Who helps pay for a sewer lateral repair in California
23 grant, loan and rebate programmes from 17 authorities. Replacing a sewer lateral runs into five figures, and every one of these bodies publishes its own terms without mentioning any of the others.
What the comparison shows
- 3 of these 23 programmes will not help somebody who is selling: Berkeley, San Rafael and Stege Sanitary District exclude the point-of-sale trigger, which is the event most likely to have brought a reader here.
- Whether to apply before or after the work is answered in opposite directions. Morgan Hill, San Mateo, Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District and Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District require approval before any work begins; Los Angeles and Millbrae require the work finished first. Doing it in the wrong order forfeits the money.
- 9 of these 23 could not be confirmed as still funded, and are shown with what is unclear about them. Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Citrus Heights, Mill Valley, Modesto and Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County publish terms this study could not verify online - worth a phone call before counting on the money, and worth the call rather than assuming there is none.
- 17 separate authorities run these programmes and none of them mentions the others. A homeowner comparing has to find and read every one.
Programme by programme
| Who runs it | Where it applies | What it is worth | When to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | Berkeley | An interest-free loan, with the amount based on the lowest of three qualified bids the owner submits. For a Berkeley owner selling a property, this is not the programme — the City excludes that trigger. | Not stated |
| Central Contra Costa Sanitary District | Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek | Up to $12,500 for single-family residential with a 4-inch connection, or up to $25,000 for multi-family and non-residential with a 6-inch connection. Repayable over 15 years on the Contra Costa County property tax roll, with no penalty for early pay-off. Covers District application and inspection fees as well as the contractor's construction cost. | Not stated |
| Citrus Heights | Citrus Heights | A loan rather than a grant. The District "provides a low-interest loan up to $15,000 for the repair or replacement of an upper lateral", and "property owners will be responsible for costs exceeding $15,000". The rate is described only as "low-interest rates, fixed for the life of the loan", over "terms from five to ten years". One route removes the interest entirely: "if the property owner is enrolled in SacSewer's Sewer Lifeline Rate Assistance Program, then no interest will be charged". | Not stated |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Up to $300 towards the inspection, paid to the owner afterwards. Run "on a first-come, first-serve basis, until annual allocated funds are exhausted". Applications go through MyLA311 under "Sewer or Sidewalk Rebates". | Not stated |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Up to $2,500 towards the repair, paid to the owner after the work. The City runs it "on a first-come, first-serve basis, until annual allocated funds are exhausted", so the money can run out within a year even for an eligible owner. Applications go through MyLA311 under "Sewer or Sidewalk Rebates". | Claim after the work |
| Mill Valley | Mill Valley | Up to 20% of the cost of the work, capped at $2,000. For households earning 80% or less of Median Family Income, up to 75% of the cost, capped at $7,500. Separately, up to $200 towards a CCTV inspection. SASM states that "the cap amount may change depending on availability of the remaining fund". | Not stated |
| Millbrae | Millbrae | 20% of the cost, up to $2,000, one per residence. Unlike the San Mateo and Morgan Hill programmes, this one is claimed after the work: the City requires evidence that it was completed within the previous 180 days. Funds are limited and issued first-come. | Claim after the work |
| Modesto | Modesto | The City pays the same share it would under the reimbursement option and lends you the rest, so you are not out of pocket up front: it "will reimburse 50% of the cost to replace public improvements affected during repairs ... and will loan the property owner the remaining share of the repair cost", with the City's portion "equivalent to the reimbursement amount under the Reimbursement Option". The loan is repaid "including principal and interest, over a pre-determined period of time" - neither the rate nor the term is published. You also pay the costs of setting it up: "approximately $250 administrative fee and $75 title report fee" in the copy of the guidelines cited here, and a lien is recorded against the property. | Not stated |
| Modesto | Modesto | Half, of something the City describes two different ways - read the note above before you budget. Under the reimbursement option "the property owner is responsible for the full payment of the repair within the public right-of-way" and the City reimburses 50%, "based on 50% of the lowest of three bids". So you pay the contractor in full and claim afterwards, the City's share is pegged to the cheapest of your three quotes rather than to what you actually paid, and nothing on your own land qualifies: the assistance "is only for the portion of the sewer line located in the right-of-way and does not cover any sewer work on the property". | Not stated |
| Morgan Hill | Morgan Hill | 50% of the lowest contractor bid, up to $5,000. Apply first: the City states that a Letter of Approval must be received "BEFORE any construction work begins", and that "all sewer lateral construction work done before grant approval is ineligible for funding". | Apply before the work |
