Owning a home sucks!

[peppy]

Every time I turn around there is something else...

The town let me know I have a water leak between the main line and the water meter and it's my responsibility to fix it. The leak is under the sidewalk

Hopefully I can patch the line, if not I have heard $7-$10K. How do you pay for unexpected expenses like this. The water main is across the street in the road.

Just need a place to vent..

[TGTIW]

Is that correct? When my line went I was told pre-meter was the township, anything from the meter to my house was my problem.

[peppy]

Town change the ordinance a few years ago, now the home owner is responsible to the tap.

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by peppy

Town change the ordinance a few years ago, now the home owner is responsible to the tap.

Sorry man, it happens.


Very unusual for a homeowner to bear the costs between main water line and water meter. In Calif. The homeowner is responsible for everything between meter and tap, never before the meter. In 35 yrs of home ownership I have repaired two pressure side leaks due to tree roots. A few hrs digging and the repairs were simple.

A local leak detection company usually charges $1K-$2K for under sidewalk or driveway leaks.

[rsNINESOOPER]

depending on the lay of the land the actual work should not be that big a deal.

It's the cost of the permit (if needed)and the plumbers who charge insulting prices that sting you.

Contact a GC who "does it all" and doesn't sub it out who will work with you and provide experienced options such as replace entirely $$$, cut in and replace section of pipe from meter to leak area $$, Or just patch the leak itself if pipe is sound.

Chances are you have galvanized pipe from meter to house in which case anything besides replacing entirely will be a waste of time and money. Install Copper and forget about it.

Do most of the work yourself- Excavate current pipe creating a trench to expose entire length of run. (This will not effect your water service)
doing the dirty work will save you a ton of money. Hire a couple day laborers to lean on the shovels with you and get it done. Secure the materials that your city requires for the job- Type of pipe (copper, plastic, etc.) all fittings etc. (work with a GC)

When trench is completed to required depth and width (to city's specs/requirements), all connection points exposed, cleaned, and ready to be worked on. Get new pipe in/next to trench at the ready for the GC/Plumber to do the actual plumbing/ sweating, fitting, etc. Then you are only paying for the specialized work where experience, special tools, knowledge are required (2-4) hours avg.

I have done this exact project many times and am still baffled at the quotes clients received from plumbers etc. Ridiculous

Oh and no need to bash up the sidewalk- cut old pipe on either side of the sidewalk and then use a sledge to drive out the short section. After old pipe is removed acquire the appropriate length of 1.5 inch PVC pipe to install as a chase for new service pipe.
Most times you can just pound the PVC chase pipe through the old pipe location/hole and sometimes you need to excavate it a bit at a time using the chase pipe as a sort of core drilling rig with a running hose stuffed inside of it to soften the "drill area".

For giggles I had a well known local plumbing outfit bid the connection replacement at my own house as a comparison and they said it would take three days costing $6300.
All to replace a 26 foot connection from meter to house under sidewalk etc. Mind you this did not require anything but a permit and hand tools for digging plus materials.
It cost me $1160.00 for materials, permit, and labor to complete the job with no need to demo sidewalk and re-pour. I did cheat and have a good friend who is a plumber by trade come by for a few hours to complete the connections which were required to be brazed not soldered so I needed an extra pair of competent hands to do that step. I also paid someone to dig the trench (hired at hourly rate).

Don't be afraid of this project as a DIY, its not rocket science just mainly digging, chasing parts, and a visit to the city (if required) the actual replacement of the pipe is a small slice of the overall project.

[peppy]

I'm not too worried about the sidewalk, it's digging up the road I'm worried about. We replaced everything from the water meter to the house about 10 years ago. I just thought the town was responsible from the main line to the meter.

I guess a town counsel can just put words on paper and transfer all responsibility to someone else.

Also the town can't turn the water off without cutting 8 houses off, so we have to fix it with pressure on.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by peppy

Town change the ordinance a few years ago, now the home owner is responsible to the tap.

