Old houses and new ones
The Census Bureau's housing estimates put nearly half of Kirkwood's homes before 1960. In a house of that age, the lateral out to the street is usually clay tile, and the pipe inside is usually cast iron.
Roots are the usual trouble in clay, and Kirkwood's program doesn't pay to clear them. It lists "clearing of roots and debris" as not covered. It also leaves out minor cracks and separated joints that show no sign of leaking. So a root-prone line that still drains is yours to keep open, with a root cutting on a schedule.
New houses are left out for a different reason. A lateral on a newly built home is excluded for five years after construction is finished, and that includes the connection to the public main.
What Kirkwood's program pays
An approved repair is covered at 75 percent of the lowest bid from a city-approved contractor. The city pays that share straight to the contractor. Its page doesn't state a dollar cap.
The program covers excavation, the pipe repair, backfill, repair to sidewalks, driveways and streets, and seed and straw.
To qualify, the property has to have six or fewer dwelling units, carry the $28 sewer lateral fee on its St. Louis County tax bill, and be current on its City of Kirkwood utilities.
The steps
- You apply on the Kirkwood Public Portal and pay a $400 deposit.
- The city's contractor runs a camera through the line, and the city decides whether the damage is eligible.
- Once the city authorizes it, you get three bids from city-approved contractors.
- The lowest bidder does the work. You send in the city's signed approval letter, the three bids, the itemized invoice and a lien waiver.
- The city pays the contractor 75 percent of the invoice.
The city's page doesn't say what happens to the deposit if the repair is turned down. Ask the Building Division at (314) 984-6942 before you pay it.
What it leaves out
- Pipe inside the house, under the basement or foundation, or within one foot of the outside foundation wall.
- The outside cleanout and its riser.
- Porches, decks, fences and retaining walls that have to come out for the repair.
- Sprinkler lines, dog fences, pavers and decorative concrete.
- Landscaping beyond seed and straw.
If it backs up in heavy rain
The public sewers in Kirkwood are MSD's. MSD's page for its Geyer and Windsor Springs project describes replacing undersized sewers in Kirkwood and Sunset Hills. It says a number of residents there have had backups, partly because the sewers can't carry the extra flow when it rains.
If your backups follow the weather, cabling your own line may not fix them. Report it to MSD at 314-768-6260 so a crew can check the public sewer. A backup that only happens when you run water is in your own line, and that is a main line cleaning call.
Compare sewer lateral programs across 29 St. Louis-area cities