Signs you need sewer line repair
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time, especially the lowest ones
- Water coming up the basement floor drain as the washer empties
- Repeated main-line blockages, even after professional cleaning
- Sewage odour in the basement or near the front yard
- A soft, sunken or unusually green patch of lawn along the pipe route
One blockage is a cleaning job. A pattern of blockages usually means the pipe itself has a defect.
How we handle the job
Nothing gets dug on a guess. We clear the line enough to pass a camera, record the run from the cleanout to the city connection, and mark the depth and location of any defect from above with a locator. You get the footage and a plain description: a cracked joint at eleven metres, a belly holding water near the sidewalk, roots entering at a coupling.
From there the options depend on the defect. A single break can often be repaired with a short excavation and a fresh section with proper couplings. A long run of failing clay or cast iron may be better replaced entirely. Ahead of any digging we book utility locates through Ontario One Call, and the City of Pickering building department is consulted on permits where required.
Houses put up between the 1950s and the early 1970s around Bay Ridges, Rosebank and West Shore may still have clay tile or early cast-iron laterals.
Pickering homes and this problem
Houses put up between the 1950s and the early 1970s around Bay Ridges, Rosebank and West Shore may still have clay tile or early cast-iron laterals. Clay joints are where maple and willow roots find their way in. Some neighbourhoods near the lake also sit on soils that shift, which causes sags over decades. Where the pipe meets the municipal portion near the property line, the City may need to inspect its own side; we tell you when a finding looks like it is on the public portion.
What affects the cost
- Depth of the pipe and how much digging is needed
- What sits on top: lawn, interlock, a driveway or a mature tree
- Whether the repair is inside under the basement slab or outside
- Spot repair versus full replacement of the run
- Restoration of landscaping and hard surfaces
You get a written quote with each of these spelled out before any work begins.
What you can do first
Keep water use low if drains are backing up. Avoid running the washer or dishwasher. If you have a cleanout cap in the basement, do not open it while water is backed up behind it. Check your home insurance for sewer backup coverage and take photos of any damage.
Once the repair is backfilled, we run water through every fixture and pass the camera again to confirm a clean, continuous pipe.
Questions callers ask
Who owns the sewer pipe under my front lawn?
In Pickering the homeowner is generally liable for the lateral from the home to the property line. The municipal portion beyond that belongs to the region or city. Call the City if a problem appears to be on its side.
Can roots be cut instead of replacing the pipe?
Yes, as a stopgap. Cutting roots restores flow, but they return through the same open joint. A repair at the entry point is the lasting answer.
Do I need a permit for sewer repair?
Often yes for replacement work. We confirm with the City of Pickering building department for your specific job.