Who pays for the sewer lateral in Corte Madera, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main, including the fitting where it joins
Why, and what to doYours from the meter to your building
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
No rule on file here is specific to a repair; that does not mean none exists.
Buying or selling?
Where a sale of property is proposed, the seller is to have the private sewer lateral inspected before title transfers, and that repairs are due within 180 days of the close of sale. The District defines a title transfer broadly enough to include transfers into a trust, to an heir, and between co-owners.
Planning work?
A lateral inspection is required before a building permit is issued where the work - or cumulative work over the previous three years - is worth $50,000 or more, and lists a second unit, a water meter size change, a fire sprinkler installation or a change in fixture count alongside it.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Corte Madera: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
The property owner is responsible for the whole lateral, including the run from the curb to the sewer main and the connection itself.
- The property owner
- The District's ordinance defines both halves as parts of one privately owned pipe: the lower lateral is "the portion of the private sewer lateral extending from the cleanout near the curb line to the sewer main, or from the curb line in the street to the sewer main if there is no cleanout near curb line", and "includes the connection to the sewer main". Its repair provisions fall on owners throughout - shared laterals are repaired jointly by the owners served, and responsibility after a failed test at sale is "an issue between the buyer and seller".
Sources
Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County, Ordinance No. 45What the rules say
These requirements are issued by Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County, not by Corte Madera.
Most relevant if you have a backup or blockage
No rule on file here is specific to a backup or blockage; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
A lateral inspection is required before a building permit is issued where the work - or cumulative work over the previous three years - is worth $50,000 or more, and lists a second unit, a water meter size change, a fire sprinkler installation or a change in fixture count alongside it.
What to do: Ask Sanitary District No. 2 whether this property is exempt, and whether earlier work counts towards the threshold, before applying for a permit.
Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County Ordinance No. 45Why this matters
The threshold is cumulative rather than per project, so two modest jobs in three years can cross it when neither approaches $50,000 on its own. The District states it notifies the city, town or county so that a building permit is conditioned on the inspection, which means this is enforced at the permit counter. Its published exemptions and its ordinance disagree: the page describes a replacement within ten years as exempt while the ordinance's exception clause says three years.
Where a sale of property is proposed, the seller is to have the private sewer lateral inspected before title transfers, and that repairs are due within 180 days of the close of sale. The District defines a title transfer broadly enough to include transfers into a trust, to an heir, and between co-owners.
What to do: Ask Sanitary District No. 2 whether this property is exempt before assuming either figure applies, and if the lateral is shared, ask whether the transfer requirement applies at all.
Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County Ordinance No. 45Why this matters
If the seller does not have the inspection done, the District states that it will require the new owner to arrange the inspection and any repairs - so the obligation follows the property rather than ending at closing. The District's ordinance and its summary page disagree about who is exempt: the page describes a replacement within ten years as an exemption while the ordinance's exception clause says three years, and the page describes a 180-day extension for shared laterals while the ordinance says shared laterals are not subject to the transfer requirement at all.
Assistance programmes
Sanitary District No. 2 low-income grant assistance
A 75% cost match up to $10,000. Funded through FY 2023-24. The published threshold cites HUD FY 2022 median family income limits.
The District states it is for households at "80% ('Low') or less of the Median Family Income (MFI) limits" whose lateral replacement was triggered by a District capital improvement project, and requires two years of filed IRS Form 1040 with Social Security numbers redacted, plus proof of occupancy.
Apply on the official siteSanitary District No. 2 private sewer lateral grant
50% of the cost of the repair or replacement needed to pass a pressure test, to a maximum of $2,500 per parcel, or $3,500 for a shared lateral triggered by another party. Funded from the FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24 capital budget. Claimed after the work, with the permit before it: the District states that "the grant application should be submitted after the PSL work is complete and the lateral has passed a pressure test with a copy of the paid contractor invoice", while the sewer permit has to be approved before any work begins.
The District states it is open to "any property owner within the District, regardless of income level" who has not received District funding assistance in the previous ten years, and requires an approved sewer permit before work begins.
Apply on the official siteSanitary District No. 2 private sewer lateral loan
Up to $25,000 at 6.5% annually, repayable over up to ten years, with sewer permit fees waived. Extended through 30 June 2027 by Resolution No. 08/2024. The District states the programme is contingent on available funding, with $125,000 allocated across two fiscal years and distributed first-come. Apply first: "if an application for the PSL Loan Program is submitted and approved", the owner then applies to the District for a sewer permit "for review and approval prior to commencement of work on the PSL" - and "if any sewer work is begun on the property without an approved sewer permit, the property owner will not be eligible for any District or Town funding assistance".
The District states that an owner qualifies where "sewage overflow or malfunction has occurred on the property; or the adjacent sewer main is being improved or roadway is being paved" as part of its capital improvements, or where the owner cannot obtain private financing and provides written documentation from a financial institution confirming they cannot qualify at about 6.5% annual interest. It lists as disqualifying a District grant received within the previous ten years, a lateral that passed a pressure test within ten years, and a determination by the District Manager.
Apply on the official siteSanitary District No. 2 lower lateral capital improvement programme
The District states it "will incorporate the repair or replacement of qualified, privately-owned and maintained lower lateral section of a PSL" ... "into a District sewer main project occurring on the same street". Its page gives no amount and no share of the cost.
The District states that a property qualifies automatically where its lower lateral falls within the limits of a District capital improvement project. There is no application; the District notifies qualifying owners by post and an owner may opt out by contacting it.
Apply on the official site
Who governs and serves this area
- Jurisdiction
- Corte Madera (municipality)
How this compares to neighbouring cities
1 of the 4 nearest cities draws the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.
Your other pipe: the water service line
The drinking water line coming into your property is a separate pipe, run by a separate authority, and who is responsible for it is decided separately. Your sewer lateral is yours to the main, fitting included; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in Corte MaderaNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Corte Madera in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address