Commercial sewers. Clear scope, less disruption.

01 /Start with the evidence you already hold

Gather the site plan, prior cleaning records, footage and incident dates before choosing another service. If coverage is incomplete, identify it plainly. A kitchen branch, a building drain and a private site trunk can be related without being the same job.

Use the route cards to explore the decision in depth. Every guide separates observations, limits and the next action. The examples are explanatory illustrations, not photographs of completed HAUSE jobs. For the actual property, rely on the qualified inspector’s recording and site-specific assessment.

02 /Turn the question into a request

The scope builder asks for non-personal choices first. You can inspect the outline before entering contact information, and the quote form keeps that outline editable. Nothing is sent by exploring the model or changing a choice.

If an incident is happening now, stop adding water to the affected system, keep away from contaminated water and wet electrical equipment and seek the appropriate urgent assistance. In Calgary, 311 assesses possible City-side involvement. The request form is not emergency dispatch.

The surrounding region includes different utilities, property types and private systems. Supply the actual location in the private request. The team can clarify the relevant next step without promising a contractor in every municipality or a fixed arrival time.

03 /Which commercial sewer problem are you trying to solve?

Describe the affected part of the business before selecting a service. A restaurant operator may need a kitchen drain cleared, a property manager may need a shared line recorded, and an owner may need evidence for a capital repair decision. Those requests can involve different assets, permissions and deliverables at the same address. Put the immediate question into one sentence: which pipe is restricting use, what evidence is missing, or what decision has to be made? A quote based on that sentence is easier to discuss than a request to “do the drains”.

For a food-service property, keep interceptor servicing, kitchen branch cleaning and downstream sewer inspection as separate items in the conversation. One contractor visit may include several of them, but the invoice should explain which were actually completed. Provide existing service logs and the locations already known to the manager. Calgary publishes food-service wastewater guidance; the operator should check that current guidance for its establishment. A clean kitchen sink alone does not document the condition of a shared site sewer.

For a condo, shopping centre or multi-building property, begin with the sections serving more than one occupant. An issue described by one tenant can be related to a different run from the one another tenant reported. Collect dates, affected spaces and earlier job records without declaring a common cause. The shared sewer planning guide helps organize that material. Keep tenant contacts and access instructions in the private request rather than publishing them in a shared site map.

04 /What should a usable commercial sewer record contain?

A usable record names the asset, states the inspection extent and preserves the evidence behind the recommendation. Give each proposed pipe run a simple identifier that remains the same in the quote, recording and report. An address can contain several buildings, connections or inspection points, so the address alone is not a complete asset reference. If a route is inferred from an old drawing, label it as inferred until the survey confirms what was reached.

Ask how the provider will describe the entry point, travel direction, end point and interruptions. A report should make it possible for a later reviewer to distinguish a completed survey from an attempt that stopped at an obstruction. Agree whether the original video, still images, a written summary and locating are included. Download the deliverables and retain them with the scope; an expiring video link is inconvenient when the next budget meeting happens after the link has closed.

Record the work sequence as well as the final observation. A camera view before cleaning can document the original restriction, while a view after cleaning can answer a different question about the exposed pipe. Where that sequence is relevant, ask the provider how it will be recorded and priced. Keep the cleaning task and survey task explicit. The commercial inspection guide provides a more detailed booking checklist, including the sections that remained unseen.

05 /How can you plan the work without surprising occupants?

Plan around the actual access and operating constraints rather than assuming every commercial job can happen outside business hours. Tell bidders about opening hours, delivery routes, occupied suites, security arrangements and any approval required before entry. Identify a manager who can make decisions during the visit. A person with keys is not necessarily authorized to approve extra cleaning, excavation or tenant access. Write down who approves which task before the crew arrives.

Ask for a proposed sequence that explains where equipment will be placed and which users may need instructions from the provider. Do not create your own isolation procedure or open a cover to make the quote more convenient. Restricted spaces and sewer access can present serious hazards; assessment and entry belong with a trained, equipped team. A photo taken from an ordinary safe location can still show a vehicle-access constraint, visible cleanout or locked gate without putting the manager into the work area.

For price comparison, put the same asset list and reporting requirements in front of each bidder. Ask how an incomplete inspection, added cleaning, a return visit or extra locating will be authorized. Compare exclusions beside the total rather than after a booking is made. The commercial scope builder creates an editable outline; it does not calculate a binding price or reserve a work window. Send it with the location and contact permission when you are ready for the team to review the request.

Frequently asked

All questions →