Sewer Line Repair in Agency, MO

Before we talk about Sewer Line Repair in Agency, we need to know where your wastewater goes. Agency is a small village in Buchanan County, and the county's comprehensive plan does not name a public sewer provider for it the way it does for St. Joseph or Easton. Buchanan County's building permit rules also call for an on-site wastewater treatment system permit where one applies. Some homes in and around Agency may connect to a sewer; others rely on septic. We only do sewer line work for homes on a public sewer, and we will say so honestly if yours is on septic.

If you are on a sewer: the lateral from your house to the main is the pipe we inspect, clean and repair.

If you are on septic: the line from the house to the tank, the tank and the drain field are a separate kind of work. Our services on this site are not the right fit, and we would rather tell you that than take the call.

A village of 1970s and 1980s homes

Agency has an unusual housing profile for this area. Buchanan County's comprehensive plan notes that while county housing is generally old, Agency is the exception: about 70 percent of its houses were built between 1970 and 1990. That matters for sewer lines because the pipe used in those years has its own weak points:

• Bituminized fiber (Orangeburg) pipe was still used into the 1970s and has a typical life of about 50 years, so any of it left in the ground is at or past that mark.
• PVC and ABS replaced Orangeburg during the 1970s; plastic lines rarely wear out, but they can sag where bedding settled or crack where a fitting took a load.
• Root intrusion at joints and fittings still happens, especially on lots with trees planted when the houses were new.

Growth around the village

The county plan counts 57 platted subdivisions in Buchanan County and places 24 of them in Agency and Center townships, which it expects to keep growing. Newer homes in those subdivisions may have very different plumbing from homes in the original village. We do not assume; we inspect.

What a visit looks like

1. We ask about your bills or records to confirm public sewer service. 2. If you are on sewer, we clear enough of the line to pass a camera and record its full length. 3. We locate problem spots from the surface and mark their depth. 4. You get a written quote with the options that fit: jetting, a spot repair, lining, or replacement.

Near the Platte River

Agency began as a ford of the Platte River before it became a permanent settlement, was laid out in 1865 and was incorporated in 1903. It sits at an elevation of 896 feet, and the village name comes from a former agency of the Sac and Fox. Low ground near a river can mean wet soils, and saturated soil around an old lateral puts more load on cracked joints. If your backups line up with wet weather, mention it when you call, because it helps us know what to look for.

Rough costs

The price depends on length, depth and method, so we quote after the inspection. Our service pages show published national ranges for each kind of repair. Every price is given in writing first.

Talk to us

Agency is a short drive from St. Joseph. Call (816) 680-4869 and tell us whether you are on a sewer or septic; if you are not sure, we will help you figure it out.

Call (816) 680-4869