Things To Know About Commercial Sewer Contractors
Public works and commercial building projects require the use of specialized contractors who complete exhaustive training programs before they receive their certifications. For example, if you are installing a municipal sewer line, you need a commercial sewer contractor.
Commercial versus Residential Contractors
Commercial and residential sewer jobs differ significantly in scale and time. While residential contractors focus primarily on installing sewer lines from the road to private residences, maintaining and unclogging pipes and replacing or repairing broken pipes, commercial contractors only install the city’s main sewer lines. They do not get involved in residential sewer construction.
Commercial sewer contractors require compliance with specific federal and local regulations, including the American Public Works Association, but residential contractors do not have to follow the same laws.
About the Job
Commercial sewer contractors work in wet utility construction, such as installing a municipal sewer line that spans a community. These complex projects typically take several weeks to several months to complete due to their size and complexity. These individuals use heavy equipment, such as land movers, to clear the land and dig ditches before they install sewer pipelines.
Although most sewer contractors are subcontracted by a job foreman or construction company, they may also be hired directly as general contractors. However, they are not typically involved in any part of a project except installing sewer lines. They don’t even install potable water lines or fire suppression system lines.
Job Process
A commercial project always starts with a civil engineer drawing blueprints that everyone involved in the construction project, including the commercial sewer contractors, city planners and general contractors, will use. After the land is cleared, pipe trenches are dug and the pipes are installed, welded together and sealed. However, the pipes may also need to be raised up to ensure the sewage flows properly to the waste treatment facility.
Commercial sewer contractors play important, often unrecognized roles in laying a municipal sewer line during the completion of municipal construction projects.