Sewer Line Repair: Same Day Service

Signs of a Sewer Line Problem

Problems in the main sewer line show up everywhere at once rather than at a single fixture. The lowest drains in the house, usually a basement floor drain or a ground-floor shower, are where trouble appears first. If sewage is already coming up a drain, see what to do during a sewer backup.

• Several drains back up at the same time
• Sewage comes up in the lowest floor drain, shower or tub
• Toilets gurgle or bubble when other fixtures drain
• Sewage odors indoors or in the yard
• Soggy patches or unusually green grass above the sewer line
• Clogs keep coming back soon after the line is cleaned

Clog or Broken Pipe? What the Pattern Tells You

A clog and a damaged pipe can look the same on the day of the backup. What happens after the line is cleared tells them apart.

• Cleared and stays clear for months: most likely a one-time clog from grease, wipes or debris.
• Clogs again within weeks: roots, a sag in the line or a crack catching debris. A camera inspection will show which.
• Sewage smell in the yard, soggy ground or sinking soil over the line: the pipe is likely broken or separated and leaking underground.

When a Sewer Problem Needs Same-Day Service

Sewage inside the house is always urgent. Beyond the mess, it carries bacteria, and the backup will keep getting worse as long as anyone uses water.

• Sewage is coming up through floor drains, tubs or toilets.
• Every drain in the house is slow or backing up.
• Sewage is surfacing in the yard or there's a strong sewer smell indoors.
• Neighbors are backing up too, which can mean a city main problem. Call the city's sewer department as well.

What to Do During a Sewer Backup

1. Stop using water anywhere in the home. Every flush and drain adds to the backup.
2. Keep children and pets away from sewage, and wear gloves if you must touch anything.
3. Don't pour chemical drain cleaners into a backed-up sewer line.
4. Don't open a sewer cleanout yourself during a backup. Built-up pressure can push sewage out.
5. Call a plumber. If neighbors are backing up too, also call your city's sewer department.

How Sewer Lines Are Inspected and Repaired

Sewer work starts with a camera. Running a camera down the line shows exactly what's wrong and where, which decides whether you need a cleaning, a spot repair or a new line. After the repair, a second camera run confirms the work.

1. Run a camera through the line from a cleanout to find the problem and its depth.
2. Clear any blockage with a cable machine or hydro jetter.
3. Explain repair options based on the pipe material, its condition and where the damage is.
4. Pull permits and complete the repair or replacement to local code.
5. Run the camera again afterward to confirm the line is clear and sound.

Spot Repair, Pipe Lining, Pipe Bursting or Excavation

Spot repair

Digs down at one damaged section and replaces it. Best when the rest of the line is in good shape.

Trenchless pipe lining

Cures a resin liner inside the old pipe, creating a new pipe within it. Needs little or no digging.

Pipe bursting

Pulls a new pipe through the old one while breaking the old pipe apart. Only small access pits are needed.

Excavation replacement

Digs a trench and replaces the line. Needed when the pipe has collapsed or its grade is wrong.

Questions to Ask Before Approving a Sewer Repair

• Can I see the camera video, and where exactly is the damage?
• Is this a spot repair, a lining, pipe bursting or a full replacement, and why that method?
• Will you camera the line again after the work and give me the video?
• Does the job include the permit, inspection and any work at the city connection?
• If trenchless won't work for part of the line, what happens then?

Comparing 2 quotes is much easier when both plumbers are describing the same damage on the same video. See trenchless sewer repair for how lining and bursting work.

What Affects the Cost of Sewer Line Repair

Sewer line costs swing widely because the same symptom can have very different causes. A root clog cleared in an hour and a collapsed pipe under the driveway can produce the same backup. The camera inspection is what turns a guess into a quote.

• What the camera inspection finds: a clog, roots, a sag, a crack or a collapse.
• Depth and length of the line, and how much of it needs work.
• What's above it. Lines under driveways, patios or mature trees favor trenchless methods.
• The repair method. Spot repairs, pipe lining, pipe bursting and full excavation each involve different equipment and labor.
• Permits, inspection, and any work needed where your line connects to the city main.

Combined Sewers and Basement Backups in Chicago and Detroit

Chicago and Detroit both have combined sewer systems, where stormwater and sewage share the same pipes. In heavy storms the system can fill up and push water back toward homes, so basement floor drains can back up even when your own sewer line is in good shape.

That changes what a plumber recommends. A camera inspection tells you whether your line is damaged, but if backups only happen during storms, the fix is often a backwater valve (or, in Chicago, an overhead sewer) that stops city sewer water from flowing back into the house.

Local plumbing details: Chicago, Detroit

Sewer Lines by City

What our city pages say about sewer lines:

• Rochester, NY: Old clay laterals crack and collect roots, backing sewage up into the basement.
• Bayonne, NJ: Old building sewers clog, and heavy rain can push water back through basement drains.
• Centennial, CO: Clay sewer lines in the older west side crack and take in roots.
• Bolingbrook, IL: Roots and grease block the line between the house and the main.
• Jackson, MS: Old clay sewer lines under mature trees crack and fill with roots.
• Alhambra, CA: Old clay laterals crack and fill with roots.
• Lancaster, OH: Old clay laterals clog with roots and back up through the floor drain.
• Brockton, MA: Old clay laterals crack and take in roots.

What to Find Out Before the Plumber Arrives

Knowing where your cleanout is, and what's happening when the backups occur, helps the plumber decide where to start.

• Find out where your cleanout is, if you have one.
• List which fixtures back up and when (for example, the basement drain when the washer runs).
• Note any large trees near where the sewer line leaves the house.
• Find any past camera inspection reports or repair invoices for the line.

After Sewer Line Repair

After a sewer repair, ask for the camera footage. It gives you a baseline of the line's condition if problems come back.

• Ask for the post-repair camera video so you have a record of the line's condition.
• Avoid planting new trees over the sewer line.
• Keep wipes and grease out of drains; they cause backups even in new pipe.

Types of Sewer Line Service

• Sewer Camera Inspection
• Trenchless Sewer Repair

How to Protect Your Sewer Line

• Flush only toilet paper. Wipes, even ones labeled flushable, don't break down.
• Keep grease out of drains.
• Plant trees well away from the sewer line.
• Schedule a camera inspection on older homes with clay or cast iron sewer pipe, or before buying a home.
• Ask a plumber about a backwater valve if your area floods.

Sewer Line Questions Homeowners Ask