Sometimes the Real Heroes of a Sewer Project Aren’t the Contractors

Published by Clog Busters | Portland Metro Sewer & Plumbing Specialists

Behind every successful sewer repair or trenchless sewer replacement, there are often professionals working tirelessly behind the scenes. While contractors receive much of the recognition for the physical work, many complex projects would never happen without the dedication of real estate professionals, surveyors, attorneys, permit offices, and homeowners all working together toward a common goal.

A Portland Sewer Project That Was Anything But Ordinary

At Clog Busters, we complete sewer repairs, trenchless sewer replacements, sewer inspections, and plumbing projects throughout the Portland Metro area every day. Most projects follow a fairly straightforward path. A homeowner contacts us, we perform a sewer inspection, provide an estimate, receive approval, complete the work, and everyone moves on.

In many cases, that entire process can take only a day or two.

This project on Fairmount was different.

What should have taken only a few days ultimately stretched into nearly three months due to permits, legal requirements, easements, property surveys, multiple stakeholders, and countless moving pieces that had to come together before construction could even begin.

Recognizing the Professionals Who Kept the Project Moving

We'd like to recognize two outstanding real estate professionals who helped keep this transaction together from beginning to end:

• Matt Gorman, Principal Broker with John L. Scott, representing the buyers.
• Jenny Bright, Broker with Urban Pacific Real Estate, representing the sellers.

Both played critical roles throughout this project, but Jenny deserves special recognition for everything she handled behind the scenes.

Over the course of several months, she coordinated permit requirements, worked with surveyors, communicated with attorneys to ensure legal language was properly drafted, gathered documentation, worked directly with the homeowners, secured two separate easements, obtained an encroachment permit, addressed neighboring property concerns, and kept every party moving toward the same goal.

Anyone who has worked in construction knows the actual installation is often the easy part. The paperwork, approvals, legal coordination, and negotiations are frequently the biggest obstacles.

There were moments during this project when most people would have walked away. Jenny didn't.

She continued making phone calls, gathering information, solving problems, and finding solutions until the project could finally move forward.

The Sewer Repair Scope

The primary sewer line measured approximately 152 feet from the cleanout to the city manhole.

The original project included:

• Installing a 152-foot cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) sewer liner.
• Additional trenchless lining underneath the home.
• Securing all required city permits and approvals.

Once all approvals were in place, our crew arrived onsite prepared to complete every portion of the project.

Doing What Was Right for the Customer

After evaluating the plumbing firsthand, we discovered something important.

The cast-iron piping beneath the home was still in excellent condition.

Although the original scope included lining that section, we determined the work simply wasn't necessary. Rather than performing unnecessary repairs, we removed that portion from the contract and passed the savings directly back to the seller.

At Clog Busters, our goal has always been to recommend only the work that truly needs to be completed.

Finding a Better Plumbing Solution

As construction progressed, additional plumbing issues inside the home were uncovered.

Initially, it appeared we'd need to jackhammer a significant portion of the laundry room floor to complete the repairs.

The challenge?

The laundry room contained specialty tile flooring that would have been expensive and difficult to replace.

Instead of choosing the most destructive option, our team searched for a better solution.

We successfully rerouted the plumbing by running it neatly along the wall, underneath the stairs, and reconnecting it without disturbing most of the finished flooring.

Rather than demolishing the entire laundry room floor, we only needed to remove a small two-foot by two-foot section of tile inside the bathroom.

This approach:

• Reduced restoration costs.
• Saved labor expenses.
• Preserved the home's original character.
• Minimized disruption for everyone involved.

The Final Results

• Installed a 152-foot trenchless sewer liner from the cleanout to the city manhole.
• Completed all necessary interior plumbing repairs.
• Eliminated unnecessary work after onsite evaluation.
• Returned cost savings directly to the seller.
• Preserved existing flooring whenever possible.

While the construction itself was successful, this project required extraordinary coordination between contractors, real estate professionals, homeowners, attorneys, surveyors, permit departments, and neighboring property owners.

Great Projects Require Great Teams

Matt Gorman did an outstanding job representing the buyers throughout the transaction, helping keep communication open and ensuring the process continued moving forward.

Jenny Bright dedicated countless hours behind the scenes handling responsibilities that most people will never see.

Phone calls.

Emails.

Permit applications.

Legal reviews.

Survey coordination.

Easement negotiations.

Problem solving.

Without those efforts, none of the construction work would have ever happened.

Contractors often receive the recognition because we're the ones operating excavators, installing sewer liners, repairing plumbing, and completing the physical work. But projects like this remind us that success is often built by professionals working quietly behind the scenes.

Thank You, Matt and Jenny

From everyone at Clog Busters, we'd like to sincerely thank both Matt Gorman and Jenny Bright for your professionalism, persistence, and commitment to your clients.

Jenny, your determination throughout this project deserves special recognition. You refused to let obstacles win, continued pushing forward through every challenge, and helped bring an incredibly complicated transaction across the finish line.

If anyone earned a long vacation and a couple bottles of wine after this project, it was probably you.

We look forward to working with both of you again in the future, although hopefully on a project that's a little less complicated.

Need Sewer Repair or Trenchless Sewer Replacement in Portland?

Whether your project is simple or requires coordination between multiple parties, Clog Busters has the experience to help. We specialize in sewer inspections, trenchless sewer repair, cured-in-place pipe lining (CIPP), sewer replacements, drain cleaning, and residential plumbing services throughout the Portland Metro area.

Our goal isn't just to complete the job. It's to recommend the right solution, avoid unnecessary work whenever possible, and help homeowners save money while protecting their property.

At Clog Busters, we bust clogs, not budgets.