Drain and Sewer in Houston, TX

Which drain or sewer service do you need?

The symptom tells you where to start. Find the row that matches, then open that page for the detail.

What you see	Likely problem	Start here
One sink, tub or shower drains slowly	Clog in a branch drain	Drain cleaning
Several fixtures slow, or a toilet gurgles when the washer empties	Main line stoppage	Sewer line cleaning
Grease or scale returns soon after snaking	Buildup on the pipe wall	Hydro jetting
The same stoppage keeps coming back	Unknown until someone looks inside	Sewer camera inspection
Video shows a crack, root break or collapse	Damaged pipe	Sewer line repair
Video shows offset joints or a low belly	Ground movement	Repair after soil shift
Sewage is coming into the house now	Active backup	Emergency sewer backup

Who owns the sewer line, you or the City of Houston?

You own the private side and the City owns the public side. Houston Public Works says private wastewater pipes, typically closer to the home, are the homeowner's responsibility, and that public pipes or those in a public right-of-way are the department's. It also says cleanouts mark the limit of the City's public collection system.

Look near the street for a white plastic pipe with a threaded or pull-off cap, sometimes under a metal cover. During a backup, Public Works gives this test:

1. Check the cleanout at the street.
2. If sewer water is standing there, call 311 or file a 311 request.
3. If no sewer water is there, the blockage is on your private line, so call a plumber.

Outside Houston city limits, your own city or utility district sets the dividing line. Ask them first.

How do you tell a drain problem from a sewer problem?

Count the fixtures involved. A sewer stoppage shows up in more than one place, because every drain in the house ends in that one line. Try these checks:

• Only one fixture is slow: stay with a drain service.
• The tub rises when a toilet flushes: suspect the main line.
• A toilet bubbles while the washer drains: suspect the main line or a vent.
• A soggy strip or sewage smell in the yard: suspect a break in the pipe.

What causes most drain and sewer trouble in Houston?

Grease, wipes, roots and moving clay cause most of it. Houston Public Works blames fats, oils and grease for 70% of the city's sewer overflows, and says crews answer twice as many overflows in cold weather because grease hardens fast in the pipe. Wipes add to the same clogs.

Underground, tree roots find loose joints and clay soil moves the pipe as it swells and shrinks. Cast iron drains are common in Houston houses from before about 1980, and that pipe roughens inside as it ages and catches more debris. The City is working through a 15-year program on more than 6,100 miles of public wastewater lines. That program does not reach your private line, so upkeep on that stretch stays with you.

How should you choose between cleaning, a camera and repair?

Choose the least invasive step that answers the question, and move up only when the facts call for it.

• Clean when the line is stopped or slow and this is the first time.
• Camera when a stoppage repeats, the house is older, or you are buying the home.
• Jet when the video shows grease or scale on a pipe that is sound.
• Repair when the video shows a defect that cleaning cannot change.

A cable opens a path, so a good result today does not prove the pipe is healthy. If a line has needed clearing more than once, pay for the look inside before you pay for a third cleaning.

What should a drain company or sewer company show you first?

Ask to see the cause before you approve the fix. Any sewer service that recommends digging should be able to point to the defect on video and tell you roughly where it sits. Here is what a visit from us includes:

• Questions about what is backing up and since when
• A check of the cleanouts and the line's starting point
• A plain explanation of what we found
• Your options, with the trade-offs of each
• A clear, upfront quote before work begins

Texas regulates this work through its State Board of Plumbing Examiners. State law separates drain cleaner registrations from full plumbing licenses. Ask any drain company which number covers the job in front of you.

Why PipeElectric for drain and sewer service?

The hard part of this work is the diagnosis, and that is where plain talk helps most.

• Our Google rating stands at 5.0, drawn from 18 reviews.
• Plain explanations come up often in reviews, a help when you are weighing a cleaning against a repair.
• Reviews also mention clean work, a real concern around an open sewer line.
• A clear, upfront quote comes once we have looked at the job.

Searching for drain and sewer near me? We handle calls across the Houston area, including Pasadena, Deer Park, Jacinto City and West University Place.