# Sewer Lateral Repair in San Antonio, TX: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> In San Antonio the owner pays for the whole sewer lateral, even under the street. SAWS maintains only the main and reimburses just the plumber's locate fee.

**Who pays:** owner

San Antonio owners are responsible for the sewer lateral past the property line to the SAWS main; SAWS reimburses only the plumber locate charge, not the repair.

**Boundary:** Owner is responsible for the lateral on their property and the segment continuing under the right-of-way to the SAWS main. SAWS maintains only the main.

**Property owner:** SAWS: homeowners must "call a licensed plumber to televise your line... and clear any blockage on your side of the main," and repairs on the owner side of the property line are excluded from reimbursement.

**City / agency:** SAWS maintains the main. For a problem found "beyond your property (in the right-of-way, street, alley or easement)", SAWS: "SAWS will only reimburse the customer based on normal and customary plumbing charges related to electronically locating the problem. Reimbursements will not be approved for property improvements such as new cleanouts."

**Exceptions:** SAWS reimburses only normal and customary plumbing charges for electronically locating a problem beyond the property line, not the repair

## Sources
- [SAWS: Plumbing Backed Up? (owner responsible; locate-only reimbursement)](https://www.saws.org/service/plumbing-backed-up/) — "Call a licensed plumber to televise your line (inspect it with a video camera) and clear any blockage on your side of the main." (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [San Antonio Water System (SAWS) official site](https://www.saws.org/) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- [Plumbing Backed Up?: Sewer Lateral Reimbursement Program](https://www.saws.org/service/plumbing-backed-up/) — "SAWS will only reimburse the customer based on normal and customary plumbing charges related to electronically locating the problem. Reimbursements will not be approved for property improvements such as new cleanouts." (accessed 2026-09-27)
- [SAWS: Plumbing Backed Up? (owner responsible; locate-only reimbursement)](https://www.saws.org/service/plumbing-backed-up/) — "beyond your property (in the right-of-way, street, alley or easement)" (accessed 2026-09-27)

_Last verified 2026-09-27. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/san-antonio-tx-sewer-lateral/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._