| Ross Valley Sanitary District | Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo | Up to $3,000, effective 1 May 2026 — raised by board action on 22 April 2026 from earlier amounts. Applications must reach the District within 180 days of its final inspection, which the District describes as a firm deadline. | Not stated |
| Ross Valley Sanitary District | Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo | Up to $25,000 to replace a private sewer lateral, up to $50,000 for a septic-to-sewer conversion, and from 1 May 2026 up to $60,000 for unique or complex projects at the District's determination. The District pays the contractor directly and the loan is repaid over ten years through semi-annual property tax bills, at the ten-year U.S. Treasury rate plus 0.5% per annum fixed. Applications must arrive within 30 days of the District's final inspection. | Not stated |
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo | Two rebates answering two different bills: "up to $350 for lateral inspection, and $4,000 for lateral replacement". The inspection rebate offsets the CCTV inspection the City itself requires on a sale, a meter change and several building occasions; the replacement rebate offsets the repair that inspection may show is needed. | Not stated |
| San Mateo | San Mateo | 50% of the lowest bid, up to $2,500. Apply first: the City states the programme "does not have a retroactive component", so three written estimates from licensed plumbers must be submitted and approved before any work begins. Work started beforehand is not reimbursed. | Apply before the work |
| San Rafael | San Rafael | A loan rather than a grant: "customers within the District can apply for a loan of up to $15,000 from the program, allowing them a 10-year period to repay the borrowed amount at a 2-percent interest rate". Those figures are the code's as well - a maximum principal of $15,000, a ten-year term, and interest at "two percent (2%) per annum". What the page does not say is how you repay it. The amount becomes a lien on the property, collected in semi-annual instalments added to the Marin County tax roll "at the same time and in the same manner as county taxes are collected", with the agreement recorded at the County Recorder's office; the code states the lien is "of the same force and effect as other liens for taxes". Two terms in your favour sit alongside that: there is "no prepayment penalty", and the schedule is not accelerated "upon the sale or transfer of the property", so an outstanding balance need not be cleared to sell. Title search and recording fees are yours and the District may add them to the principal. The permit and the final inspection the work needs are free. | Not stated |
| Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County | Corte Madera | A 75% cost match up to $10,000. Funded through FY 2023-24. The published threshold cites HUD FY 2022 median family income limits. | Not stated |
| Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County | Corte Madera | Full cost of the lower lateral repair or replacement within District capital improvement projects. | Not stated |
| Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County | Corte Madera | 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. | Not stated |
| Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County | Corte Madera | 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. | Not stated |
| Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District | Sausalito | 50% of the cost of the CCTV inspection and the repair or replacement, up to $2,000. If the inspection finds no repair is needed, the District reimburses it in full up to $400 with no matching contribution - which is the case most sellers are in, and the only programme found so far that pays when nothing is wrong. Apply and be approved before the work starts. Separately, the District charges a $150 fee for its own inspection and certificate, waived where repairs are completed; that is a fee it takes rather than a grant it gives. | Apply before the work |
| Stege Sanitary District | El Cerrito | Up to $30,000, no interest, repaid over a period not exceeding ten years through annual property tax bills with no pre-payment penalty. The District pays the contractor directly, based on the lowest of three bids dated within the previous 90 days, and states applications are usually approved or denied within a week. Offered first-come, to the extent of available funding. | Not stated |
| Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District | Vallejo | Up to $3,500 towards replacing an upper lateral, and in no case more than was paid for the work. Apply first: the District requires a completed application and its approval before the work qualifies for reimbursement. | Apply before the work |
| West Valley Sanitation District | Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno | A loan, secured on the house, and interest-free: "an interest-free five-year term loan as a lien against your property, maximum amount of $3,500, is available for you as a homeowner to assist in replacing your failing, or failed building upper sewer lateral". Repayment is collected on the property tax bill and the lien released when it is repaid. Against a five-figure lateral replacement, $3,500 is a contribution rather than a solution - but it is interest-free money and the District waives its own permit fees for work done under the programme. | Not stated |
Who qualifies, in each authority’s own words
Quoted rather than summarised. A paraphrased eligibility rule is one somebody can be wrongly told they meet.
