Guides
Sewer line guides
These guides explain the sewer problems people actually call about, in the order a contractor would think about them: what you are seeing, what usually causes it, what you can safely check yourself and what happens next.
Sewage in the house? Stop using water first, then read the basement backup guide.
All guides
GuideSewer backup in the basement
Why sewage comes up through a basement floor drain first, what to do in the first hour and how to stop it happening again.
Read the guide
GuideSewer smell in the yard
A sewage odour outdoors can come from a broken lateral, a missing cleanout cap, a vent or the public sewer. Here is how to narrow it down.
Read the guide
GuideSigns of a broken sewer line
Slow drains everywhere, gurgling, a smell outside or a soggy strip of lawn: the warning signs that point to the lateral, not a fixture.
Read the guide
GuideTree roots in the sewer line
How roots get into old clay laterals, the signs they are there, and why cutting them is only half the answer.
Read the guide
GuideTrenchless vs excavation
Lining, bursting or digging: how each method works, what it can and cannot fix, and how to choose based on your camera footage.
Read the guide
About these guides
How these sewer guides are written
Each guide starts with the symptom, because that is what you can see. It then explains the usual causes, the simple and safe checks you can make, and the point at which a professional inspection makes sense. Safety and technical statements link to numbered sources, and the guides are written for Atlanta, with its old clay laterals, mature trees and two different public sewer utilities.
The guides do not replace an on-site inspection. Their job is to help you describe the problem clearly, understand what a contractor tells you and ask good questions about the camera footage. Any terms for work are agreed between you and the contractor you speak with. Our editorial policy explains how the guides are researched and corrected.
If you only read one guide, make it the one that matches what you are seeing now. If sewage is in the house, start with the basement backup guide. If the drains have been slowing for weeks, start with the signs of a broken sewer line. If you have already been told the line needs digging, read the comparison of trenchless methods and excavation before you agree to anything.
Rather talk it through?
Call and describe what is happening. Your call is put through to an independent contractor who works on sewer lines nearby who can explain the next step on that call.