If the repair is yours to pay
Get more than one quote before you agree to a price, and ask the contractor to confirm where the property line and the public side begin.
Compare licensed plumbers on AngiGet more than one quote before a sewer, water-line, or drain repair.
See what a home warranty covers (Choice)Read the coverage and exclusions before you buy; not every repair qualifies.
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- Your building
- Your part: the whole lateral, up to the connection with the main
- Connection to the main
- Public sewer main
Drawn from the rule quoted on this page. Exceptions above still apply.
Default rule and exceptions
The property owner must keep the private connection line in proper and workable condition and repair or replace it, including portions on the owner's property and portions on public property or easements up to and including the point of junction with the public main.
| Party | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| Property owner | Must repair or replace a clogged, broken or defective private sewer connection line, including the portions on public property or easements up to and including the point of junction with the main. |
| City / utility | The public works department may declare a defective private sewer connection line a nuisance and order it repaired. |
| Exceptions | Repair by the city does not absolve the owner of the obligation to perform future repairs or maintenance on the private sewer line.; If a sewer problem is found in your private line, the city tells you and you hire a plumber; you may still file a claim for damages with the City Clerk's office. |
What the source says
Last verified against the primary source on Oct 12, 2026.
The property owner's duty to repair or replace such a connection line shall include those portions upon the owner's property and those portions upon public property or easements up to and including the point of junction with the main public main.
It shall be the duty of all property owners served by any sewer connection to the public main sewer line to keep such private connection line in proper and workable condition and to repair or replace any such connection line which is clogged, broken or otherwise in need of repair or replacement.
The public works department is hereby authorized to declare a nuisance, and order to be repaired and put in proper working condition, any private sewer connection lines located on private or public property, which are defective or otherwise in need of repair.
The performance of these duties by the public works department is not intended, nor does it absolve the property owner of his obligation to perform future repairs on the private sewer line, to provide past or future maintenance of the private sewer line
If the problem is found to be your private line rather than the city sewer line, we will inform you as soon as possible. It would then be your responsibility to contact a plumber to service your line and repair any damage which may have occurred. In either case, you may file a claim for damages with the City Clerk’s office.
City rules rest on state law. Read Nebraska's sidewalk statute, quoted verbatim, or see all 50 states in one table.
Common questions
Who pays for sewer lateral in Omaha, NE?
The property owner. Must repair or replace a clogged, broken or defective private sewer connection line, including the portions on public property or easements up to and including the point of junction with the main.
Are there exceptions in Omaha, NE?
Repair by the city does not absolve the owner of the obligation to perform future repairs or maintenance on the private sewer line.; If a sewer problem is found in your private line, the city tells you and you hire a plumber; you may still file a claim for damages with the City Clerk's office.
What is this based on for Omaha, NE?
This verdict is sourced to Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 31-2 (Maintenance of private connections, duty of owner) and 5 sources in total, each independently re-checked before publication.
Sources
- Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 31-2 (Maintenance of private connections, duty of owner)statute · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-12
- Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 31-2 (Maintenance of private connections, duty of owner)statute · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-12
- Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 31-3 (Repair by city)statute · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-12
- Omaha Municipal Code Sec. 31-3 (Repair by city)statute · verified-primary · accessed 2026-10-12
- Omaha Public Works: Sewer (private line problems) · accessed 2026-10-12
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