Why do you want to be the last person called? Wouldn't you want to be the first?
Not at all. Unless you have an emergency (broken water line, collapsed sewer line, etc), I want you to call my competition first. Have them give you a solid bid (in writing) on the work you need done. Then, call me. I will come out and compare the work needed with the bids you have and almost always come in with a much lower bid, saving you a lot of money. If you do have an emergency water, sewer, storm or septic repair job, please call me first. If you have a gas line break, leave the area immediately and call 911.

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Will my water have to be turned off during the sewer repair?
Normally, your water line is within codes and should run no less than 10 horizontal feet away from your sewer line. However, in many older homes, that is not always the case. We have come across water lines that actually cross over the sewer line. In such a case, we will need to turn off the water main if there is any question as to the distance between the two. If this is the case with your home, we can repair the water line as well, should we find it in the path of the sewer line.

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I have a low spot in my front yard that is always saturated. Is this a sewer or water leak?
That's hard to guess without first taking a look. When we know where your sewer line is and where your water line runs, we can normally determine which of the two may be causing the problem. Chances are, if you have that big of a water line leak, your monthly bill will be huge. If it is a sewer problem, you should have noticed slow flushing or sewer backup problems. Once we have seen the area, we can tell you what it will take to fix the problem.

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Who does the markings for the other buried service lines in my yard and on the street?
You will need to contact your electricity and gas provider. They will contact other services and send a crew out to mark the area. This is called "Locator Services" and must be done no more than 30 days prior to any work you may need done. The locator services will mark your water line, your gas line and any buried electric cables. Once this has been done, you can begin the repair work. Usually this service is provided free from your utilities companies. Be sure to ask whether or not you will need to obtain a permit for this work in your neighborhood. In an emergency, you don't have to wait to get locator services. Utility providers will send someone out right away to oversee the repair.

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Will this work impact my landscaping?
If the project is under your landscaped area, it will impact it to some degree. If your sewer line is damaged and needs to be replaced or repaired under an area where you have done a lot of landscaping work, we will try to work around that landscaping as much as possible. Keep in mind, however, that wherever the sewer or water lines go, we have to follow them. We offer re-landscaping services (for an additional fee)

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I was told my sewer line goes directly under my driveway. Will the driveway have to come out to repair it?
Only where the sewer line is damaged. We need to find the damaged section and follow it in both directions until we get to a good section of pipe that we can attach the new section to without any possibility of further leakage. Normally, we may have to cut out a small portion of concrete where the sewer or water lines are under it. Replacing that section of concrete driveway or sidewalk can be included in the initial estimate, if you wish.

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I just had my driveway replaced last year. Now my sewer line is having real problems and needs to be repaired. It runs right under my new driveway. Can I repair the sewer without tearing up the new concrete drive?
I'm afraid you will need to replace some of that new concrete, where the pipe goes under it. We will take every possible means to protect the rest of the driveway, but we need to dig out the area where the pipe is located. For my customers that have sewer problems and are wanting a new driveway soon, I always suggest that they take care of the sewer problems first and make the new driveway a second priority. Your new driveway should last for 20 years. Is your troubled sewer line going to make it that long as well?

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Do I have to pay you up front for sewer line replacement?
No. We do not ask for any money up front. Unless we have negotiated a payment plan with each customer we service, we expect payment in full only at the time of completion. If another sewer or water repair company is asking you for an upfront payment, drop them quick. There are many rip-off companies out there who will demand a full (or partial) payment prior to beginning the job. Sometimes, they don't come back. Sometimes they do only part of the job and don't finish. Sometimes they take weeks or even months to do a one-day job. ET Construction does not do business like that.

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How firm is your estimate? Will there be additional costs?
We do our best to stick firmly to our estimated prices for repair or replacement work. On occasion, there may be more damage to your water or sewer lines that may require additional repair or replacement. Normally, we can make you aware of this prior to beginning the job. And, we will give you the estimated cost of additional repairs, should they become needed. More often than not, we are able to give you a firm estimate based on the repairs we feel are truly needed. Unless you want us to, we are not going to replace your entire sewer line if only a small part of it is damaged. You may want to consider a complete replacement, however. If part of your sewer (for example) has collapsed, chances are that the rest of it may be near collapse as well.

Ed says:
"I want to be the last person you call. Call my competition first and then call me for realistic pricing."

We are listed in the Blue Book