Sewer Line Replacement and Repair in Glendale, AZ
Glendale used Orangeburg fiber sewer pipe later than any other Valley city: until 1982. If your home was built before then, your sewer line may be on borrowed time. Call and we connect you with a licensed local sewer contractor.
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Glendale and Orangeburg pipe: the 1982 cutoff
Glendale's Building Official told KTAR in 2022 that Orangeburg pipe was used in Glendale until 1982, the latest cutoff reported by any Valley city (KTAR). Orangeburg is tar-coated fiber pipe. It averages around 50 years of life, can fail much sooner, and flattens as it softens.
About 33.7% of Glendale's housing units were built before 1980, with the 1970s and 1980s the largest building decades and a median year built of 1987 (Census ACS 2024). A large share of Glendale homes fall inside the Orangeburg window.
Older Glendale neighborhoods
Catlin Court, bounded by Gardenia Avenue, 59th Avenue, Palmaire Avenue and 58th Avenue, was Glendale's first organized residential development, subdivided in 1914 and mostly built as bungalows from 1915 to 1929. It is on the National Register of Historic Places (City of Glendale). Homes this old often have had sewer lines replaced at least once, and a camera shows which materials are in the ground now.
The larger exposure is the many 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s subdivisions across the city, built while Orangeburg was still in use here.
Permits and licensing in Glendale
Glendale requires a permit to replace the pipes that drain sinks and toilets. Owners, licensed contractors or authorized agents can apply. Contractors must provide their Arizona ROC license number and hold a City of Glendale business license, and permits expire if work does not start within 180 days (City of Glendale).
It is worth confirming where a problem is before digging. In 2022, a Glendale homeowner's backup turned out to involve the connection to the City main, and the City made repairs under the sidewalk at its own expense (azfamily).
- Permit
- Required to replace the pipes that drain sinks and toilets
- Contractor
- Arizona ROC license and a City of Glendale business license
- Deadline
- Permit expires if work does not start within 180 days
Getting help in Glendale
Downtown Glendale is about 20 minutes from central Phoenix via Grand Avenue or I-17. Start with a camera inspection: if the video shows black fiber pipe that has gone oval, plan for replacement rather than repeated cleaning.
Most requested in Glendale
Orangeburg that has started to flatten cannot be lined reliably, so Glendale jobs lean toward replacement, often by pipe bursting to spare yards and driveways.
See how sewer line replacement works →Sewer questions from Glendale homeowners
Does my Glendale home have Orangeburg pipe?
If it was built before 1982, it may. A sewer camera inspection is the only way to know for sure.
Do I need a permit to replace my sewer line in Glendale?
Yes. Glendale requires a permit to replace drain piping, and contractors must have an Arizona ROC license and a Glendale business license.
Can Orangeburg be relined?
Only while it still holds its shape. Once it flattens, pipe bursting or replacement is the dependable fix.
Serving Phoenix and the surrounding Valley
We connect homeowners across the Phoenix metro with licensed local sewer contractors: central Phoenix and Ahwatukee, plus Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa and Glendale.
Also covering: Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria, Paradise Valley, Sun City.