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 Marina del Rey, rodents can use damaged building lines, garage cleanouts, and gaps where pipes enter buildings.
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 Marina del Rey.
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 Marina del Rey, rodents can use damaged building lines, garage cleanouts, and gaps where pipes enter buildings. Damaged cleanouts and building-line connections in Marina del Rey garages can give rodents access.
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.
Rodents that use the sewer system in Marina del Rey buildings often find their way in through damaged building cleanouts in garages, gaps where pipes enter the structure, or cracked sections of a building lateral. Because the harbor area has plenty of food and water, persistent activity is something management takes seriously. We inspect cleanouts and building-line connections, camera the shared lines for breaks, and seal what we find. We coordinate with management and the building's pest control vendor so the plumbing side of the problem is closed off.
Marina del Rey's buildings are younger than Mar Vista's bungalows, but many are now fifty-plus years old, and their original cast-iron and early plastic drain lines are showing it. Sandy coastal soil and groundwater close to the surface in many spots let water seep into cracked pipe and make open trenches harder to keep dry. We handle the County permit and inspection and keep common areas clean while we work.
Not sure what your line needs? We camera it first, then quote a flat rate.
Get a Free Quote| Detail | Marina del Rey |
|---|---|
| Area | Marina del Rey, CA 90292 |
| Jurisdiction | Unincorporated Los Angeles County |
| Permits | LA County Public Works Building & Safety |
| 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 |
Sewer repairs in Marina del Rey run through LA County Building & Safety, which serves the County's unincorporated communities. Under County Code 20.24.080, the property owner maintains the lateral, and LA County Public Works says that responsibility covers its entire length, including the part under the street. We handle the County permit and inspection so your board or manager doesn't have to.
Example scenario below is illustrative, based on common situations we see. Details vary by property; not a specific customer.
A Marina del Rey property manager has repeated rodent sightings in a garage near the sewer cleanout.
We find a cracked cleanout riser and a separated joint at the building drain connection.
Both are repaired, and the pest control vendor sees activity drop.
Owner-led and based in Mar Vista, New Pro treats every Marina del Rey 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 Marina del Rey: Venice, Playa Vista, Playa del Rey, Del Rey. 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.
Often at damaged garage cleanouts or where building lines enter the structure. We inspect those points and camera the shared lines. For Marina del Rey buildings, missing cleanout caps and unused branch openings are common entry routes; we survey and seal each one.
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.
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