Sewer backing up? Two calls, depending on where.
If sewage is coming out of a manhole in the alley or street, or the neighbors are backing up too, contact the Mesquite Utilities Division right away at 972-216-6278. If it’s just your house, the line on your property is yours. Call us at (682) 284-0966 and stop running water until it’s cleared.
Mesquite built its water and sewer system in 1923, but the city really grew after 1950, from 1,696 residents to 55,131 in 1970 and more than 100,000 by 1990. The City’s mains run in alleys or street right-of-way. The lateral from each house to the main is on the owner’s side, and in much of the city it’s 35 to 65 years old.
All our Mesquite services are on the Mesquite service area page. Water leaking in the yard instead? See water line repair in Mesquite.
Mesquite’s housing and its sewer laterals
The Census (American Community Survey 2020–2024) counts about 54,000 homes in Mesquite, and the median one dates from 1983. The 1980s are the biggest decade at 28.5%, and about 41% of homes were built before 1980. Unless the lateral has been replaced, it’s as old as the house.
Mesquite sewer laterals by era
The old town
About 12.5% of homes, around the town square and the original neighborhoods. Laterals this age may be clay tile or cast iron, and they’re well past the point where a camera inspection pays for itself.
Postwar growth and Town East
About 28% of homes, built as Mesquite went from a small town to a city of 67,000 and Town East Mall opened. Roots at joints are the usual cause of repeat backups.
Mesquite’s biggest decade
28.5% of homes. Lines are 35 to 45 years old now, and sags where the clay moved the pipe start to show up.
Lawson and the newer subdivisions
About 31% of homes, including the south and east sides. Grease, wipes and damaged cleanouts cause most of the backups we see.
Mesquite’s rule: your property, your line
Mesquite’s Utilities Department says it directly: a sewer backup on a homeowner’s property is the owner’s responsibility. The City runs the mains, and they carry everything to the South Mesquite Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- Blockage in the City’s system? Contact the Utilities Division immediately at 972-216-6278.
- Broken or cracked private sewer line? The City says to have it repaired or replaced by a licensed contractor.
- Check your cleanout. Mesquite asks owners to make sure the cap is on tight and the pipe isn’t damaged. A missing cap lets rainwater into the sewer.
- No roof drains, yard drains or sump pumps connected to the sewer. The City counts them as inflow that can overload the system and cause backups.
- Keep trees and shrubs off the line. Mesquite advises against planting over or near your wastewater pipe.
Signs your main sewer line is blocked
- The tub or shower backs up when the toilet flushes.
- More than one drain is slow or gurgling.
- Water at the cleanout, which may be in the back yard if the main is in the alley.
- Backups after heavy rain, which can mean water is getting into a cracked line.
- The same stoppage returns after a clearing.
How a Mesquite sewer repair works
Clear the stoppage
We clear the line from your cleanout and get the house draining again.
Camera the lateral
We record the lateral toward the main and mark any roots, cracks or sags from the surface.
Price before work
Upfront written pricing before any work starts, based on what the video shows.
Permit and lateral inspection
We pull the Mesquite plumbing permit, and the City inspects the sewer service lateral.
Mesquite permits for sewer work
How the City of Mesquite handles it
- Licensed plumbers only: Mesquite requires plumbing to be installed by a Texas-licensed master or journeyman plumber. A homeowner who lives at the address is exempt from the state license if they apply and pay for the permit.
- Registration: contractors must register a professional license with the City before they can be issued a permit.
- Sewer service lateral is one of Mesquite’s required plumbing inspections.
- Building Inspection: 1515 N. Galloway Avenue, 972-216-6212.
- Locates: City water and sewer mains in alleys or streets are located through the Utilities Division, 972-216-6278. Other utilities go through Texas 811.
As Mesquite requires, Staggs Plumbing is registered with the City of Mesquite, and we pull the permit and schedule the lateral inspection.
Older laterals in moving clay
Mesquite is on the Blackland Prairie, where the USDA describes the classic Houston Black soil as clay that shrinks and swells markedly with moisture. A lateral from the 1960s, 70s or 80s has been flexed by that cycle every year since. That’s how joints open, roots get in and low spots form.
What we find in Mesquite sewer lines
| Problem | Usual fix | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roots in an older lateral | Clear, camera, then repair the joint or replace the run under permit | Mesquite advises keeping trees off the line |
| Cracked line letting in rainwater | Repair or replace the cracked section | The City wants broken private lines fixed by a licensed contractor |
| Missing or broken cleanout cap | Replace the cap or cleanout | Rainwater enters through open cleanouts |
| Sag in a 1980s line | Re-lay the section to grade | Waste collects in the low spot |
| Grease and wipes | Clear and flush | Mesquite asks residents to flush only toilet paper |
Sewer backup in Mesquite? Start here.
In this order:
- Stop using water in the house right away.
- Look at the alley or street. Sewage at a manhole, or neighbors backing up too? Contact the Utilities Division at 972-216-6278.
- Find your cleanout, front yard or back near the alley, and check whether it’s full.
- Don’t pour chemicals into a backed-up line or open a cleanout that’s under pressure.
- Just your house? Call (682) 284-0966. We clear the line, camera it, and you get upfront written pricing before any work starts.
Mesquite neighborhoods we serve
We work on sewer lines in Mesquite’s 75149, 75150, 75180 and 75181 ZIP codes: the old town around the square, Town East and the I-30 and I-635 corridors, the 1980s subdivisions, Lawson, and the south and east sides.
Our Rockwall branch is just east of Mesquite.
Mesquite sewer line questions
Is the City of Mesquite responsible for my sewer backup?
The City says a sewer backup on a homeowner’s property is the owner’s responsibility. If the blockage is in the City’s sewer system, contact the Utilities Division at 972-216-6278.
Who do I call about a sewer blockage in Mesquite?
For a blockage in the City’s system, such as a manhole overflowing in the alley or street, contact the Mesquite Utilities Division immediately at 972-216-6278. For a stoppage in the line on your property, call a licensed plumber.
Do I need a permit to repair a sewer line in Mesquite?
Mesquite requires a plumbing permit, and the sewer service lateral is one of its required inspections. The work must be done by a Texas-licensed plumber registered with the City, or by a homeowner who lives at the address and gets the permit.
Why does my Mesquite sewer back up when it rains?
Rain can get into a cracked lateral, an open cleanout, or a roof or yard drain that’s connected to the sewer. The City asks owners to fix broken private lines, keep cleanout caps tight and disconnect drains from the sewer.
How do you price sewer work in Mesquite?
After you see the camera video, you get upfront written pricing before any work starts. Financing is available.
