Ask three plumbers how often a sewer line should be cleaned and you’ll get three different answers. They’re not guessing. The honest answer depends on the pipe, and no two lines are quite alike.
A newer house with plastic pipe running out to the street and no big trees nearby can go a long time without a call. A 1920s bungalow with clay tile, a silver maple in the parkway and a floor drain in the basement is another story. That second house isn’t doing anything wrong. Its pipe is just easier for roots and grease to get into.
What pushes the schedule one way or the other
Start with the pipe. Clay tile comes in short sections, and every joint is a spot where a root hair can slip in. Cast iron rusts from the inside and ends up rough, which gives grease something to grab onto. Then there are the trees. A big one doesn’t need a broken pipe to cause trouble, only a joint that has loosened a little over the decades.
Habits matter too. A kitchen that sends fat down the sink, wipes that get flushed, a two-flat with a lot of people on one line: all of it adds up. And if the line has backed up before, assume it will again until someone finds out why.
A sensible way to think about it
If your line has never given you trouble, you don’t need a date on the calendar. You just need to know the warning signs, which are listed below. If it has backed up even once, get a camera on it. The footage tells you whether you’re dealing with a one-off clog, roots, or a pipe that has started to fail, and that decides everything else.
When roots are the cause, regular cleaning is usually the plan. The easiest way to learn how fast they come back is to run the camera again after the next cleaning and compare. Some lines need attention every year. Others go much longer.
Signs it’s overdue
Gurgling from a drain when the washer empties. Two or more slow drains at the same time. A sewer smell near the floor drain or the cleanout. Water pooling around the basement drain after a big rain. A clog that was “fixed” and is back by spring. Any one of these is worth a call, and two together almost always mean the main line.
What a cleaning visit looks like
We start at the cleanout, the capped pipe that gives direct access to the main line. A cable or jetting hose goes in toward the street, the blockage gets cleared, and then we run water to make sure everything moves the way it should. If something about the line looks off, a camera goes in so you can see it yourself before deciding on anything bigger. You can read more about sewer cleaning and camera inspections on their own pages.
Why waiting usually costs more
A partly blocked line is a short, planned visit. A full backup is water on the basement floor, ruined boxes, a cleanup job and a call at a terrible hour. Landlords and restaurant owners feel this most, since a backup means unhappy tenants or a lost dinner service.
Not sure where your line stands? Our guide to rodding versus jetting explains the two main ways we clear a line. Or call (773) 588-1200, or send us a message, and we’ll talk through what you’re seeing.