Terra Nova replaced our sewer line in late 2024. The team was easy to work with initially, and I had a good impression of them and the work done. During the project, they had to cut our drainage pipe and disturbed the system while redoing the sewer lateral. However, we recently discovered a significant amount of loose dirt in the French drain in the area where they worked. When I brought this to the owner's attention, she denied all responsibility and expects another company to fix their mishap. Despite my efforts to reach a resolution, the owner denied all responsibility, instead attributing the issue to a drainage system installed years back. The phone conversation was terminated abruptly and rudely by the owner and my follow-up messages with the owner remains unprofessional and dismissive. I would think twice before hiring them if you expect a company to stand behind their craftsmanship when things go wrong. read more

See all

They do an amazing job especially for sewer lateral work. Have worked with them twice and will recommend them to all my friends

Sewer lateral. Fast and professional service. Easy to work with. Definitely recommended.

For our sewer lateral. Service was prompt and communication was great. i would definitely recommend them.

I am a real estate professional. I had a property in Richmond that needed a sewer lateral inspection and compliance before closing on a sale. The service was impeccable with Sheila and Technicians. Answering all my questions and getting the work done. She also guided me on the City of Richmond rebate program. My client was happy that she could save money. I am actually contacting her again today on another property we need service on! Thanks Terra Nova! Really Great Work! read more

I highly recommend Terra Nova Engineering! We got three bids from local firms and Terra Nova was competitive, professional, and communicative. Sheila was great. The crew was prompt, skilled, friendly and hardworking. We had concerns as we live on a narrow poorly engineered road in the hills. However, Terra Nova Engineering came in and got the job done like Pros. They made the entire process easy for us. read more

BEST! True to all the other reviews. Working with Terra Nova and Sheila was easy simple and stress free. We got the best rate, the best timeline, a very kind contact. If you need a sewer lateral done just go with Terra Nova read more

Long overdue review. We had a great experience with Terra Nova. After a terrible experience with Mr. Rooter, we turned to Terra Nova to replace our sewer lateral as they specialize in it. They were reasonable in their quote, prompt in their response to the initial inquiry and subsequent questions, and replaced our sewer lateral with professionalism. Have already recommended them to friends and acquaintances but wanted to recommend them here as well. read more

Did a good job with a sewer Latteral job that had some issues to get to pass. They came on time and worked around a gate that needed to be opened when they arrived that had no combo to open it. Owner had to be there. The repair was done on a sharp slope hill and it passed. read more

I really cannot say enough about this company. We received bids from three different companies for a trenchless sewer lateral replacement, and Terra Nova was the 3rd at a competitive price. Mirko came over for a quick visit on a Friday to survey our property and was professional and kind, and by Monday we had an estimate from Sheila. We had to postpone twice because of the weather (can't repave in the rain!) and Sheila was quick to communicate with us which we appreciated; we were never left hanging. She was also super helpful with our many questions leading up to the job. The big day was yesterday, and we could not be more happy! The crew arrived at 8 AM sharp, passed inspection, and closed up shop by 3 PM. We also had a seismic gas shutoff valve installed on the same call-out, and the person who did that communicated very well and showed me how to reset it. They left our front yard and the street spotless, even hosing down dirt on the driveway. Honestly, I think it looks better now than it did before they got there. I have the utmost respect for them for taking what seemed like a scary project for a couple of new homeowners and making it a seamless process. It's also a fascinating process to watch if you get the chance. Thank you so much! read more

Shelia at Terra Nova Engineering was a pleasure to work with. We needed a sewer lateral replacement for a house we bought in Richmond. We contacted a few companies for a quote and Terra Nova by far beat all of them. Shelia made the process fast and easy. She had the city permits in a few days when the other companies needed two weeks ! The work was done promptly the same day and there was additional work that needed to be done but they honored the original quote, talk about awesome ! Shelia even assisted with applying for the city rebates when the other companies never even mentioned them. I highly recommend Shelia and Terra Nova for a sewer lateral replacement. read more

