If rats are showing up in your home or yard and you can't find how they're getting in, the sewer line may be the route.
Written byNew Pro Plumbing·Reviewed byMiguel Lopez, Owner & Licensed Plumber, New Pro Plumbing (CSLB #974600)·Last reviewedSeptember 2026 · 8 min readQuick Answer
Rats can travel through sewer systems and enter buildings through broken pipes, open or damaged cleanouts, and failed connections. A camera inspection can find the break, and repairing or sealing it closes the entry point. We also check cleanout caps and unused drains. In Mar Vista, broken clay laterals and old, uncapped cleanouts are the most common sewer entry points we find.
Sewer systems connect everything, and rats are good at moving through them. A healthy sewer line is a closed system, but a cracked or broken section, an open cleanout, or a connection that has separated can give rodents a path into the soil around your home, a crawlspace, or even the house itself. This page is part of our complete guide to sewer line repair in Mar Vista.
Rats in the Sewer Line: Rodent entry through the sewer line occurs when rats travel through the sewer system and enter a property through broken pipe, open cleanouts, or failed connections.
Pest control handles the animals, but if the entry point is a broken sewer line, they'll keep coming. A camera inspection can find that break. Repairing the pipe or sealing the opening closes the route.
In Mar Vista, broken clay laterals and old, uncapped cleanouts are the most common sewer entry points we find. Cracked and separated clay joints in Mar Vista laterals can open a route for rodents.
Cleanout caps, unused drains, and visible connections.
We look for breaks, gaps, and separated joints.
Fix the break with a spot repair, liner, or replacement.
We share findings with your pest control provider.
Camera first, always. Every recommendation starts with a recorded inspection you can watch yourself, and a flat-rate price you approve before we start.
When rodents use a Mar Vista sewer line, the route is usually a broken or separated clay lateral, or an old cleanout with a missing or cracked cap. Both are common in the neighborhood's older homes. We start with the easy checks, capping any open cleanouts and checking unused drains, then camera the line to look for breaks. When we find one, sealing it is the same repair you'd need for any cracked lateral: a spot repair, a liner, or a replacement. We share what we find with your pest control provider so the whole problem gets solved.
Mar Vista is our home base, so we see its housing stock every week — pre-war and postwar homes where the sewer line is often as old as the house. Mature street trees, ficus especially, send roots toward the moisture at every clay joint. We pull the City permit, book the inspection, and leave the property as clean as we found it.
Not sure what your line needs? We camera it first, then quote a flat rate.
Get a Free Quote| Detail | Mar Vista |
|---|---|
| Area | Mar Vista, CA 90066 |
| Jurisdiction | City of Los Angeles |
| Permits | LADBS (City of Los Angeles) |
| Typical access | A cleanout or fixture; targeted excavation only when needed |
| First step | Camera inspection with a copy of the recording |
| Pricing | Flat-rate, in writing, before work starts |
| Availability | 24/7, including weekends and holidays |
| License | CSLB #974600, insured |
| Languages | English and Spanish |
Because Mar Vista is City of LA, your sewer repair runs through an LADBS plumbing permit and inspection. LA Sanitation splits the lateral into an upper section, from the house to the property line, and a lower section, from the property line to the main, and the owner is responsible for maintaining both. We pull the permits and schedule the inspection, so you don't have to deal with the paperwork.
Example scenario below is illustrative, based on common situations we see. Details vary by property; not a specific customer.
A Mar Vista homeowner keeps finding signs of rats in the crawlspace despite regular pest control.
Our camera finds a separated joint in the clay lateral near the foundation, and the cleanout cap is missing.
We cap the cleanout and line the lateral, and pest control reports the activity stops.
Owner-led and based in Mar Vista, New Pro treats every Mar Vista property the way we'd want our own family's home treated. We price by the job, not the hour, so the flat rate you approve is the amount you pay. We keep the camera recording and job records, so you have a history if you ever need it.
Also serving neighborhoods near Mar Vista: Culver City, Westdale, Mar Vista Hill, Venice. See all Westside service areas.
The Bottom Line
If rats keep coming back, the sewer line may be how they get in. We find the break on camera and seal it, working alongside your pest control.
They can travel through sewer systems and use broken pipes or open fittings to reach a property. Rats can enter the sewer through cracks, open joints, missing cleanout caps, or unused branch openings. Our common plumbing issues page covers building-side entry points.
A camera inspection can show breaks or gaps. Your pest control provider may also notice activity near the sewer route. A camera inspection finds the pipe defect; sealing the pipe removes the route. Pest control is a partner solution, not a substitute for fixing the pipe.
A continuous liner seals cracks and gaps in the line, closing those entry points. In older neighborhoods with open clay joints, lining the lateral removes the entry points continuously. That is why lining often solves persistent rodent issues along with root issues.
Both can help. Pest control deals with the animals; we find and fix the pipe they may be using. For questions about the public sewer main, that is on LA Sanitation in the City or LA County Public Works in unincorporated areas. Owner-side responsibility ends at the connection to the main.
Usually through broken or separated clay joints or an old cleanout with a missing cap. We cap and camera first, then seal any break. For older Mar Vista homes with open clay joints, lining the lateral removes rodent entry points along the whole run.
This page was written by the New Pro Plumbing content team and reviewed for technical accuracy by Miguel Lopez, owner and California-licensed plumber (CSLB #974600). Agency rules are summarized from the official sources above; programs and requirements can change, so confirm current details with the agency. Nothing here is a quote. We confirm scope and pricing in writing before any work begins.
What’s new: September 2026, first publication.
If rats are showing up in your home or yard and you can't find how they're getting in, the sewer line may be the route.
Fill out the form below and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
We've received your request and will be in touch within 24 hours.
Verified Google reviews of New Pro Plumbing — same-day calls, honest flat-rate quotes, and clean, careful work.