Construction Checklist

Before construction begins in your neighborhood, you should take the following actions:

• Send in your Sewer Lateral Questionnaire - Property owners will be sent a Sewer Lateral Questionnaire during the design phase of a project. These questionnaires ask you to draw where your septic system is located and to indicate where you would like your sewer lateral to be placed. It is important that you return this questionnaire so that your lateral will be installed at your requested location. If you do not return it, the Design Engineers will place the lateral at a centralized location along your property line.

• Begin to plan for sewer connection costs - For a single-family home, the sewer connection fee is $1,000. Duplexes and triplexes are charged $1,000 per residential unit. Residential properties with four or more units are charged $805 per unit. Connection fees for commercial properties are based upon water consumption records. Additional connection costs include your private-side plumbing connection and your monthly sanitary sewer charge. Hiring a plumber typically costs between $2,000 to $3,500. The City is committed to assisting with these costs through grants and financing opportunities.

Once construction begins, complete the following steps:

• Check for lateral location markings near your property line - To ensure the lateral will be installed in the location you requested, check for painted markings on the sidewalk, street or fence. If there are no markings, a stake may be used to mark the location of the sewer lateral. These markings should be noticeable before construction occurs on your street. If the marking is not in the correct location, call 954-522-2604.

• Remove personal property from public right-of-ways - Every effort will be made to maintain minimum disruption to the swale areas, yet there may be cases where the contractor will have to remove items within the public right-of-way in order to complete the project. Please remove all private property located within the public right-of-way that you wish to keep. This includes plants, fences, shrubs, or any decorative items encroaching more than 6" into the public right-of-way.

• Be prepared for potential impacts resulting from construction - To install a sanitary sewer system, major construction within the public right-of-way will need to occur. Expect limited access to properties and an increase in noise and dust during typical working hours (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). If you or anyone you know has special needs (e.g. use of respirator, oxygen or any equipment requiring electricity) please contact the Call Center so that the construction contractor can be made aware of specific requirements. Also, please keep all children and pets out of the construction area. Heavy equipment and hazards may be present. Report any unsafe conditions to the Call Center at 954-522-2604.

• Avoid parking in swales - Construction may occur within the area between the edge of the road and your property line. To avoid any costly damage to your vehicle, it is recommended that you do not park within the swale area while construction is occurring near your property.

After the sewer project is certified as complete, the following actions will need to be taken:

• Pay the connection fee - You will receive an Official 90-Day Connection Notification in the mail. This notice will include your amount due and the due date. You will have 90 days to pay your connection fee and make your plumbing connection.

• Connect to the sewer system - It is the property owner's responsibility to connect the plumbing from their building to the new sewer lateral located at the property line. Under certain circumstances, property owners can complete this work themselves, otherwise may hire a plumbing contractor. Regardless of which method you choose, all necessary plumbing permits must be obtained prior to starting this work. In addition, the septic tank must be properly abandoned. Once these steps are completed, you must arrange for inspection of the sewer connection in accordance with the requirements of the plumbing permit.

• Code Enforcement - Once the 90-day connection period has passed, all property owners who have not paid and/or obtained a closed plumbing permit will be notified by Code Enforcement to voluntarily connect before fines (up to $250 per day) are imposed for non-compliance. Sanitary sewer improvements will enhance the environment, increase property values, and bring a modern wastewater disposal system to the community. Let's all work together to make this project a success!

Construction Related Questions
I don’t want the construction contractor damaging my property, how will you prevent this?
The Construction Contractor is to work only in the public right-of-way and is not to go on private property. He is required to restore any damage to public or private property that he may cause. Private property damage will be handled as claims against the construction contractor’s insurance policy. Before any construction starts in the public right-of-way, the Construction Contractor and the City’s Inspector will carefully videotape the existing condition of the street and those portions of adjacent properties that abut the work area. This videotape will serve as the evidence as to whether any damage in question might have been a pre-existing condition.

Who do I call when the construction contractor creates a problem for me and I want some action to resolve it?
The City will have both a Construction Inspector and a Construction Manager watching each construction project. If you have a problem, call 954-522-2604 and tell the Waterworks 2011 representative your address. We will have the Construction Inspector come to your residence and work with the Construction Contractor to address the problem.

The construction contractor is going to tear up the street. How will I get in and out of my home?
As a general rule, the Construction Contractor is not supposed to block access to your house for more than two hours during a workday, and he has to make provision for safe access to your home during the night and on weekends. However, there may be occasions when the nature of the work forces the contractor to close access to your driveway for longer than two hours. The City’s Inspector will be at the work site throughout the day, and he will work with you to solve any problems which might arise. If you encounter difficulty, call 954-522-2604 and we will direct the inspector to meet with you and the contractor at your house and get the problem addressed.

How will garbage, recycling, bulk trash, or yard waste pick-up occur if the street in front of my house is blocked due to construction?
In most cases, the contractor will be able to move the road barricades to allow access for the pickup. However, in a few cases, the construction activity may completely block the roadway limiting access for the trash collection trucks. In this case, the contractor will move the collection cart or recycling bin to the end of the street and will return it after the pick-up has occurred. To ensure that the correct cart or bin is returned to you, the contractor may place a piece of masking tape or other temporary marking on your cart or bin noting your house number or other identification. If you see this type of identification on your cart or bin, please leave it in place until the construction is complete on your street.

In the case of bulk trash or yard waste, the contractor may move the material to a location where the collection truck can access it. In addition, during construction the sanitation crews may service your area at an earlier time than you normally expect them to be there. To assist the sanitation crews in continuing to provide you with efficient and uninterrupted service, we ask that you please place your garbage and yard waste carts, recycling bins, and bulk materials at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your regularly scheduled pickup days. If you have any questions regarding trash pick-up, please call the City of Fort Lauderdale Customer Service Line at 954-828-8000.

Return to Construction Process Home Page