Emergency response to sewage backing up through toilets, tubs, and floor drains. We clear the main-line blockage by auger or hydro-jet, camera the line to find the cause, and get the lowest fixtures draining safely again.
Sewer Backup & Drain is one part of our plumbing repair coverage in Iowa. For the full picture — symptoms, costs, and when to repair vs. replace — start with the complete Plumbing Repair guide, or browse every plumbing repair service we offer.
Sewage coming up through a shower drain, a toilet, or a basement floor drain is both an emergency and a health hazard, and it almost always means the main line is blocked — waste has nowhere to go but back into the lowest fixtures in the house. Sewer backup service is a fast dispatch: we stop the household from adding water to the line, clear the blockage at the cleanout by auger or hydro-jet, and confirm the lowest fixtures drain freely before we leave. Then we camera the line to find out why it backed up.
Clearing the clog is the urgent half; finding the cause is what keeps it from happening again next month. Once flow is restored we run a sewer camera down the main to see whether the backup was soft buildup, roots at a joint, a bellied section holding waste, or a structural break — and whether the problem was in your lateral or a municipal issue past your cleanout. A soft grease or paper clog is cleared and jetted; roots and structural faults get flagged with a repair plan so you're not calling us back every few weeks across {city}.
Sewage is a biohazard, so we treat it like one — we clear the line, help you isolate the contaminated area, and advise on sanitizing what the backup touched. If heavy rain overwhelmed a combined municipal system or backed up through the main, we identify that too, because the fix there is a backwater valve, not another snaking. Every {county} backup call ends with the lowest fixtures tested, the cause documented on camera, and a clear next step rather than a temporary clear-and-hope.
Signs you need sewer backup & drain
Sewage rising in tubs, showers, or floor drains
Waste coming up through the lowest drains in the house is the clearest sign of a main-line backup. Stop running every fixture and call — continued use pushes more sewage into the the United States home.
When flushing a toilet fills the tub or the floor drain, the blockage is in the shared main, not one branch. That pattern points straight at the sewer line.
Gurgling toilet and drains
Air forced back through a blocked main makes toilets and drains gurgle before the full backup arrives. It's the early warning to clear the line across your area before it overflows.
Water pooling at the sewer cleanout
Waste water standing at or seeping from the outside cleanout means the main is blocked downstream of it. It's a direct sign the lateral, not a fixture, is the problem.
Sewage smell inside the home or in the yard
A persistent sewage odor means waste is backing up or escaping the line. Combined with slow drains across the the United States home, it signals a main-line failure.
Common causes & what we fix
Main-line blockage
Grease, flushed wipes, and accumulated waste choke the main until it can't pass flow and backs up into the lowest fixtures. It's the most common cause of a the United States backup and usually clears with jetting.
Tree-root intrusion
Roots enter the lateral at joints and grow into a mesh that snags everything, backing the line up repeatedly. Clearing the roots and repairing the entry point is the durable fix.
Bellied or broken lateral
A sagging or cracked section holds waste and catches solids, causing recurring backups no amount of snaking fixes for long. A camera confirms it and a repair follows across your area.
Heavy rain and municipal surcharge
In combined-sewer areas, heavy rain overwhelms the municipal system and pushes water back up private laterals. A backwater valve is the protection against a the United States storm backup, not repeated clearing.
Flushed non-degradable items
Wipes marketed as flushable, feminine products, and paper towels don't break down and lodge in the main. We remove them and camera the line to confirm nothing else is caught.
Our process
1
Call or schedule online. Book your sewer backup & drain in Iowa online or by phone and pick a 2-hour window. We confirm in under five minutes with the assigned tech's name and photo.
2
On-site diagnosis. On arrival we diagnose the sewer backup & drain on-site — free for most repairs, $39 on minor service calls (waived if you proceed). You see the issue and the fix before we start.
3
Flat-rate quote. You get a flat-rate sewer backup & drain quote in writing, good for 30 days — no hourly creep and no add-ons after the fact.
4
Same-visit fix. Most sewer backup & drain work finishes the same visit: our trucks carry the common valves, fittings, water heater parts, and fixtures, so a second trip is rare.
How much does sewer backup & drain cost in Iowa?
Sewer Backup & Drain the United States starts at from $249, every sewer backup & drain quote is flat-rate and presented in writing before work begins — no surprise add-ons, no hourly creep. Seniors (65+) and military save 10% on labor, and financing covers projects over $1,500 at 0% APR for 12 months, with no prepayment penalty.
Why homeowners in Iowa choose us for sewer backup & drain
We've been a trusted choice since 1974 — over 50 years of family-owned plumbing service across Iowa. Our techs are CSLB-licensed (#1098234), background-checked, and complete an internal 12-week training program before rolling on calls alone.
Our sewer backup & drain carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee — separate from any manufacturer warranty on the parts themselves. If the sewer backup & drain we performed fails because of how we did it, we come back and fix it free for a full decade. Water heaters and fixtures we install are backed by their full manufacturer warranty, and the parts and accessories we fit carry standard 1–5 year warranties by item.
We quote sewer backup & drain on honest scope: no unnecessary up-sell, salaried (never commissioned) technicians, and a transparent diagnostic so you see exactly what we see — including the parts still in good shape. If a repair is the right call we say so; if replacement is the better long-term economics, we say that. The flat-rate sewer backup & drain quote is written and good for 30 days.
Areas we serve for sewer backup & drain
We provide sewer backup & drain throughout Iowa, with fast coverage in every major Iowa metro.
Reach times for sewer backup & drain vary by traffic and time of day, so we quote an accurate ETA when you call — and the dispatch line routes straight to an on-call technician, no voicemail in between.
Frequently asked about sewer backup & drain
Top questions homeowners searching for Sewer Backup & Drain near me ask us:
What should I do when sewage backs up?
Stop using all water immediately — every flush and every sink adds to the backup — and keep people and pets away from the contaminated area. Call for emergency clearing; we'll dispatch fast and talk you through containing it across the United States while we're en route.
How do you clear a sewer backup?
We access the main at the cleanout and clear the blockage with a powered auger or a hydro-jet, then confirm the lowest fixtures drain freely. After flow is restored we camera the line to find what caused it so the the United States backup doesn't simply return.
Why does my sewer keep backing up?
Recurring backups almost always have a structural cause — roots at a joint, a bellied section, or a break — not just buildup. That's why we camera every line: to distinguish a one-time clog from a lateral that needs repair around your area.
Is a sewer backup a health hazard?
Yes — raw sewage carries bacteria and should be treated as a biohazard. We clear the line, help you isolate the affected area, and advise on sanitizing what it touched. Don't handle contaminated water without protection in your the United States home.
Can a backup happen from heavy rain?
In combined-sewer neighborhoods, yes — storm water overwhelms the municipal main and pushes back up private laterals. The fix is a backwater valve that lets waste out but blocks the reverse flow; we assess and install them across ZIPs .