Dunwoody has no sewer system of its own; DeKalb County Watershed Management provides sewer service, so a sewer line replacement in Dunwoody means new pipe for the private lateral from your house to DeKalb's sewer. About 44% of the city's homes predate 1980, with the 1970s alone accounting for roughly 28%, and those original laterals are now at an age when replacement often makes more sense than repair. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Dunwoody.
Dunwoody's lines in brief
Dunwoody combines the Perimeter Center business district with established neighborhoods around historic Dunwoody Village and Georgetown. The median home was built in 1984, and about 44.1% went up before 1980, according to ACS 2019-2023 estimates. A lateral installed in the 1970s may be clay, cast iron or early plastic, and after fifty years any of them can crack, sag or fill with roots. Water and sewer applications go to DeKalb County, not the city.
What to do now
- Cut back on water use until the line is checked, especially laundry.
- Ask a neighbor whether their drains are slow. If several houses are affected or a manhole is overflowing, call DeKalb's 24-hour emergency repair line at 770-270-6243.
- Look in the outdoor cleanout. Water standing in it means the blockage sits farther toward the street.
- Have a plumber clear the line and push a camera through it.
- Decide on repair or replacement from the footage, not from a guess.
- Expect a Dunwoody permit. The city's single-trade component permits cover stand-alone plumbing repairs, and work may not begin until the permit is issued.
What you notice and what it usually means
| What you notice | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Main line needs clearing more than once a year | Roots in joints or a cracked section |
| Basement or lowest shower drain fills first | Blockage in the lateral, not one fixture |
| Toilet gurgles when the washer drains | Partial restriction in the main line |
| Damp, sunken strip in the yard | Broken pipe leaking into soil |
| Rust scale visible on camera | Corroding cast iron near the house |
Cost factors
- How far the lateral runs and how deep it is
- Trench or trenchless, depending on slope and condition
- Driveways, patios and mature trees along the route
- Interior drain pipe replaced in the same job
- Permit through Dunwoody Community Development, issued over the counter, online or by mail
Many Dunwoody lots from the 1970s have large hardwoods between the house and the street. Roots are a leading reason clay laterals fail, and they also shape the method: if the camera shows the old pipe is still round and sloped, lining or bursting can replace it without cutting through the root zone. A collapsed line under a big tree takes more planning.
Sewer Line Replacement questions in Dunwoody
Who issues the permit for replacing a sewer line here?
What are older sewer laterals around here usually made of?
How long does a sewer line replacement usually take?
What should I do first if sewage comes up inside the house?
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