That doesn't seem very fair.

Why don't they just change the ordinance to make the homeowner responsible all the way to the water plant? That would save them even more money.

[peppy]

Originally Posted by McLovin

That doesn't seem very fair.

Why don't they just change the ordinance to make the homeowner responsible all the way to the water plant? That would save them even more money.

Don't give them any ideas.

[Rick V]

Well if the leak is pre-meter then there is no way they can charge you for unmetered water, screw it get a backhoe and start a moat around your property

[RWebb]

the govt. is giving you a nice subsidy for for hassling with home ownership - enjoy

[911 Rod]

At my last house the subdivision's pipes were all breaking down because of a cheap install 45 years ago. We had gushers on a regular basis either coming up through the road or on peoples lawns.
The road they took care of, but if it was on our property we had to fix it.
The lots are 1/2 acre so you could image what it is costing people. And it will only get worse.

[GWN7]

Here it's from the property line is yours. Other side is the city's responsibility.

[biosurfer1]

Have to dig up the road? I would think that is for sure the responsibility of the city and probably the sidewalk, so make them move both to make the proper repairs to "your" water line.

That is BS, I work with every major water company in Sacramento County and not one makes the customer pay for anything past their meter, only the customer side of the meter.

[ckissick]

In my town, the owner pays for everything to the main.

But it gets worse. Recently, a home owner was sued by someone who fell down on a sidewalk in front of the house. Even though the sidewalk is not on private property, the adjacent homeowner is responsible for the sidewalk. The owner was sued for $350,000, but settled and only had to pay $100,000. Now that's something to vent about.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Boy I'm glad I've got well water... Not without its own set of problems, but just sayin'. It helps to live in a very "laizez-faire" town (not much governance, can pretty much do what you want within reason, etc.)

Yes, homeownership issues do suck a lot of times but they do beat renting 11 times out of 10.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by peppy

Every time I turn around there is something else...
The town let me know I have a water leak between the main line and the water meter and it's my responsibility to fix it. The leak is under the sidewalkThe water main is across the street in the road.

That's a pretty unusual ordinance that requires you to be responsible for something you have no control over. Ask to see a copy of the ordinance. I looked, but couldn't find them online. Not unusual for small towns to pass an ordinance that is unconstitutional.

[rsNINESOOPER]

Sounds fishy that the city claims you are responsible for the meter to main section. Never hurts to get the paper on that from the city so a proper read can be done.

The reasons you stated that make it a complex repair are why cities don't want you touching the main or tap. Can be dangerous, effects other customers of the water district, and requires disrupting the street. Never hurts to ask more questions about the details of this issue.

although cities are strapped for cash and have all nature of ridiculous new rules-

speed bump program is shut down so if you want to install a speed bump you have to pay the city to do the project at 300% increase to actual cost. One is not allowed to use a city approved contractor and pay directly. IDIOTS.

Required to use city contracted garbage company to haul debris from job sites. in other words I am not allowed to use a legitimate private company hauling business at a competitive rate to remove construction debris. So it cost the homeowner almost three times as much and the materials are not separated into separate piles for recycling. Greedy morons.

[A930Rocket]

Very strange. I've built in three states and numerous counties: it's all the same / homeowner responsible from meter to house.

Good advice above.

[HardDrive]

When we upgraded our kitchen, we had to put in a new electric panel.

The house had underground cable. The source bunker for electric was in the middle of our neighbors driveway. 160 ft away, and around a corner. 2 driveways, 160ft of trenching 41 inches deep, landscaping, sidewalks, etc......$25,000.....for an electric panel.

[rsNINESOOPER]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

When we upgraded our kitchen, we had to put in a new electric panel.

The house had underground cable. The source bunker for electric was in the middle of our neighbors driveway. 160 ft away, and around a corner. 2 driveways, 160ft of trenching 41 inches deep, landscaping, sidewalks, etc......$25,000.....for an electric panel.

ouch! that must still hurt...