24/7 · All five NYC boroughs
Common drain issues and what they mean
Pick the issue you're seeing. Each page explains the likely cause, what to do right now and what it costs to fix.
- Answered 24/7
- Price confirmed before work starts
- Sewer backupA sewer backup means the main line between your building and the street is blocked, so wastewater comes up through the lowest drains. Stop all water use, keep people away from it, and call. Main line clearing starts at $595 with a camera check.
- Main line clogWhen more than one fixture is slow or backing up at the same time, the clog is in the main line that every drain shares, not in any one sink or toilet. Plunging fixtures won't fix it. Main line clearing starts at $595 with a camera check.
- Floor drain backing upWater coming up through a basement floor drain usually means the main sewer line is blocked. The floor drain is the lowest opening in the building, so it's where the backup shows first. Stop using water and call. Main line clearing starts at $595.
- Slow or gurgling drainsGurgling means air is being pushed or pulled through water in the trap, usually because a line downstream is partly blocked or the vent isn't letting air in. One slow drain is a local clog; several slow drains point to the main line.
- Sewer smellA sewer smell usually comes from a dry trap, a clogged house trap, a partly blocked main or a problem in the vent. Start by pouring water into floor drains and unused fixtures. If the smell stays, the line needs a look.
- Tree roots in the sewer lineRoots from street and yard trees grow into joints and cracks in older clay and cast iron sewer lines, then catch paper and grease until the line blocks. We cut them back with a root-cutting jet nozzle and show you the before and after on camera. Jetting starting at $895.
- Recurring clogsIf a drain clogs again weeks after it was cleared, the clog was opened but the cause is still in the pipe: grease, scale, roots or a sag. A camera shows which one, and hydro jetting usually stops the cycle. Camera starting at $495, jetting starting at $895.
Need a drain cleared?
Calls are answered 24 hours a day. A technician looks at the job and confirms your price on site before any work starts.