LA City Bonded Sewer Contractor
Sewer work under a Los Angeles sidewalk or street needs a city sewer permit, and only contractors on the city’s Bonded Sewer Contractor list can get one for construction in the public right-of-way.
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How Sewer Work Is Permitted in the City of Los Angeles
In the City of Los Angeles, any sewer work that reaches under the sidewalk, parkway or street needs a sewer permit (called an S-Permit) from the Bureau of Engineering, and the city only issues permits for construction in the public right-of-way to contractors on its Bonded Sewer Contractor list. All Service Plumbing is a bonded sewer contractor for the City of Los Angeles, so we can pull that permit, do the repair or replacement, and book the city inspection as part of one job.
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Your Sewer Lateral Is Your Responsibility, All the Way to the Street
LA Sanitation states it plainly: property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing their entire private sewer lateral, from the building all the way to the connection at the street. That includes the part under the sidewalk and the street, which is why so many Los Angeles homeowners are surprised by the bill when a line fails past the property line.
The city maintains the public main in the street. Everything between your house and that main is yours, and LA Sanitation notes that more than half of sewer backups are caused by tree roots and by fats, oils and grease poured down drains. Roots in a private line have to be cleared by a licensed plumber.
If the lowest fixture in the house, such as a basement shower, sits below the street manhole cover, the city requires a backwater valve so a backup in the main cannot flow into the home. Those are permitted through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).
What Needs a Bonded Contractor, and What Doesn’t
- Clearing a stoppage. Snaking or hydro jetting an existing line does not need a city sewer permit, as long as nothing is replaced and nobody digs in the street or sidewalk (Los Angeles Municipal Code 64.12(d)).
- Repairing or replacing the lateral in the public right-of-way. Needs an S-Permit, and permits for construction in the right-of-way go to approved Bonded Sewer Contractors.
- A new house connection sewer. When there is no existing connection at the property line, the permit is issued to a Bonded Sewer Contractor only (LAMC 64.15.1).
- Connecting at the property line to an existing city service connection. The city allows a regular plumber or contractor to pull this property-line S-Permit.
- Work entirely on your own property. Handled with a plumbing permit from LADBS, not an S-Permit.
The Bureau of Engineering issues S-Permits over the counter at its district offices, and a permit stays valid for two years from the day it is issued.
What It Takes to Be on the Bonded Sewer Contractor List
The list is not a one-time registration. According to the Bureau of Engineering’s Bonded Sewer Contractor package, approval lasts one year and every document has to stay current to keep it. A contractor on the list must have:
- a California contractor’s license in class A-1, B-1, C-36 (plumbing) or C-42 (sewer);
- $1 million in general liability insurance approved by the city;
- a sewer connection surety bond or a cash bond, set at $38,000 from July 1, 2026 under LAMC 64.15.1(b);
- a current City of Los Angeles business tax registration; and
- a notarized authorization naming who may pull sewer permits for the company.
If a contractor offers to fix a lateral under your sidewalk without a permit, that is the time to ask for their bonded status. The Bureau of Engineering Central District office is at (213) 482-7030.
Still on a Septic System in Los Angeles?
LA Sanitation counts roughly 13,000 homes and businesses inside the city that still treat their wastewater on site with septic systems, and those owners are responsible for maintaining them. Moving a property from septic to the city sewer usually means building a new house connection to the main, which is bonded-contractor work. See our septic to sewer conversion page for how that project runs.
Trenchless Repair Under Los Angeles Streets
A camera inspection comes first. If the old lateral is sound enough to host a liner, or has a clear path for a new pipe to be pulled through, trenchless lining or pipe bursting can replace it with small access pits instead of a trench across the parkway, sidewalk and street trees. When the camera shows a collapse or a bad sag, an open-cut repair under the S-Permit is the honest answer, and we will show you the footage either way.
Call (888) 300-9648 to book a camera inspection for a Los Angeles property. We answer 24 hours a day.
LA City Bonded Sewer Contractor: Quick Answers
All Service Plumbing is a bonded sewer contractor for the City of Los Angeles. That means the company can pull city permits and repair, replace or connect sewer laterals in the public right-of-way, including the section under the sidewalk and street, as well as on private property.
What is a bonded sewer contractor?
A bonded sewer contractor is a licensed contractor who has posted a bond with a city so that it is allowed to work on sewer connections in the public right-of-way, such as under the sidewalk, parkway or street. The bond protects the city if the work damages public property or is not completed properly.
Why does the City of Los Angeles require one?
Sewer laterals in Los Angeles usually run from the building, under the sidewalk and into the city main in the street. Work on the portion in the public right-of-way needs a permit from the city’s Bureau of Engineering, and those permits are issued to contractors who are bonded with the city.
What kind of work needs a bonded sewer contractor in Los Angeles?
Repairing or replacing the lower part of a sewer lateral, making a new connection to the city main, capping a sewer for demolition, and any excavation in the sidewalk or street for sewer work. Work entirely on private property is covered by a regular plumbing permit.
Can trenchless methods be used in the City of Los Angeles?
Yes. Pipe lining and pipe bursting are widely used on Los Angeles laterals because they avoid cutting through sidewalks, driveways and street trees. A camera inspection decides whether the existing pipe is a candidate.
Does All Service Plumbing handle the permits?
Yes. All Service Plumbing is licensed and bonded with the City of Los Angeles and handles the permit and inspection process as part of the job. Call (323) 844-0199 or (888) 300-9648 to schedule a camera inspection.
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