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

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Marshall Harnish

21:22 05 Dec 25

2 Sons Plumbing did a fantastic job! I had a difficult water line replacement job, and they were friendly, quick and professional. The work turned out great. I had Dave as the project manager and he was honest and great to work with.

Would use them again for sure.

Marshall Harnish

21:22 05 Dec 25

Mark Ondrake

23:58 04 Dec 25

The 2 Sons company was prompt, thorough, clean, and performed precise, high-quality work. The office staff and plumbing technician showed professionalism and a focus on details. The finished repair exceeded our expectations, the price was very reasonable (high value for the quoted price), and the technician left the Job site spotless. See attached photo, they used the Big Bertha Motorized Snake to clear a clogged drain, the obstruction was 25 feet away!!

Mark Ondrake

23:58 04 Dec 25

Laura Mueser

23:11 03 Dec 25

Great service over a holiday weekend. Total failure of our sewer line was fixed with a ten year warranty. Clean, great communication, full fix. It cost a lot -- I mean, it was a major repair in a hundred year old house-- but was reasonable for what we received, and the pricing was very transparent. Seth, Jorge, Shane, Dan, and others were all perfectionists and appreciated.

Laura Mueser

23:11 03 Dec 25

Beth

00:02 27 Nov 25

2 Sons Plumbing is a top notch company. Recently I had a water line hooked up for a new refrigerator and Justin and Bryce were my technicians. They were so competent, careful, and efficient and I really appreciated their professionalism. Justin even showed me how to use the displays on the new fridge. They made sure every thing was clean, the lines flushed and working before they left the house. Their pricing is extremely reasonable also, I got two quotes for installing the waterline and 2 Sons was the most reasonable. Last year I had a clogged kitchen drain during the Christmas holiday's and 2 Sons Plumbing was the only company that would come out right away and not charge a high holiday rate. I highly recommend 2 Sons Plumbing for any plumbing needs.

Beth

00:02 27 Nov 25

Russell Callender

18:28 23 Nov 25

This is the second time I used 2 Sons Plumbing. This project was to install a toilet. Like the first time, the toilet installation went flawlessly. The support from Autumn and the other folks in the front office made scheduling easy and they were able to reschedule it to meet some changing circumstances on my end. I requested Brandon to do the work as he performed my previous job. He also recommended a high quality toilet that worked in my situation. I was called and texted to let me know he was coming. He was fantastic and explained how he was going to do the work and showed me the conditions of my existing connections. He got it done very quickly and efficiently and did not leave any mess. I’m super impressed with how this company operates.

Russell Callender

18:28 23 Nov 25

Maria Kute

23:01 18 Nov 25

Thank you, Bob, for your professional, courteous, and kind service! My downstairs tub was running with high pressure due to some worn out stems. Bob was thorough—but unfortunately our fixtures are quite old, and he didn’t have appropriate replacements available the first day. However, they were able to find the appropriate stems for our tub and fixed the leak right away day 2. I cannot speak highly enough about how grateful I am for the way 2 Sons accommodated my schedule when they needed to return with the appropriate fixtures. The technician was a genuine joy to work with—and I appreciate the quick follow up and turn around. I also appreciate the way Bob walked me through the process and double checked for leaks.

Maria Kute

23:01 18 Nov 25

Evan Rose

16:17 18 Nov 25

We had a great experience. Brandon and Chris were very polite and professional. We had a massive leak under a toilet and they came and fixed it on a Saturday. They were very timely and hardworking. Ethan was another who was also very polite and professional. Pricing was also very manageable for the extent of the problem we had. I would highly recommend.

Evan Rose

16:17 18 Nov 25

YuliyaG

22:06 14 Nov 25

I had a great experience with 2Sons Plumbing. Communication was on point from start to finish. Dave arrived on time, was very friendly, and knowledgeable. He also gave me a helpful heads-up about our heater and offered great advice. I really appreciate the professionalism and will definitely use them again!

YuliyaG

22:06 14 Nov 25

Brandy Przybylak

19:28 05 Nov 25

We really enjoyed our experience with 2 Sons. We had an emergency that had water all over our kitchen and basement. They were able to send someone out later in the evening for us after several other companies either cancelled on us or said they couldn't come until the next day. Our technician/plumber Riley was great to work with - friendly, quick, and effective! They even gave us a call back a few days later to check in on our experience and to answer some extra questions we had. Highly recommend!

Brandy Przybylak

19:28 05 Nov 25

Carol Wong

19:21 04 Nov 25

I have not decided to go with 2 Sons for the plumbing issues I have yet. However, I am very impressed by the technician, Guy, who came for the appointment. He was professional, friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, and thorough. I told him that I was just getting a quote and not ready to commit to do the repair right away. He was very understanding. I have a clogged kitchen sink, disconnected washer hose causing water damage, and likely a disconnected pipe behind the wall. He explained the steps I need to take before he can help for all three issues. Like I should hire the restoration company to repair the water damage before reconnecting the pipes. He also helped to take pictures and referred me to a restoration company for the jobs outside of his scope. Before he left, he measured the water pressure to make sure the pressure is within a normal range. Just to make sure the water is not putting too much pressure on the fixtures resulting leaks. It was definitely a surprisingly pleasant and thorough experience with Guy.

Carol Wong

19:21 04 Nov 25