This is a mixed review. My interactions with the company were, for the most part, professional and the primary work of installing the sewer lateral was done competently but they made one HUGE MISTAKE. However, many months after the new lateral was installed I started having issues with water backing up in my lower level when running the dishwasher and laundry at the same time. This recently became much worse so I had a plumber come out for a quote. The initial bid was for 125.00 but quickly rose to 800.00 when we discovered an old pipe under a layer of concrete needed to be repaired. Once that was fixed...onto the big realization. When Terra Nova replaced the sewer lateral they DID NOT do an accurate job of assessing the drainage from my house. They connected the lateral to my bathroom BUT NOT to my kitchen or laundry. This was an additional 800.00 dollar repair. I brought this up with Terra Nova asking for some financial support since this was incompetence on their part. They refused and just pointed to the contract which stated a single connection from the house. I'm not a plumber and had no idea how the drains from my house were laid out. That's why I hire professionals and specialists. They didn't even have the decency to apologize (presumably because that would be admitting to a mistake). Their excuse/response. "This was a trenchless job so we didn't see it." And, "There was root intrusion in the pipes, so we didn't see it." I saw the photos - the root intrusion was frequent but visually and physically minor. Not an excuse. So, while the lateral work was done competently the complete oversight of one primary drainage connection to my house is ridiculous and simply careless. Draw your own conclusion from this review but if you want a thorough, detailed, and 100% competent job I CANNOT recommend this team. If you want to pay the same amount as all the other bids but get a subset of the work - go for it. read more

I am a realtor (CA BRE01947142), so you can guess just how many sewer lateral bids from different companies I see in an average week. When I am bringing something to market or my clients are considering making an offer, I call Sheila at Terra Nova. Their prices are good and more importantly, Sheila is an expert. She knows all the ins and outs, where to look for surprises, and where to look for savings. She is honest, competent, and her prices are great. read more

These people are the best, from start to finish. Their estimate for a sewer lateral replacement came with the house that I purchased in Kensington. I called Sheila to have the work done--she's lovely, efficient, and honest. She was able to schedule the job at a convenient time. The work was first-rate. I offer my highest recommendation for Terra Nova. read more

Terra Nova Engineering did an outstanding job to replace our house's 1957 clay sewer pipes with code-compliant pipe. The crew was efficient and meticulous, taking great card with our landscaping. The work was done in one day and Sheila took care of the permit and scheduling the EBMUD inspection on the following day. This is a reputable, quality customer service company that brings a well-trained crew to the site. They are experts and didn't need us to be at home for the work. Best of all, we were able to obtain a Stege Sanitary interest-free loan to pay for the work over 10 years. Wow! read more

I want to recommend, without reservation, the lateral sewer replacement services of Terra Nova Engineering. I called and spoke with Sheila Conn, who is absolutely wonderful to work with, after my sewer line continued to clog multiple times within a couple of months. Not fun! She provided me with excellent information on the process of trenchless replacement, and estimate and set up the replacement within a week. Sheila also set up the process with inspections, permits and the crew appeared, as scheduled and on time. The work was completed the same day for a very reasonable and affordable price. I only wish that every service company out there could provide the same level of high quality service and excellent customer service that TNE provides. Thank you, Sheila and TNE!! read more

This is long-due review that we should provide almost half year ago. We had Terra Nova company did our sewer line repair per city required in April time. They speed up the whole process because we have a building permit depending on it. Shella as we requested went in city office permit center in-person for us to get same day permit so that the job can start right away. They did in a very neat way around the house that after they are done, I couldn't really tell where they dug the pipe. All landscapes were recovered nicely. Inspection passed smoothly. Price is also very reasonable. I would highly recommend their service. read more

