Short answer: one backed-up fixture while the rest of the house drains normally is usually a clog, and a plumber clears a clog. A backup that comes back after it has been cleared, or that hits several drains at the same time, is pointing at the pipe itself. That is where a camera inspection and, if it has failed, digging come in.
Most people learn their sewer line has a problem when water comes up through a floor drain or a tub. The useful next question is not how bad the backup is but what is causing it, because that decides which call to make first and whether anybody needs to dig.
Signs it is probably a clog
- One fixture backs up while the rest of the house drains normally.
- It clears once with a snake or a jetter and stays clear for a long time.
- It lines up with something that went down the drain, such as grease, wipes or a toy.
A clog is a plumber's job. We do not clear clogs. If a plumber solves it, you have spent a fraction of what an excavation costs.
Signs the pipe itself has a problem
- It keeps coming back. The line backs up, gets cleared, runs fine for a few weeks, then backs up again. Repeat backups point at something about the pipe rather than what went down it.
- Several drains go at once. When every drain in the house backs up together, the blockage is on the shared line. If the neighbors are having the same trouble, the town main may be surcharged, and that one belongs to the town.
- Slow drains and gurgling. Drains that empty slowly, or gurgle when another fixture is used, often come before a full backup.
- Sewage at the cleanout. If sewage is pushing out of a cleanout, the blockage is past that point, out toward the main.
What usually sits behind a repeat backup
When the same line keeps backing up, the cause is usually one of four things. A camera inspection tells them apart.
- Roots in the joints. The most common cause in older northern New Jersey neighborhoods, especially with mature trees between the house and the street. Roots return to the same joint because the water is still leaking there.
- A belly. A settled stretch where waste stands instead of running. It clears, drains for a while, and comes back.
- Orangeburg or failed cast iron. Old pipe that flattens or scales shut. Repairing one spot does not help when the rest of the run is the same age and material. See the Orangeburg article.
- A collapse or break. Snaking will not get past it. This is the case where digging is the answer.
What to do while it is happening
Stop using water in the whole house, including toilets, laundry and the dishwasher, because everything drains into the same blocked line. Keep people and pets out of the water, and do not wade in if it is near outlets or the furnace. Our sewer backup page has the full first-hour checklist.
For a repeat backup, a camera inspection is the step that matters. It shows which section of line is failing before anyone spends money on digging. Our sewer camera inspection page explains how it works.
If water is coming up now, call 862-268-2510. We answer 24/7. Send us the details if it is not an emergency.
Common questions
Is a sewer backup a clog or a broken pipe? The pattern usually tells you. A first backup at one fixture is often a clog. A line that backs up, clears, and does it again is telling you about the pipe. Repeat backups are the ones worth putting a camera down for before anyone digs.
Who is responsible for the sewer line, me or the town? In most New Jersey towns the lateral, the pipe from your house to the main, belongs to the property owner, and the main in the street belongs to the town or authority. Where that line falls is set by your municipal ordinance and varies, so confirm it for your address with the town. If several homes are affected at once, that points at the main.
Do you clear clogs? No. Clearing a blocked line is a plumber's job. We are the ones to call when the pipe itself has failed: a collapse, a belly, roots that keep returning to the same joint, or old pipe that is past saving.
What does a camera inspection cost? With us, $200 to $800, driven mostly by how much line there is and whether there is a usable cleanout. It tells you which section of pipe is the problem, which is worth more than guessing.
Still not sure how this applies to your property? That is what a free on-site estimate is for. Call 862-268-2510 or tell us what is going on, and we will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