City of Berkeley private sewer lateral loan
Not available for a sale. The City states the loans "are not available in cases where you are transferring or selling your property or performing major renovations", and are "only available in cases where the City has found your PSL to be a public nuisance" — its programme summary limits eligible work to defects found by the City's smoke testing or its own enforcement, and explicitly excludes compliance triggered by a transfer of property deed or a renovation of $60,000 or more. Beyond that it is for low-income owner occupiers: the applicant must hold title, the property must be their principal residence, and household income must not exceed 80% of Alameda County area median income as published by HUD.
Read the authority’s own pageCentral San Sewer Lateral Replacement financing programme
The District states the programme is open to residential and non-residential property owners within its service area "who agree to replace their entire sewer lateral all the way from the building to the sewer main in the street". Separating a shared lateral also qualifies. Contractor bids are approved by the District before the work, and the owner signs a promissory note and a recordable Memorandum of Agreement.
Read the authority’s own pageSacSewer Upper Lateral Loan Program
Sacramento Area Sewer District states three conditions and no more: "property within SacSewer's collection service area", "applicant is the legal property owner", and "residential, commercial, or industrial customers welcome to apply". The service area is the thing to check first, because the District collects for Citrus Heights and much of the surrounding county but not for every address in the region, and the loan follows the District's area rather than any city boundary. The application asks for "at least one project-specific cost estimate (bid) from a properly licensed contractor for the on-site sewer repairs", so a quotation comes before the application rather than after it.
Read the authority’s own pageLos Angeles sewer lateral CCTV inspection rebate
Nothing has to be broken. The rebate is for having the lateral televised by a licensed and bonded sewer contractor, and the City says that "if no repairs are needed, then the property owner can have peace of mind". It is open to "rate paying property owners who own residential, multifamily, commercial, and industrial property, and who pay sewer service charge to the City of Los Angeles". The timing is tighter than the repair rebate's: the City requires that the "CCTV work must not have been completed more than 6 months prior to the date of completion of the sewer lateral CCTV rebate application". The application needs the contractor's itemised paid invoice, the video showing the property address at its start, the inspection report, a recent DWP bill, the parcel number, a W-9 and a signed release. The ordinance behind it also refuses premises connected to a sewer maintained by another jurisdiction, such as a Los Angeles County Sanitation District sewer, and owners more than 60 days in arrears on any Bureau of Sanitation charge.
Read the authority’s own pageLos Angeles sewer lateral repair rebate
Claim within 60 days of the City signing off the work. The City requires that "repairs and inspections related to sewer laterals must have the final permit signed by the City's inspector no more than 60 days prior to completion of the sewer lateral repair rebate application", so an owner who repairs the pipe and applies months later is refused however good the repair was. It is open to "rate paying property owners who own residential, multifamily, commercial, and industrial property, and who pay sewer service charge to the City of Los Angeles", and the repair must be done by a licensed and bonded contractor. The ordinance adds four refusals the rebate page does not mention: new construction, premises outside the City unless billed its sewer service charge, premises "connected to a sewer maintained by another jurisdiction, such as the Los Angeles County Sanitation District", and owners more than 60 days in arrears on any Bureau of Sanitation charge. The application needs the contractor's itemised paid invoice, the CCTV video and final report, the signed final City permit, a recent DWP bill, the parcel number and a W-9.