I had known for years that my sewer lateral was leaking. It had finally come to a point that I decided that I'd better have it replaced before any of the piping suffers a complete collapse. Of course an imminent, costly, home repair expense brings on many doubts. I had noticed that Terra Nova had gotten many many good reviews here on Yelp and on NextDoor. That's a good indicator that Terra Nova probably does very good work. I gave them a call and was surprised when I was told that Mirko could come and have a look later in the afternoon that day. He came and looked at my place and we spoke about the what the job would probably entail. I decided to go with them and gave the go ahead to schedule the job. Due to a cancellation the job was scheduled for the following week. What I experienced was completely in line with what many others have related. They arrived when they said they'd arrive and got to work. Well coordinated each step of the job dovetailed to the next with minimal idle time. The finishing of the job went as well as the start. The repaving of the street was a first class job. Even one of the EBMUD guys remarked about how good that pavement looked. The site was cleaned up thoroughly. Not a spot of dirt where it didn't belong. The job was done in less than a day. I echo others and highly recommend their services ! read more

Terra Nova Engineering - Major operation here. - Plumbing Near Me - Richmond, California

See all

Everyone at Terra Nova was so helpful and informative. Our new home in Point Richmond had a mysterious sewer lateral issue and Sheila went out of her way to help us solve it. I would recommend Terra Nova to everyone. We would certainly go to them for any future work. Everyone there is professional, prompt, communicative, friendly and super helpful. And affordable! read more

We're so glad to get terra nova working in our project of renovation and change the collateral system sewer. They are very professional, and always to answers all our questions. The price for the job was great! So, I really recommend Terra Nova Engineering to everyone!! Thank you, Terra Nova, for made our life better!!! read more

I received an estimate from Terra Nova for a sewer lateral replacement in Berkeley. I ended up going with another company because I also wanted to get some other plumbing done, but I wanted to leave a positive review because I had a great experience with them. Sheila was responsive, nice, and clearly knew her way around Berkeley's regulations and compliance requirements. The estimate was detailed and informative, and the quoted price was very competitive. They also do free estimates, which should be standard for uncomplicated sewer laterals. Beware the places that charge $150+ for a camera inspection just to get an estimate. If you need a sewer lateral replacement in the East Bay, Terra Nova should be on your short list. read more

This is for a job done in 03/13: While they got the job done, I ran into a lot of issues with these guys. When I initially dealt with these guys I'd have to say they were very accommodating. The terms of the purchase of my house were a little different in that I'd agreed to cover sewer lateral (something normally covered by the seller and done before transfer of the property). Because of this I had to file an extension with the city and give a deposit of $1500. When I spoke to Sheila, they'd agreed to let me pay them the difference, and have the city send the deposit check to them after all was said and done, which means I ended up paying for the certificate up front as well. An unprecedented situation, but nice of them to agree to. They based the estimate of their cost off of a bid I got from another company, knowing from the estimate it was a big job, they couldn't do better but they agreed to match the price. My issue starts here, in that they never personally came out to the property to inspect it themselves. The estimate they agreed to was replacement of the entire sewer lateral down to the street (140ft from in-law and main house), and included the cost of the certificate. On the day they came out to work on the property I couldn't be there personally, and had to send someone to meet them. Instead of coordinating with him to get access to my basement, they broke in by forcing the latch. They also blocked off my neighbor's driveway for most of the day until I got home from work, despite my neighbor personally approaching them and asking them to move their vehicle. On that first day they ended up telling me the job was more difficult than they'd anticipated (this is what happens when you don't actually inspect the property), so they had to re-route through my basement and they were just going to try and do a partial replacement (a partial replacement!?!? When the original agreement was for the entire thing???). This first attempt failed to hold, so they ended up having to go back to replace the entire thing anyways. On top of these things, I too had issues with their communication. When complications on the job arose, they did not confirm the actual amount of the additional cost. They promised to call and disclose this cost to me, but failed to do so. Because of roadblocks they encountered because THEY didn't do their homework, and the extra day it took them because they tried a shortcut, I ended up paying 31% more than the original estimate AND they did not cover the cost of the certificate as originally agreed. read more

I live in Albany. Over the past few months I researched for a business to replace our lateral sewer pipe. When I called Tera NovaSheila came out within hours to look at the job and speak with me about my preferences and concerns. She provided an estimate within hours. Another month passed and I finally scheduled the work, again a very prompt response. The work was everything I asked for, the price was the lowest of all the bids by hundreds of dollars, they used the trenchless method with no damage to our landscaping or sidewalk. Do call them. read more

