Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

What Can I Do if My Sewer Line Is Backing Up?

You flush the toilet or run the sink, and instead of water draining away, it starts to bubble, gurgle, or even come back up. Your heart sinks—you know something’s wrong. At 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle, we hear from homeowners in this exact situation all the time. A sewer backup isn’t just inconvenient; it’s messy, stressful, and something you want fixed fast. The good news? There are a few things you can do right away to keep the problem from getting worse until help arrives.

First Things First

The most important step is not to panic. A calm, quick response makes a big difference.

Stop using water – Every faucet you run, every toilet you flush will only add to the mess. Hold off until the line is cleared.
Check the cleanout – Most homes have an outdoor sewer cleanout, usually a capped pipe near the foundation. If you’re comfortable, loosen it slowly to relieve pressure. Just be ready—sewage may come out.
Call a plumber – Sewer backups usually need specialized equipment, like augers or sewer cameras, to really solve the issue. A pro can get things flowing again safely.

How to Tell if It’s a Bigger Problem

Sometimes it’s more than just a small clog in one drain. Watch for:

Multiple drains backing up at once (like the toilet and the shower)
Recurring slow drains that never seem to fully clear
Gurgling noises or strong sewer odors

These are signs your main sewer line may be blocked or damaged, not just a little clog in your sink.

What It Usually Costs

Sewer line issues can sound intimidating, but not every repair is a huge job. Here’s what most Seattle homeowners can expect:

Snaking/augering the line – $250 to $600
Camera inspection – $250 to $450 to find the exact cause

If the camera shows a collapsed or broken pipe, repairs can be more extensive. But in many cases, cleaning the line solves the problem and gets everything back to normal.

Why a Plumber Is the Best Choice

This isn’t a job for plungers or store-bought drain cleaners. Sewer backups are serious, and the wrong approach can make them worse—or expose your family to unsafe conditions. A licensed plumber has the right tools and experience to clear the blockage, check the health of your sewer line, and give you honest advice about what to do next.

Don’t Let a Backup Take Over Your Home

A sewer line backup can feel like your whole house is out of order—but you don’t have to handle it alone. Give 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle a call at (206) 487-1757. We’ll get a licensed plumber out to you who knows what it’s like dealing with this kind of mess. They’ll clear the blockage, take a good look at your line, and explain what they find without a bunch of confusing jargon.

One call is all it takes. No more worrying about what might bubble back up through your drains.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3315 reviews

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Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Great service and Dave their plumber is the best. We have an odd house with even odder plumbing. The pipes are a mess of grandfathered-in open air nonsense, when our pump started making some noises (and a little leaking) after some DIY heat tape adventures (getting ready for colder weather), we were worried that we would need a massive repair but Dave came and looked at it and immediately realized we had unplugged the float plug from the pump plug which was 90% of the problem and the leak just need a little tightening of a flex joint. The company was quick and didn't charge for an estimate or in this case a quick "thats not plugged in right". The experience and the overall professionalism has convinced me that when I do finally need that big repair job, I'll call these guys.

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

Booking an appointment was extremely easy, and we were able to get one just the next day. Communication was excellent with timely reminders and a call before our appointment. Kerry did a fantastic job both advising us and effectively resolving our issue.

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

I have all good things to say about 2 Sons Plumbing. My first experience was a few years ago and the whole process went very smoothly. Making the appointment was easy and quick, the repair was done with no problem and I thought the price was fair. Recently, Dave from 2 Sons came out to look at several plumbing problems I was having and, within a matter of minutes, all of the problems were diagnosed. Dave gave me options and estimates all before he left my house. I haven’t had the work done yet but appreciate the information and the prices seemed fair to me. Dave was on time, professional and very knowledgeable. 2 Sons are my go to Plumbers.

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Bob at 2 Sons Plumbing was amazing! We had a horribly backed up kitchen sink drain and he was able to fix it, and save us some money in the process! He heard what we had to say about our issue and double checked everything. Super friendly and very helpful. Thank you for the amazing work Bob!

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

I had great experience with Chase, Riley, Seth, Manu, Nolan with a recent fix. They showed up promptly, transparent about the price upfront, set the expectations right, very professional, got things done perfectly, great communication and very honest and patient to answer all my questions, I will definitely use 2 sons again and will recommend it to my friends and neighbors.

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

Stellar job by Carey and his team at 2sons today. I had a complex job -- installing a yard hydrant/faucet for a garden across the (private) street. They had to go into the floor of the garage, run piping under the floor, out of the house, across the road. Had to cut into the asphalt, trench down a couple feet, then patch it all up again, including fixing the garage concrete floor. Super job. Looks really clean. Got it all done in a day.

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

A wonderful experience every time with 2 Sons plumbing. Jake and Angelo helped us with our plumbing issue. They showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate for the repair. We ended up replacing a couple of toilets and a part of a sink drain. They came back the next day to complete the work due to our schedule. Excellent communication, prompt, and hard working! Thank you so much Jake and Angelo!! We are very happy with 2 Sons and have used them multiple times.

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25

Brandon and Ethan were awesome. I had a basic plumbing issue that I was too scared to address myself. They were very non judgmental and provided excellent customer service. I totally recommend 2 Sons Plumbing.

Erica G.

00:11 09 Oct 25

Jackie Gordon

20:00 02 Oct 25

Overall very pleased! Was able to get same day appointment. The work was done within the quoted timeframe and the cost reasonable. Thanks Marco and team.

Jackie Gordon

20:00 02 Oct 25

Overall very pleased! Was able to get same day appointment. The work was done within the quoted timeframe and the cost reasonable. Thanks Marco and team.

Catherine Huxford

22:46 21 Jul 25

Woke up this morning to find a leak under kitchen sink !
Wasn’t sure who to contact. Did some research and came up with 2 Sons Plumbing.
Contacted them and set up time for today.
Kept us informed about time and who would be doing the job.
Angelo and a trainee arrived on time.
Assessed the problem and gave us a quote. Did the job in timely manner.
Finished and cleaned up area.
They charged the exact price they quoted. Gave us a one year guarantee.

Catherine Huxford

22:46 21 Jul 25