Read the authority’s own pageSASM Cash for Sewers - sewer lateral replacement reimbursement
The Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin states the reimbursement is for "Residents who were required to replace their sewer laterals as a result of SASM or a member Agency's capital improvement program". A separate grant "of up to $200 to reimburse private sewer lateral inspection performed by CCTV" is stated without that condition. Participants "must receive a Certificate of Compliance from your district upon completion of the project - a building permit does not satisfy this requirement".
Read the authority’s own pageCity of Millbrae sanitary sewer lateral rebate
The City requires one of: two or more laterals that were connected to each other having been separated, a lateral upgraded to the current Millbrae Municipal Code, a lateral at risk of overflowing or broken having been fixed, any upgrade to meet Municipal Code chapter 8.20, or a lateral that had no City clean-out in the sidewalk area. It also requires all of: evidence the work was completed within the previous 180 days, evidence of payment in full by paid-in-full receipt — the City states cleared cheques are not acceptable — and no rebate under this programme in the previous ten years.
Read the authority’s own pageCity of Modesto House Sewer Line Repair Cost-Share Program - loan option
The same conditions as the reimbursement option - residential property of six units or less, annexed to the city of Modesto, work in the public right-of-way rather than on private land, three quotes from contractors holding "a valid Class A General Engineering or Class C-34 Pipeline Contractor license", paperwork approved before work starts, an encroachment permit taken out by the contractor, and City inspection - plus three further items for the loan itself: an "Existing Single Family Deferral Application", a "Notice of Lien between City and property owner (executed and recorded)", and payment of the loan agreement fees. Upgrades required to meet current City standards must be done and are not eligible for reimbursement. Permit costs are not covered.
Read the authority’s own pageCity of Modesto House Sewer Line Repair Cost-Share Program - reimbursement option
Residential property of six units or less, on land annexed to the city of Modesto, with the work in the public right-of-way and not on private property. The City requires at least three quotes from properly licensed contractors (except for a "Clean-out Only"), and the contractor must hold "a valid Class A General Engineering or Class C-34 Pipeline Contractor license" - an ordinary plumbing licence is not enough. All the paperwork must be "submitted to the CSP coordinator and approved prior to the start of work", an encroachment permit must be obtained by the contractor before work begins, and the work must be inspected and approved by a City inspector. Repairs must include any upgrades needed to meet current City standards, such as a different pipe material or "the addition of a sewer cleanout adjacent to the property line" - and those upgrades "are not eligible for reimbursement". Permit costs are not covered.
Read the authority’s own pageCity of Morgan Hill private sewer lateral grant
The City is accepting applications for the 2026-27 financial year, with funds distributed first-come, first-served. Permits are required from the Building Division for work on private property, or from the Engineering Department for work in the public right of way.
Read the authority’s own pageRoss Valley Sanitary District lateral replacement grant
The District states: "Qualification for these programs is not based on income. Most applicants are eligible for funding." It lists as disqualifying a capital improvement project where the District replaced the lower lateral, a common lateral connection, partial work, unpermitted sewer work, and a late or incomplete application.
Read the authority’s own pageRoss Valley Sanitary District lateral replacement loan
The District states that "loan eligibility is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and is subject to District approval", and that qualification is not based on income. The same disqualifying factors apply as for the grant. Loans are non-transferable and may be paid off early.
Read the authority’s own pageCity of San Luis Obispo sewer lateral rebate
Open to "eligible property owners" in the City of San Luis Obispo for inspecting and replacing a private sewer lateral, and available "for as long as the program is funded" - the City's own condition, and not a guarantee the money will be there when you apply. The City directs applicants to its rebate application for the detailed eligibility conditions, which are not summarised here - read the application itself.
Read the authority’s own pageCity of San Mateo private sewer lateral cost sharing
The City states: "Anyone who owns property within the City of San Mateo city limits is eligible, regardless of income or property type." Applications for the 2026/27 financial year are open on a first-come, first-served basis.