I had a great experience with Terra Nova Engineering. They provided a sewer lateral quote promptly, and of the three bids I obtained, they offered the best price and the best warranty. Sheila was responsive throughout the entire process, and the work crew was in and out in one day with everything finished and the site left in the same or better condition. It was easy to schedule a time to obtain the certificate, and Sheila even made sure I had the right paperwork on hand to obtain a city rebate. I wish all contractors were this easy to work with! read more

The team at Terra Nova was wonderful to work with for our sewer lateral update! They were great communicators, did very high quality work despite providing one of the most affordable bids that we got. I also appreciated that even though the job involved some unanticipated concrete replacement work, they stuck with the originally provided estimate. They cleaned up very well and preserved our grass. They went above and beyond to streamline permitting with City of Berkeley (and helped us work out a snafu that had come up prior to starting to work with them). I hope to work with them again in the future! read more

Sheila and her team recently completed a sewer lateral replacement at my property in Richmond. Sheila has excellent knowledge on underground utility repair. She responded to all my inquires professionally and in a timely manner. She provided all the information I needed for claiming a city-owned tree damaged case. Her fees for the job was adequate and worth for the quality of service. One thing I especially want to endorse was their professionalism in working in a difficult environment. Unfortunately, I have a hostile neighbor complaining about the job; he was harassing the team and even called the police in trying to stop the job. However, it was not a problem because the team had the city permit in place. The construction staff was not discouraged by the harassment, and dealt with it in a professional way. They continued the work under safety and completed on time, and to satisfactory. I highly recommend this business if you are looking for a qualified contractor to resolve plumbing issues in the Richmond area. read more

I've used these guys on 2 different properties in the last year... They are competent, thorough and near as I can tell, less expensive than their competition.. On the last job, they arrived at 7:30 am, worked all day replacing more than 100 feet of corroded pipe, and made the necessary connection to the city's main line under the street, and passed the city's inspection. I can't recommend them enough... read more

Having recently purchased a house in Richmond one of the first "to do" items was to replace the sewer lateral. Tera Nova came recommended by the seller's realtor and was the company that had done the assessment and bid in the disclosures. I was concerned that this would put the house off- limits for days and would be a big disruption on the street. My fears were unfounded. Tera Nova provided me with a written bid that seemed very reasonable, compared to what I had seen on other homes we had considered. Once I signed the bid they came the next business day and went from start to finish in a single day! Considering that this included excavation, replacement of the sewer lateral and cleanout, refilling the pits that were dug, repaving, new concrete in the driveway, inspection and certificate, I am blown away that this could be done in one day. They left the site as clean as it was found. I highly recommend them for your project. read more

I highly recommend Terra Nova Engineering for the lateral sewer work. Sheila was professional and helpful in getting everything set up for the job. The workers were on time, professional and got the job done in one day. Through the efficient work of Terra Nova's Employees, it was stress free for me! read more

We needed our lateral sewage to be up to code so the city can refund the deposit we paid when purchasing our new home. We found Terra Nova in the disclosure package from the seller and was pleasantly surprised Sheila was able to fit us in within a week. The crew came over one morning. They dig up, replace, connect and patch up all within a day. The City inspector who came by in the afternoon couldn't sing enough praise about Terra Nova. I agree with her. The official certificate was in my mailbox within 2 weeks. It was so easy to work with Sheila. Totally recommending them to anyone in Berkeley who need their sewer lines replaced. read more

Thought we had a sewer lateral leak but turned out to be a buried sprinkler head. However, I appreciated Sheila's courteous and helpful response on the phone and Paco's rapid site visit and identification of the problem, at no charge. (Also mask wearing.) read more

Going thru purchasing a house has been extremely stressful and very tough. We had to replace the sewer lateral right after closing. Sheila Conn was extremely accommodating and put me in ease thru out the project. A very stressful process has become best part of buying this place thanks to Sheila and her team. I'm very great full to them. Thank you! read more

