Sewer line repair in Portland: costs, ownership and permits

These ranges are national figures from HomeAdvisor's sewer line cost guide, updated June 2026. Depth, length, access under driveways or trees, and whether work reaches the street all move the price.

For cleaning before or instead of repair, HomeGuide lists main sewer drain cleaning at $200 to $500. See our drain cleaning page.

The City of Portland's page on broken sewer and drain lines draws the line at the curb:

• House to curb: the property owner is responsible, including the section under the sidewalk and parking strip in the public right-of-way.
• Curb to main: the City maintains the lateral from the curb line to the public sewer under the street, and the public sewer itself.
• Shared or party sewers: call the Environmental Services Nonconforming Sewer Hotline at 503-823-7869 before starting repairs.

If the City notifies you of a break or leak on your part of the line, you have 30 days to repair it or request more time. Otherwise the City can make the repair and place a lien on the property for the cost plus overhead and civil penalties.

The city says only the property owner or a licensed plumbing contractor can legally work on the sewer line, and work in the right-of-way requires bonding and insurance. Inspection happens once the new pipe is installed but still exposed. If the line is old or in poor condition, the city recommends replacing the entire line rather than one section.

1. Diagnosis. A camera is run through the line from a cleanout to locate roots, cracks, sags or collapsed sections and measure their depth and distance.
2. Choice of method. A short break may be dug up and replaced. Longer runs may suit trenchless lining, which HomeAdvisor says needs only one excavation point, or pipe bursting, which pulls new pipe through the old path.
3. Permits and locates. The contractor pulls the PT and, if needed, UR permit, and arranges utility locates before digging.
4. Inspection and backfill. The pipe is inspected while exposed, then covered and any surface restored.

If you believe the City misidentified a break, the city says a contractor can video-record the line and submit it to Environmental Services for review.

• Several fixtures backing up at once, or water rising in a basement floor drain.
• Clogs that return within weeks of cleaning, a common pattern with root intrusion. Our guide to tree roots in sewer lines explains why.
• Sewer odor inside or soggy, sunken spots in the yard along the line.
• An older house with original clay or cast iron pipe; see old house plumbing in Portland.

In combined sewer areas with basement flooding, Portland Environmental Services runs a Sewer Backup Prevention Program for backwater valves: you pay the first $100 of installation, the City pays the next $1,500, and you cover the rest. The city notes the reimbursement is taxable income.

The Oregon Building Codes Division says contractors doing plumbing work must hold both a Construction Contractors Board license and the appropriate BCD plumbing contractor license, and advises checking them before work begins. Search the company in the CCB license search and the BCD license holder search, and make sure the names match the quote. Get a written contract that names the company, its CCB number, the scope and the price.

Ask each bidder to show you the camera video, state the footage and method in writing, and say who pulls each permit. Compare per-foot prices against the ranges above.

We are an independent guide and do not do this work. To reach a plumber, call one of the licensed contractors listed on this page or see all listed contractors. If you prefer, you can email us your question through our contact page.