New Sewer Lateral Inspection Law

The city of Santa Barbara has passed a new law that requires all homes to have their sewer lateral inspected if they are extensively remodeling their home or have significant cracks that the city staff is aware of. Although the city does not require buyers or sellers to inspect the lateral during escrow I along with the city highly recommend doing so.

What is a sewer lateral?

All homes and businesses are connected to the City’s sewer system by a pipe called a lateral (sewer lateral). Cracked, broken or clogged sewer laterals can cause sewage spills and sewage spills endanger public health and can have large negative effects on the environment.

Having your sewer lateral inspected can cost a few hundred dollars but a few hundreds dollars can easily escalate into thousands of dollars if the lateral is cracked, broken or clogged. But our wonderful city of Santa Barbara has implemented an incentive program to help home owners, buyers and sellers resolve their lateral problem. The program also known as SLIP can credit up to $150 per property for inspections and up to $2,000 for replacement or repairs for the lateral. Don’t forget to apply for the reimbursement program if you are buying, selling or remodeling your home!

Click here to review the requirements in order to be eligible for the incentives.