Drain Repair in Seattle, WA: Failing Drain Lines Under the House Replaced in ABS
Done Right Plumbing replaces failing drain lines in Seattle homes, often under north-end houses in Northgate, Lake City, Matthews Beach and Haller Lake. We rebuild the bad runs in ABS, tie them properly into any old cast iron the house still has, and add a cleanout so the line can be cleared later without pulling a toilet.
Real Work in Seattle
In September, Nick and Jeremy spent a day under a house between Northgate and Lake City replacing every drain line in its crawlspace. The drains from the hallway bathroom's sink, shower and toilet, with their vents, and from the kitchen sink were all copper, and the crew rebuilt all of it in new ABS pipe and fittings to the current plumbing code.
Where the bathroom drains join the house's horizontal four-inch cast iron drain, they cut in with new ABS and finished that run with a cleanout at the end of the line. Then they reset the toilet and made sure everything worked properly, all in about five hours on site, and the work carries our two-year warranty on parts and labor.
It was the second copper drain we replaced in that part of the city this year. In February, in Matthews Beach, Ashton and Joseph P. replaced about five feet of three-inch copper drain from an upstairs toilet with ABS, up to the brass fitting that joins its drain and vent. And at a Haller Lake house last year, galvanized and copper drains around the kitchen were replaced together in ABS.
What We Do on Seattle Drains
Replacing failed drain lines
Copper, galvanized steel and cast iron drains all wear out in the end. We replace the failing runs in ABS, sized and sloped to code, rather than patching one joint at a time on pipe that is the same age from end to end.
Tying in and adding cleanouts
Where a sound cast iron main remains, we keep it and connect the new branches with the right couplings, and we add a cleanout whenever we rebuild a line that lacks one. For a stoppage rather than a failed pipe, our drain cleaning page covers how we clear it.
What Makes a Seattle Drain Job Different
Inside drains need a Public Health permit, side sewers an SDCI permit
In Seattle, plumbing permits come from Public Health Seattle & King County rather than the city's building department, and the code calls for one whenever a plumbing system is installed, relocated or changed, which includes replacing drain lines. The side sewer outside the house needs a separate permit from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections.
North-end houses, mid-century pipe
Victory Heights, between Northgate and Lake City, joined Seattle in 1954, and much of the north end was built in the years around then, when copper, galvanized steel and cast iron were all going into drains. That is the mix we keep finding: copper feeding a cast iron main near Northgate, copper at a toilet in Matthews Beach, and galvanized and copper together in Haller Lake.
Crawlspaces and finished basements
Under a crawlspace house the drains can usually be reached from below, which is what made the September job a one-day replacement. In a finished basement the same lines run behind ceilings and walls that have to be opened, and patching drywall or tile afterward is separate from our plumbing price.
FAQs About Drain Repair in Seattle
Do I need a permit to replace drain pipes in my Seattle house?
Yes. The plumbing code requires a permit whenever a plumbing system is installed, relocated or changed, and replacing drain piping is a change. In Seattle that permit comes from Public Health Seattle & King County rather than the city's building department, while the side sewer outside the house needs its own permit from SDCI.
Why does my north Seattle house have copper drain pipes?
Copper went into the drain lines of many houses built in the 1950s and 1960s, and much of north Seattle was built then; Victory Heights joined the city in 1954. This year we replaced copper drains under two houses in the Northgate and Lake City area, a whole crawlspace's worth in September and five feet in February.
How long does it take to replace the drains under a house?
Replacing every drain under one bathroom and a kitchen took Nick and Jeremy about five hours on site in September, including the tie-in to the cast iron, a new cleanout and resetting the toilet. The five feet of copper in Matthews Beach took about an hour. Access and any walls to open set the time.
Should I replace one section of drain or the whole run?
Replace one section when the rest of the pipe is sound. When every branch is the same old material, as under the house near Northgate, replacing the whole run in one visit costs more now, but it saves paying for the next leak a few feet away and puts all of it under one warranty.
Serving Seattle From Our Lynnwood Shop
Our shop is on 204th Street SW in Lynnwood, straight down I-5 from the north end, so Northgate, Lake City, Haller Lake and Matthews Beach are a short run outside rush hour.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
WA Contractor License #DONERRP852N5
Done Right Plumbing is licensed, bonded and insured in Washington State and family-owned since 2011, and we show you the failing pipe before we quote its replacement.
Call About a Seattle Drain
A drain that leaks under the floor, a toilet that gurgles when the tub empties, or old copper or cast iron you would rather replace on your own schedule? Call for a free estimate, or request a callback and we will reach you at a time that works.