If sewage is coming up inside or pooling in the yard, stop using water, keep people away and call, since our 24/7 dispatch can send a licensed plumber any hour. A camera confirms the break, and then a repair plan follows.
Sewer line repair means fixing or replacing a damaged section of the pipe that carries wastewater from your house to the street connection. The right repair depends on the pipe, where it broke and how deep it lies.
Sewage smell in the yard, a soggy patch, a backup that keeps returning
A broken sewer line seldom announces itself. The first sign may be an odor near one corner of the house, a patch of lawn that stays wet and greener than the rest, or a drain that clogs again and again at the same spot. Slow drains throughout the house, with gurgling and a sewage smell, point the same way.
A cleaning clears the clog but not the cause. If the line has been cleared more than once and the problem returns, the pipe itself is the question, and a camera run will show a crack, an offset joint, roots or a sag.
Drain, waste and vent work, including the building drain and the lateral to the street, falls under the plumbing code. For Hanahan that is the 2021 South Carolina Plumbing Code or the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) with state modifications.
Work near the public sewer or in the street involves the sewer provider as well. The City page names Berkeley County Sanitation for sewer issues, so confirm who serves your street.
Sources: City of Hanahan, Building Codes and SC LLR, Building Codes in Effect for South Carolina. Checked October 2026.
Sewage backing up or pooling: what to do first
Take these steps while you wait for a plumber.
Stop water use
A broken line cannot carry what you send. Every flush adds to the leak or the backup.
Keep out of sewage
Wastewater carries bacteria. Keep children and pets away from the yard patch or the wet floor, and wash hands after any contact.
Mark the wet spot
Note where the soggy ground or odor is strongest. A flag or a photo helps us find the break.
Leave digging to us
Utility lines may cross the yard. Call 811 before anyone digs, and do not guess where the pipe runs.
Call your insurer's claim line
Ask what is covered and what documentation they want before you clean up.
Confirm who serves your street, and why low ground matters
The City of Hanahan's Public Works page lists Berkeley County Sanitation for sewer issues and Charleston Water System for water. Before a repair, confirm which utility serves your street, because the answer decides who handles a public main problem and where your private line ends.
Hanahan sits at about 16 feet above sea level, and several neighborhoods have tidal water behind them. Low, wet ground can stay saturated after storms and high tides, which loads the soil around a cracked pipe and lets groundwater in through the break. On low ground, tell us how your yard drains, since a repair that ignores that can fail. Ladson spans three counties, so Ladson homeowners hear similar advice: check your street.
Water or sewage problem right now?Call the 24/7 line. A licensed plumber, a clear price before work starts.
Call (855) 575-2890A crack with root intrusion: can it be a spot repair?
Plenty of homeowners find out from a camera that there is one cracked joint with roots coming in, and the rest of the line looks sound. They ask whether that one place can be fixed without replacing the whole line. Often it can, if the pipe on either side is in decent condition.
The sequence is to clear the roots first, rerun the camera, and mark the defect. A short section may be dug and replaced, or a liner patch placed from inside. Spot repairs fail when the pipe around them is weak, so we say what the camera inspection shows before recommending one.
Pipe lining and trenchless spot repair: what it is and where it stops
Pipe lining places a resin-soaked tube inside the damaged pipe, pushes it against the wall and cures it into a new inner pipe. A spot repair uses a shorter liner patch over one defect. Neither needs a trench along the whole line, so lawns, driveways and slabs stay mostly intact.
The limits matter. A liner needs a pipe that is still round enough to receive it. A collapsed section, a deep belly or a severe offset usually needs excavation. Lining also reduces the pipe's interior diameter slightly, and lateral connections must be reopened after it cures. Our hydro jetting work often prepares the pipe before a liner goes in.
Cast iron pipe repair: sleeves and section replacement
Cast iron drain lines corrode from the inside with age, and PVC and ABS replaced them in newer homes. A corroded cast iron line shows rough scale, thin walls and sometimes a crack at a joint.
For a single leaking joint or short crack, a stainless steel repair sleeve with a rubber gasket clamps over the damage. For longer runs or widespread corrosion, the better repair is cutting out the bad section and replacing it with PVC or ABS using no-hub couplings. If the whole run is corroded, we may recommend replacing it all rather than patching it piece by piece.
