What does Billings's code say about service lines?
That the private portion starts at the property line. The code defines the sanitary sewer service line as the privately owned portion of the building sewer from the property line to the public sewer.
Anything clogged on that run is the owner's to clear, and sewer line jetting is one option a pro may raise. A camera inspection can pick up visible breaks and buildup. Call to get information about the service and set up a visit.
Why does Billings's frost matter?
Because it goes deep and moves ground. Winter cold can freeze soil well below typical pipe depth, and spring thaw shifts it again.
Frost offsets joints in clay and cast iron, and roots enter the gaps. A fall camera check shows visible offsets, and tree root removal clears roots from the line.
Who maintains which part of the line in Billings?
Billings's code and Montana's cleanup procedure split the system as shown here.
| Piece of the system | Responsible party | Practical meaning for a backup |
|---|---|---|
| Public sanitary sewer | City of Billings | The city handles problems in its own line |
| Service line from the property line to the public sewer | Property owner | The code calls it the privately owned portion |
| Cleanup when the backup is in the lateral | Owner | State procedure puts lateral-line cleanup on the owner |
What does Montana's cleanup procedure say?
That cause decides who cleans up. The state procedure says the municipality handles cleanup when a backup is in its own line, and the owner handles it when the backup is in the lateral line of a home or business.
Keeping a camera recording of your lateral helps show where the trouble sat. Ask the city about any claim process before you pay for cleanup.
Which Billings properties book jetting?
Downtown and Montana Avenue restaurants, hospital-area kitchens and apartment communities in the Heights.
Restaurant grease goes to commercial grease line jetting, and apartment branches go to drain jetting.
What should Billings owners know about the Heights' old pipe?
Homes in the Heights and Downtown often have clay or cast iron lines that frost has moved over decades.
A camera shows visible offsets, and a pro can say whether cleaning will help or whether a joint has moved too far. Mention any past root work and whether the home has a basement drain, since spring melt is when many lateral problems show up.
Hydro jetting services in Billings
All seven services are available across Billings, for homes in the Heights, apartments and restaurants.
- Sewer line jetting on the owner's pipe from cleanout to the property line
- Sewer camera inspection inside early-1900s clay and cast iron in the Heights
- Tree root removal once a freeze has let roots in
- Drain jetting for kitchens and baths that drain slowly
- Commercial grease line jetting for Downtown and Montana Avenue restaurants
- Sewer backup help for floor drains that back up at snowmelt
- Storm drain jetting for hospital-area lots and shopping-plaza drains
Neighborhoods and nearby cities
Calls come from across Billings, including the Heights, Downtown, the West End, the South Side, the Rimrocks, Lockwood, Shiloh and Zimmerman Trail.
See the Montana page for the state overview. Help is also available in Laurel, Lockwood, Shepherd, Huntley, Bozeman, Livingston and Red Lodge.