Sewer backup: what to do while you wait
A backed-up main shows in the floor drain or the tub on the lowest level first. Stop using every fixture, because every flush and every load of laundry adds more water to a line with nowhere to go.
Find your cleanout if you can, which is a capped pipe usually near the house foundation or in a basement, and leave it closed unless the technician tells you otherwise. Keep children and pets away from any sewage and call us.
How we clean a main sewer line
The technician opens the cleanout and feeds a cable machine with a cutting head into the line. Roots get cut back to the pipe wall, grease and debris get broken up, and the line is flushed to confirm flow.
A camera run afterward shows whether the pipe is healthy or damaged, and for heavy buildup we suggest hydro jetting, which scours the pipe wall rather than just opening a hole. If the camera finds a crack or collapse, the next conversation is about sewer line repair.
Cable only
- Opens a path through the blockage
- Lower price for a simple clog
- May leave a coating that rebuilds
Cable with a camera or jetting
- Shows the pipe's condition
- Scours pipe walls clean
- Better for roots, grease and repeat blockages
Main line backed up?
Stop using water and call. The 24/7 line is open now.
Sewer lines around Wilsonville homes
Roots are a common cause where trees grow close to the line, so check your yard for large trees along its path. A line that was cleared and clogs again within a few months often has roots at a joint.
If you are unsure whether your property is on city sewer or a septic system, ask the city. We do not pump or service septic tanks, so call a licensed septic provider for a tank problem.
Before any digging near the line, call 811. For a Villebois row home or a Charbonneau condo, the building drain may be shared, so tell the HOA or property manager if the backup affects several units.
Signs the main sewer line needs cleaning
- Several drains slow or backing up at once.
- A toilet that bubbles when the washer drains.
- Water that rises in a floor drain or basement tub.
- A sewage smell near the cleanout or in the yard.
- A history of clogs that return soon after clearing.
What affects the price of sewer line cleaning
A clear price comes before work starts. These details move it.
Related plumbing services
For a single fixture that will not drain, start with drain cleaning, and when a camera is the better first step, see sewer inspection. Crews also clean mains in Sherwood and nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A sewer backup is dispatched first on the 24/7 line, and the dispatcher will tell you what to do while a crew is lined up.
It is a capped pipe, usually near the foundation, in a basement or crawlspace, or in the yard along the line to the street. If you cannot find it, tell the technician and we will locate an access point.
There is no fixed schedule. Lines with roots or a history of grease clogs benefit from periodic cleaning, while a healthy line may never need it.
No. We do not pump or service septic tanks, so call a licensed septic provider for that and ask the city if you are unsure whether your home is on sewer.
Cabling opens a path through a blockage, while jetting scours the pipe wall clean. Jetting is usually better for grease and heavy roots, and a camera run helps choose.
The camera shows the pipe's condition, and if the pipe is damaged we explain repair options with a clear price before any work begins.