Repair options side by side
Which repair fits depends on what the camera shows.
| Option | Best for | Not for | Disruption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair sleeve | One leaking joint or short crack on accessible cast iron | Long corroded runs | Small excavation or access opening |
| Section replacement | A broken, offset or collapsed length | Lines under heavy structures with no access | Dig along the section |
| Pipe lining | Cracks, root entry and corrosion on a round pipe | Collapsed or badly bellied pipe | Little digging, access at cleanouts |
| Spot liner patch | One defect on a sound line | Pipe weak on both sides | Little digging |
| Full replacement | Widespread failure | A line with a single fault | Largest, may involve driveways or slab |
Sewer backup: when cleaning is no longer enough
A sewer backup can come from a clog or from a pipe that cannot carry flow. If we clear it and it stops again, or the camera finds a sag or offset that collects solids, repair is the answer. Main sewer cleaning is a short-term fix for a line that needs repair.
If cleaning will clear it, see sewer line cleaning. If the pipe is damaged, a cleaning only buys time, and we will say so rather than sell you repeat visits.
If your property is on septic
Most of this page assumes a connection to a public sewer. Some properties in and around Hanahan may instead have a septic tank and drain field, and we are not claiming that is common. If yours does, ask the sewer provider or the City of Hanahan Building and Codes department how your property is served.
On a septic property, the line from the house to the tank can be cleared, camera-inspected and repaired like any sewer line. Tank pumping and drain field work are separate trades. A full tank looks like slow drains everywhere with gurgling and odor, and the cure is pumping by a septic service, not a cable. Wet, lush ground over the field is a warning sign. We will tell you honestly when a problem falls outside our work.
From camera to finished repair
A sewer repair follows this order.
- 1
Camera the line
We clear the pipe enough to run a camera, record the run and mark the defect.
- 2
Locate and measure
A locator at the surface shows depth and position, so any digging is limited to what is needed.
- 3
Explain the options
You get the choice of repair, lining or replacement, with the clear price before work starts.
- 4
Check with the City if needed
Some repairs may need a permit. We tell you to ask the City of Hanahan Building and Codes department.
- 5
Repair and test
After the repair, we run water through the line and, where we can, rerun the camera.
Sewage in the house cannot wait for a business day. Dispatch is 24/7, and we offer same-day appointments when available, including nights and weekends.
What affects the price of sewer line repair
Repair costs range widely, which is why we price after the camera.
- Length of pipe affected
- A single joint is a small job. A long run costs several times as much.
- Depth and location
- Pipe under a driveway, slab or tree takes more work than pipe in an open yard.
- Method
- A sleeve is cheaper than lining, which is cheaper than full replacement in many cases, but not always.
- Pipe condition
- Weak pipe on either side of a defect can change a spot repair into a longer one.
- Restoration
- Landscaping, concrete and paving put back after digging add to the total.
Homeowner policies generally cover sudden damage but not wear, age or root intrusion. Some cover backup damage only with an endorsement, so ask your carrier.
Call and we will describe the likely options and what a clear price covers.
Frequently asked questions
Do you handle Sewer Line Repair emergencies at night or on weekends in Hanahan?
Yes. Our dispatch runs 24/7, and licensed plumbers take same-day appointments when available, including nights and weekends. Stop using water and call.
How do I know my sewer line is broken and not just clogged?
A clog clears and stays clear. A broken line backs up again, often at the same spot, and may leave a wet patch or odor in the yard. A camera run settles it.
Does pipe lining work on every sewer line?
No. It needs a pipe that is still round and open enough to receive the liner. Collapsed or deeply bellied pipe usually needs digging.
Can a cracked cast iron pipe be repaired without replacing it all?
Often, if the damage is limited. A sleeve covers a joint or short crack, and a bad section can be cut out and replaced. Widespread corrosion is a different decision.
Who is responsible for the sewer line, me or the sewer provider?
Confirm with the provider, which the City lists as Berkeley County Sanitation. The private line normally ends where the public connection begins, but exact boundaries vary, so ask before assuming.
Do I need a permit for sewer repair?
Some repairs may. Ask the City of Hanahan Building and Codes department, and tell your plumber what they say.
Do you work on septic systems?
We can clear and repair the line between your house and a tank. Tank pumping and drain field work are separate trades, and we will tell you if a problem is outside our work.