What a cleanout is and where it sits
A cleanout is a vertical pipe branching off your sewer lateral with a threaded cap at the surface. Open the cap and you have direct access into the line, pointing toward the street.
Most Littleton homes have one, usually a four-inch capped pipe near the foundation on the side the plumbing runs, or out near the property line. Older properties sometimes have none at all, and some have one that has been buried under forty years of landscaping.
Why it is worth having
- Every service call gets cheaper. No pulling and resetting a toilet before work can start.
- Camera inspections are straightforward. The camera goes straight in and runs the line.
- Backups can be relieved from outside. A technician can open the line without coming through the house, which matters when the house is the thing that is flooding.
- Lining and jetting usually need one. Both methods want a proper access point.
- Buyers and inspectors look for it. It is a visible sign the line has been maintained.
What it costs, and why the range is wide
Depth is the main driver. A lateral at four feet is a short morning. One at eight feet needs a machine and shoring. We locate the line with the camera and sonde first so the dig lands in the right place and no deeper than it has to.
Where we put it
The useful position is close to where the lateral leaves the house, so it covers the whole run toward the street. On a long lateral — and the deep-setback lots in Ken Caryl and Roxborough have plenty of them — a second cleanout nearer the property line is sometimes worth adding, because it halves the distance a cable or camera has to travel from either end.
The cap finishes flush with grade so it does not become a trip hazard or a mowing obstacle, and we mark its position for you so it does not disappear under the next round of landscaping.
Not sure whether you have one?
We can find it, or tell you that there isn't one and what adding it would take.
Call (303) 555-0147Questions we get asked
Do I really need a cleanout?
You can live without one, but every future service call costs more and takes longer because access has to come through a pulled toilet. If the line has needed clearing more than once, the cleanout usually pays for itself over a few visits.
Where is my sewer cleanout?
Most often a capped four-inch pipe near the foundation on the side the plumbing runs, or out near the property line. On older Littleton properties it can be buried under landscaping. We can locate it with the camera and sonde.
How long does installing a cleanout take?
Usually half a day for a shallow line under lawn. Deeper lines, or installations under a driveway or patio, take longer because of the excavation and putting the surface back.
Can I install a cleanout myself?
It means cutting into a live sewer lateral at the correct angle and fitting the branch so it does not leak or catch debris. Work that touches the lateral generally falls under permit requirements in Arapahoe, Jefferson and Douglas counties, which is worth checking before starting.
Worth it before the next problem
A cleanout costs the least to install when nothing is wrong, and saves money on every service call afterwards. If your line has needed clearing twice, it has already paid for itself.
Platte Sewer Co. — sewer line repair in Littleton, CO. Open 24 hours.