What to ask a sewer contractor before they dig

The twelve questions

Can I see the footage this bid is based on? No footage, no basis. The video should be yours to keep.
What material is my pipe, section by section, and where does it change? The answer tells you whether they looked.
Which methods do you do yourselves — cleaning, lining, bursting, open trench? A contractor with one tool proposes one fix.
Why this method for this pipe? The reasoning should point to specific findings at specific distances.
Where will every hole be, how big, and why? Including "none" — see what trenchless means.
Who pulls the side sewer permit, and is the inspection in the price? The contractor, and yes. See the permit guide.
What restoration is included? Compaction, turf, concrete, plants.
What happens if it is worse than the video shows? You want a process — stop, show you, price the change — not a blank cheque.
Do I get a post-work video? Yes, and it should match the plan.
Can I see the warranty document? Read it against the warranty article.
What is your L&I licence number and are you registered with the city for side sewer work? Then check both yourself.
Who will actually be on site? Employees or a subcontractor; who supervises; who to call during the job.

What good answers sound like

Question	Good answer	Weak answer
Why this method?	"Clay, round, roots at three joints and a minor offset at 27 feet — a liner seals all of it from the cleanout."	"We always line." / "We always dig."
Where are the holes?	"One pit at the foundation for the cleanout, none otherwise."	"Trenchless, so nothing gets dug."
If it is worse?	"We stop, show you the footage, and price the change before continuing."	"We'll handle it."
Warranty?	Hands you a document	"Lifetime, transferable."
Permit?	"We pull it; inspection is scheduled before backfill."	"You don't need one for this." / "You can pull it."

Why the order of the questions matters

The first two questions establish whether the contractor has looked at your pipe at all. If the answers are vague, the remaining ten are academic — every later answer is a guess dressed as a plan. Get the footage question settled before you spend time on warranty language or restoration details.

Things to check yourself

Licence, bond and insurance on the state's lookup. Note the business name matches the one on the bid.
City side sewer registration. Required in Seattle for this work.
How long under this name. Warranties are only as durable as the company.
Reviews that mention sewer work specifically, and how the company responded to the bad ones.

What you should not have to ask

For a proper written proposal, for the video, for the permit, for a warranty in writing, or for restoration. If those arrive without being requested, the rest of the questions tend to go well. See how we approach sewer repair. Our licence number is on every page of this site, and the state's lookup is one click from it.

Questions people also ask

How do I verify a contractor's licence in Washington?

The Department of Labor & Industries has a public lookup by name or licence number that shows registration status, bond, insurance and any actions. It takes a minute. Seattle also keeps a list of contractors registered for side sewer work.

Should I get a second opinion?

For any proposal beyond cleaning, yes — and the second opinion should be based on the same footage, so ask for the video. Second opinions on an existing video are quick and often free.

Is the lowest bid a bad sign?

Not by itself. A low bid for the same scope from a verified contractor is good news. A low bid for a smaller scope, or from a contractor who has not looked at the line, is not a bid.

What if they will not give me the video?

Then the bid is not based on evidence you can check. Move on, or have another contractor scope the line.

More of the questions we hear every week are on the FAQ page .

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