Read the authority’s own pageLas Gallinas Valley Sanitary District sewer lateral assistance loan
Open to customers of Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District, which serves part of San Rafael and the unincorporated area north of it - not to the rest of the city, which is served by San Rafael Sanitation District and has no equivalent programme. The District states that "customers within the District can apply", and describes the programme as aimed at the many homes in its area over fifty years old whose laterals have never been repaired or replaced. Confirm which district serves the address first. The District's code adds conditions its web page does not. Your lateral has to have been surveyed on video and rated under the Pipeline Assessment Certification Program, and that survey has to find at least one defect rated under it - a lateral you simply want replaced before it fails will not qualify. The property must be clear of delinquent taxes, special assessments and assessment loans, or you must show an arrangement to clear them, and the owner must be "in good standing with no claims, no active lawsuit and/or no funds outstanding due to District". Money is limited and spoken for in order: it goes first to properties caught by that year's Sewer Improvement Project, and then, if any is left, to other repairs, with "sewer laterals in the worst condition" given priority. If your property is not part of the current year's project you will also need three quotes from a licensed contractor, and the District pays the contractor directly rather than paying you.
Read the authority’s own pageSanitary District No. 2 low-income grant assistance
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.
Read the authority’s own pageSanitary District No. 2 lower lateral capital improvement programme
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.
Read the authority’s own pageSanitary District No. 2 private sewer lateral grant
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.
Read the authority’s own pageSanitary District No. 2 private sewer lateral loan
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.
Read the authority’s own pageSausalito-Marin City Sanitary District lateral rehabilitation grant
The District states assistance "will be available only to registered owners of residential or commercial property within the boundaries of Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District". At least two quotes from licensed contractors go to the District for review, and it states "work may be scheduled and completed after the application has been approved by the District". Funds are limited and issued first-come.
Read the authority’s own pageStege Sanitary District private sewer lateral replacement loan
Not available for a sale. The District requires that the lateral has NOT triggered the Regional PSL Program through a property transaction, construction over $100,000, or a change of water meter size — and a property transaction is what the regional requirement covering El Cerrito turns on. Beyond that the property must be served by Stege Sanitary District, and the work must be done by a contractor from the District's registered list.
Read the authority’s own pageVallejo Flood and Wastewater District upper lateral replacement reimbursement
The District states the property "must be currently assessed for Sanitary Sewer Service Charges and have no prior reimbursements for the parcel", and that "the lateral must be over 25 years old, constructed with vitrified clay pipe or have structural issues requiring replacement". The no-prior-claim condition attaches to the parcel rather than the owner, so a previous owner having claimed it uses it up.
Read the authority’s own pageWest Valley Sanitation District Private Lateral Replacement Program
Narrower than most, and the limits are worth reading before hoping. The District offers it "for homeowners with single family residential properties and limited to only one sewer lateral per property and one property per homeowner for the life of the District's Private Lateral Replacement Program (PLRP)" - so a landlord with several houses can use it once, and a flat or a duplex is outside it altogether. It is for a lateral already in trouble rather than one you want replaced before it fails: the loan assists in "replacing your failing, or failed building upper sewer lateral located on your property that connects to a District sewer main located in the public right-of-way". Money is not guaranteed by qualifying - "funding is available on a first-approved, first-served basis". There are deadlines once you are in: thirty calendar days from being notified of approval "to secure a contract with a construction contractor that meets the District requirements", and a CCTV inspection of the lateral is part of getting there.
Read the authority’s own page
What this does not tell you
- This covers 162 jurisdictions in CA, not the whole state. A city absent here has not been checked - it may well offer help, so ask it.
- Terms are quoted from each authority's own page on the date it was checked. Programmes close, funding runs out and amounts change — confirm with the authority before relying on any figure here.
- Where an authority's published terms could not be confirmed, the programme is listed with what is unclear about it rather than left out. Withholding those spared nobody: the doubt is usually about whether funding remains, and only the authority can settle it for a particular property.
The requirement that sends most people looking for this money is compared separately: how sewer lateral rules differ between neighbouring California cities.