If the repair is yours to pay
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Default rule and exceptions
Owner maintains both the house sewer connection (building to curb) and the curb-to-sewer connection (curb to main). DEP’s street-sewer maintenance duty explicitly excludes both.
| Party | What they are responsible for |
|---|---|
| Property owner | NYC Admin Code 24-512: "The owner... shall pay the cost of each curb-to-sewer connection," and there is a duty "at his or her own cost and expense: (1) to maintain any curb-to-sewer connection... and (2) to repair, reconstruct or replace such curb-to-sewer connection" (except when the city’s own sewer work caused the need). |
| City / public agency | DEP maintains "private sewers or drains" in the street but that duty explicitly excludes the curb-to-sewer connection and the house sewer connection (24-522), leaving both to the owner. |
| Exceptions | City bears the cost only when repair is needed because of the city’s own reconstruction of the sewer |
What the source says
Last verified against the primary source on Sep 7, 2026.
The owner... shall pay the cost of each curb-to-sewer connection,
to repair, reconstruct or replace such curb-to-sewer connection except when the necessity for such repair, reconstruction or replacement is caused by the reconstruction or replacement of the sewer or by any other construction work performed by the city.
at his or her own cost and expense: (1) to maintain any curb-to-sewer connection... and (2) to repair, reconstruct or replace such curb-to-sewer connection
City rules rest on state law. Read New York's sidewalk statute, quoted verbatim, or see all 50 states in one table.
Common questions
Who pays for sewer lateral in New York, NY?
The property owner. NYC Admin Code 24-512: "The owner... shall pay the cost of each curb-to-sewer connection," and there is a duty "at his or her own cost and expense: (1) to maintain any curb-to-sewer connection... and (2) to repair, reconstruct or replace such curb-to-sewer connection" (except when the city’s own sewer work caused the need).
What does the city cover in New York, NY?
DEP maintains "private sewers or drains" in the street but that duty explicitly excludes the curb-to-sewer connection and the house sewer connection (24-522), leaving both to the owner.
Are there exceptions in New York, NY?
City bears the cost only when repair is needed because of the city’s own reconstruction of the sewer
Is there any cost help for sewer lateral in New York, NY?
City bears the cost only when repair is needed because of the city’s own reconstruction of the sewer
What is this based on for New York, NY?
This verdict is sourced to NYC Administrative Code Sec. 24-512 (owner pays/maintains curb-to-sewer connection) and 4 sources in total, each independently re-checked before publication.
Sources
- NYC Administrative Code Sec. 24-512 (owner pays/maintains curb-to-sewer connection)official · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
- NYC Administrative Code Sec. 24-522 (DEP duty excludes the connection)official · verified-official · accessed 2026-09-07
- NYC Administrative Code § 24-519: Curb-to-sewer connections; owner's duty to repairordinance · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
- NYC Administrative Code Sec. 24-512 (owner pays/maintains curb-to-sewer connection)official · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-27
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