Sewage in the Yard or Under the Floor? Emergency Steps
A broken sewer line is a health hazard, and our dispatch runs 24/7 so you do not wait for morning. Stop all water use in the house, including washing machines and showers. Every gallon you send down a broken line leaves through the break and into the soil or under the slab.
Keep children and pets away from wet ground and any pooled water, and do not wade through it. Stay off wet floors near outlets. Tell us on the call where the smell or the wet spot is, because that is our first clue to where the pipe has failed.
Repair, Reline or Replace: Which One Fits Your Pipe
We cannot tell you which of these you need until a camera has run the line, and anyone who does is guessing. This table shows how the footage maps to the work.
| What the camera shows | Likely repair | Main limit |
|---|---|---|
| One crack or a root-split joint, rest of pipe sound | Spot repair of that section | Only works if the rest of the pipe is in good shape |
| Cracks and rough walls along a long run, pipe still round | Trenchless pipe lining | Needs a pipe that is not collapsed or badly offset |
| Pipe collapsed, flattened or badly offset | Replacement, by trench or pipe bursting | Digging or an entry pit, and a permit |
| Bellied section holding water | Re-grade the sag by replacing that stretch | Needs excavation to restore slope |
| Orangeburg or crumbling pipe | Replacement | Lining cannot rescue a deformed pipe |
Signs the Sewer Line Is Broken, Not Just Blocked
Callers describe it as water coming up under the floor, a wet patch in the yard that never dries, or a sewer smell that no drain cleaner touches. Other clues are a sinkhole forming over the lateral, toilets that clear then back up again within days, and a cable that keeps stopping at one distance.
A blockage can be cleared with sewer line cleaning or a hydro jetter. A break cannot, because the water that escapes through the crack carries soil back into the pipe. If your line has been cleared more than once for the same symptom, a sewer camera inspection is the honest next step.
Trenchless Pipe Lining and Pipe Bursting, Explained
Pipe lining, called cured-in-place pipe, pulls a resin-soaked tube into the old pipe, inflates it and lets it harden into a new pipe inside the old one. Pipe bursting pulls a new pipe through while splitting the old one. Both work from one or two small access pits, so the yard stays mostly intact.
Trenchless is not always possible. A pipe that has collapsed or shifted out of line may not accept a liner, and a bellied section stays bellied. We tell you when trenchless fits and when it does not, with the camera footage as proof.
Open-Trench Repair, Sunshine 811 and Groundwater
When digging is the right answer, the first call is to Sunshine 811. Florida law, Statute 556.105, requires notice at least two full business days before digging, weekends and holidays excluded, and the marked tolerance zone is 24 inches from each facility's outside edge. Peoples Gas serves parts of Broward, so a gas line may cross your lateral.
USGS describes the top of the Biscayne aquifer as at or near the land surface across most of its area, so a deep trench in Dania Beach can fill with groundwater and needs pumping. That is one reason lining is attractive here when the pipe allows it.
What to Do Before We Arrive
These steps limit damage and give us a clear start.
- Stop using all fixtures and the washing machine.
- Mark the wet or sunken spot with a flag or a stick, and take a photo so we can see how it changes.
- Do not dig it up yourself. A shovel can hit a gas, electric or water line, and Sunshine 811 notice is required first.
- Move vehicles and heavy items off the area, since soil over a leaking pipe can be soft.
- Gather any plan, permit or past plumber report that shows where the line runs.
What Dania Beach Housing Means for Your Sewer Line
Median construction year for Dania Beach housing is 1977 in the ACS, which makes the typical lateral decades old. Angi's pipe guide calls clay vulnerable to root intrusion and cracks, cast iron prone to corrosion, and Orangeburg prone to deforming. No Broward survey tells us which pipe sits under your lot, so we read the camera footage and do not assume.
Hollywood reports that coastal systems including Dania Beach take in infiltrated groundwater, which fits a network with cracks and open joints somewhere. Wastewater from Dania Beach goes to Hollywood's Southern Regional plant, so a failing pipe on your side adds to a system already stressed by storms like Hurricane Eta in 2020. If you see signs after heavy rain, Call (954) 697-4920.
Permits, Contractors and Who Signs What
Permit rules vary, so for any sewer repair or replacement, ask the Dania Beach Building Division what is required for your address. Verify any plumber's state license at myfloridalicense.com before you sign.
We also repair lines in Davie, and the permit office to ask depends on which town you are in. We cannot decide who owns each stretch of line for you. Ask the Dania Beach sewer office where your lateral ends and the city main begins. We will mark the camera footage so you can show them.
Sewer Line Repair Cost Ranges
National published guides put spot repair of a cracked sewer pipe at about $600 to $1,050 (Angi, 2026). Full replacement runs about $50 to $250 per linear foot, and Florida prices vary a great deal by access and depth.
What moves the price
- Length of pipe. Cost scales with feet. A 6-foot spot repair is not priced like a 60-foot replacement.
- Depth. Deeper pipe means more digging, shoring and groundwater control.
- Access. A pipe under a driveway, patio or slab raises the cost of any open-trench option.
- Method. Lining, bursting and trenching each carry different equipment and restoration costs.
- Restoration. Concrete, pavers, sod and landscaping after the work can cost as much as the pipe.
| Work | Published range |
|---|---|
| Spot repair of a cracked pipe | $600 to $1,050 (Angi, 2026) |
| Trenchless pipe lining | $90 to $250 per foot (Angi) |
| Trenchless replacement | $60 to $250 per foot (This Old House) |
| Open-trench replacement | $50 to $200 per foot (This Old House) |
Policies differ. Many homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental damage, but a pipe that failed slowly from age, roots or wear is often excluded, and the cost to repair the pipe itself may not be covered even when resulting damage is. Read your own policy and ask your insurer before work starts.
We give you a real figure only after a camera run and a measured length. Call (954) 697-4920 and we will explain the options in plain terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you handle sewer line repair emergencies at night or on weekends in Dania?
Yes. Dispatch runs 24/7, and sewage in a yard or under a floor is treated as an emergency. We cannot promise an arrival time, but we tell you how to limit water use while you wait.
Can you fix just the cracked section where roots got in, or does the whole line have to be replaced?
Often a spot repair is enough, but only if the camera shows the rest of the pipe is sound. Angi lists spot repair of a cracked sewer pipe at about $600 to $1,050. If the pipe is cracked in several places or deformed, patches keep chasing the next failure and replacement or lining makes more sense.
Will you dig up my whole yard?
Not if the pipe allows lining or bursting, which need only small pits. If the pipe has collapsed or shifted, a trench may be the only repair. We show you the camera footage that decides it.
Do I need a permit for sewer line repair in Dania Beach?
Permit rules vary, so ask the Dania Beach Building Division what your address needs. We cannot confirm local rules by phone.
Who is responsible for the sewer line, me or the city?
We cannot tell you by phone. The ownership line between your lateral and the city main varies, so ask the Dania Beach sewer office. Our footage shows where the break sits so you can point to the exact spot.
I own a rental. Who should call?
Either the owner or the property manager can call. Tell us which units are affected, and we will document the line with a camera so the repair decision is clear.
How do I reach you?
Call (954) 697-4920 at any hour. Describe the smell, the wet spot and when it started, and we will tell you what to do in the next few minutes.
Code reference: plumbing work in Florida falls under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing (8th Edition, 2023), which is based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Ask the Dania Beach Building Division whether your job needs a permit.