Hayes Plumbing handles sewer line repair in Ajax on the building sewer, the pipe that leaves your foundation and crosses beneath the lawn or driveway to reach the Region of Durham's sewer in the street. We work in every part of town, including Pickering Village, Downtown Ajax, Southwood, Riverside, Hermitage and Meadow Ridge. A licensed plumber from our shop at 448 Ritson Rd. South in Oshawa runs a camera to find the damage, tells you which part of the pipe is yours to fix, and prices a section repair or a full replacement in writing before any digging. If sewage is backing up, phone (905) 576-3043, where a live operator takes calls 24/7.
Your Part of the Line and the Region's Part
Ajax homes are connected to the Region of Durham's sanitary sewer, not to a Town system. For a house, the Region offers a repair-only service on the connection pipe starting at the property line and ending one metre (three feet) short of the foundation. Damage within that metre, or under the basement floor, is the owner's to fix. The Region's Works Department inspects and cleans only from the main to the property line, and it does not put back lawns, gardens, sprinkler systems or driveways on private property.
That split is why the first job is finding the damage precisely. The Region also requires a readily accessible 100 millimetre (4 inch) wye cleanout on residential connections. It is the usual way in for the camera, so keep it uncovered and never box it in behind a finished wall.
Signs the Building Sewer Is Failing
Trouble in the building sewer tends to show up across the whole house rather than at one fixture. Watch for:
- Every drain on the lowest floor slowing down together, or water rising through the floor drain when the washer empties.
- A main drain that needs snaking again a few weeks after the last visit, especially if the cable came back with roots on it.
- A sewage smell in the basement that stays after the floor drain trap has been topped up, or a smell in the yard above the pipe.
- Ground over the pipe's path that has sunk, stays soggy or grows greener than the rest of the lawn.
- Toilets and tubs gurgling while other fixtures drain.
Camera Inspection Before Any Digging
The Region of Durham names root infiltration and a damaged connection pipe among the causes of slow drains, and it advises having slow drains inspected and repaired rather than waiting for a backup. Our inspection starts at the cleanout: a waterproof camera travels down the pipe while we watch roots, cracks, offset or separated joints, sags where waste settles and collapsed sections on the monitor. We mark where each problem is and how deep it sits. That tells us whether it falls in your metre by the foundation or on the Region's section, and where to dig so the hole is no bigger than the repair needs.
If the camera puts the break on the Region's section, tell the Region of Durham by calling 311 or 905-668-7711, and the Region repairs that part. Blocked sewer connections in town are handled by the Region's Ajax/Pickering works depot on Salem Road; the depot does not take walk-in visitors, so phone rather than go there.
Sewer Line Repair or Full Replacement?
When the camera finds one cracked length, a separated joint or a single root entry, we dig at that spot and replace the damaged section, usually within a day. When the pipe is broken in several places, has sagged along its length or has collapsed, sewer line replacement in Ajax makes more sense than a series of patches, and how long it takes depends on the length and depth of the run and what has to be restored above it. Either way, a final camera pass confirms the line is clear. If sewage has ever come up your floor drain, ask whether a backwater valve should go in while the pipe by the foundation is exposed.
In our 2026 Oshawa plumbing cost guide, drain line repair runs $500 to $1,500 for a spot fix, while replacing a full line runs $3,000 to $10,000. Depth, access and the type of pipe move a job within those ranges, and the excavation and restoration are written into the quote before work starts.
Locates and Permits Before Work Starts
Any excavation needs utility locates first. Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call, takes the requests; locates are free and required by law for any project that breaks ground, and a single-address request should go in at least 5 business days ahead. Digging waits until every notified utility has responded. Public locates do not mark privately owned lines, and Ontario Dig Authority lists sewer and septic systems among them, so the route and depth of your own sewer come from our camera inspection and locating work.
To apply for a plumbing permit in Ajax, use the Town's online portal for residential applications or send the forms to buildingpermits@ajax.ca. Once issued, the permit card must stay posted where it can be seen on the property, with one set of approved drawings kept there for the inspector. Work has to begin within six months of the issue date and be finished within one year, and each inspection is booked online or on the inspection line, 905-619-2529, with at least 24 hours' notice. Ask Building Services whether your repair needs a permit before it is scheduled.