Real Work Begins and So Does the Rework

The following is the information that two different plumbers gave me based on snaking a camera into my sewer:

Guy #1: 3" line, 12" deep, runs straight out to the street
Guy #2: 4" line, 24" deep, runs right for 15 or so feet, then turns towards the street

Based on the information above, who do you trust?  All that information tells me is that someone doesn't know what they are doing, but nothing else.  I'm not a plumber, but would assume that a plumber knows his job well enough to do this small task correctly, so I didn't actually have two plumbers do the same work, until today.  I assumed the first guy was right, I mean why question someone who is doing a job you know almost nothing about.  I then based  a lot of my construction plans based on the assumption that the sewer was where the first guy told me it was.

Fast forward to today.  Concrete was cut and removed over the weekend based on the plans so my plumber (different guy than #1 and 2) could get working on everything.  I start digging in an area that supposedly intersects the line, no sewer at 12" and no sewer at 24".  We actually get down about 3 feet with no luck.  For the record, this ditch was at least 6 feet long, so it is not like we didn't try to the left or right of where it is supposed to be.  Obviously we are wasting time and energy, so bring out guy #2 to camera the line.  Low and behold it is nowhere near where we are digging.

Two good things came of this new information.  First, my sewer is deeper than I thought, which is a good thing for running drains.  Second, I got to use my concrete cutting skills again and tomorrow get to fire up the jackhammer again...oh wait, that stuff isn't fun...

Lesson #60: Lease a building with plans, it should eliminate the guesswork

Pictures from the first few days of work will be up probably tomorrow either here or on the Facebook page.