first, we were told that it just couldn’t be done, but we insisted on doing a closer inspection and were allowed to continue.
Will was certain we would not need to install a sewer pump, but with the water line that close, we had no choice.
She appreciated that Will took the time to deal with the city representative BEFORE providing the bid for the project. That made the whole process go more smoothly.
One big aspect of Avalon’s business model that impressed her was Will’s personal dedication to the job.
“Will was here every day, down in the trenches with his employees,” Adriane noted.
As far as she was concerned, the entire team handled the project like professionals.
“They were on time, they cleaned up, they covered everything properly so no one hurt themselves. They were friendly, considerate, and all the things that make a company worth working with.”
The East Bay’s Most Troublesome Water Heater
The home also had a very old water heater that ended up giving her – and us – some trouble. It had been leaking for some time and would need to be repaired in order to prevent large amounts of water from spilling into her yard.
It was a waste of water and a waste of her money.
Rather than put up with continued leaks that would need to be fixed, we recommended replacing the water heater altogether.
We did…but we did make one small mistake. We forgot to connect the hot water to the kitchen appliances! Adriane called us and politely informed us of the mistake, so we came back to fix it right away and did not charge her for labor.
In the end, she got a brand-new water heater that should last at LEAST 10 to 15 years to replace her old, leaking one.
The End Result: A Stress-Free Plumbing Set-Up
When all was said and done, we were able to connect her home to the sewer line without any other problems. We’re always happy to help homeowners in our community, but this was an especially important project.
If we had been unable to convert the septic tank to a sewer line, she would have been stuck with an ongoing plumbing HEADACHE. The only other solution was to pump out the tanks and manually remove root intrusions once or even TWICE per year.
Luckily, we were successful, so she won’t EVER have to worry about that.
Because we did our due diligence and handled the project with our signature Precision Workmanship and dedication, we were able to provide her with a PERMANENT solution.