We just bought a house in Richmond and had to have the lateral sewer done to code. Sheila was great, she arranged everything and the work was done and inspected in one day. The price they quoted was fair, the team arrived right when they said they would, they left the yard in perfect shape, even careful with putting hoses around plants. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing work done. read more

In El Cerrito I had endless trouble with the sewer clogging up. The reasons were not clear however eventually figured out it was cracked and broken sewer pipe under the street. I talked to Stege Sanitary about the process and took 3 or 4 bids from their list of sewer pipe replacement contractors. The bids ranged from 5300 to 8900 dollars, quite a range for the same job. I am sure the companies are all good I guess however Sheila at Terra Nova impressed me with her on-the-job knowledge and how easily she worked with me on this big-to-me job. They were the 2nd lowest bid and had good Yelp reviews. I asked her for recent job references. Shila provided me with two recent customers to call, I did , and they were very satisfied with the sewer pipe replacement process and Terra Nova. I went with Terra Nova and I was completely satisfied from start to finish. Great crew, good price, highly skilled crew, and the engineering contractor owner on the job. I just could not be more pleased. I was there all day watching and I will recommend them to anyone. A very good job well done. I have offered to provided references for Sheila if anyone has questions. A big under-street job done well. read more

TerraNova is a great company very Professional and nice team, they are helped me fixing a job (Sewer Lateral replacement) that was badly done by HNR plumbling who is not taking responsibility even though I still have guaranty with them.. " I'm blessed I came across with Terra Nova Engineering " they fixed the problem at once. read more

we needed to get our private sewer lateral replaced and up to code, and Sheila and the Terra Nova Engineering team took care of it without a hitch! Sheila was professional and responsive, and the project came in right at the price we were quoted (which was a little under some competing quotes). The work crew left our yard just as it had been and did a great, clean job. I'd definitely recommend Terra Nova if you need your PSL done. read more

Needed to replace my sewer lateral. I went with Terra Nova because 1) Excellent communication 2) Very competitive bid 3) Local to my city Am very happy I did so. The work was completed quickly, on-time, with no damage to surroundings. All area was left clean. Highly recommend. read more

Wow. Terra Nova was truly fantastic. From the very start, they were thorough, professional, and exceedingly helpful. We needed a replacement for our sewer line from house to lateral, where it hooks up to the city's. We received a number of estimates, and TN not only was the most competitive, it was truly 'soup to nuts', where they would get the permits and organize the inspections. Oh... did I mention that Sheila, the big boss, pulled this off in a WEEK?? wow. They showed up with materials the day before the "big dig", and did a bit of detective work on the line. On the designated day, the crew showed up on time, were polite, wore masks, and worked VERY hard, and they pulled off a terrific job under tough conditions (very steep hill, very deep trench... about 1/2 was dug/exposed by hand, the other half was trenchless, exactly as they said would happen. The Berkeley inspector came, and told us as he was leaving that the work was excellent and they really knew what they were doing (which was some comfort, as this is the first/last time for me!). They cleaned up and did not leave a trace (actually backyard looks better than it did before). THe invoice was exactly the quote, and our Certificate of Compliance is on its way. Sheila and the Terra Nova crew were exceptional. THank you Terra Nova, and THANK YOU SHEILA!!!! read more

Terra Nova is a well run engineering and sewer construction company. They designed and implemented TWO sewer laterals for me. They beat the quotes from other companies. One job was over 30 feet long and relatively complicated, and they did it well. Even with unexpected problems coming up, they didn't increase the price. They also understand city rules, permits and regulations. They even called me months later to remind me to get my city credit refund check! If you have to fix or upgrade your sewer lateral in the Bay Area, just call these guys - they are the best in the business! read more

We were very pleased with Terra's Nova service! We thought we had a complete sewer lateral replacement back in 2009 when another company did some work, but when we requested a copy of our compliance we discovered they had only replaced part of the sewer line up to our retaining wall. Terra Nova was meticulous about getting the records what had been done, and figuring out how to do the remaining work carefully, but quickly and within our budget. They had to tear up a brick patio, but I couldn't tell they had been there when the project was complete! I highly recommend them and would work with them again! read more