Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

My Sewer Line Is Backing Up—What Do I Do?

A sewer backup is one of those problems no homeowner wants to see. You flush or run water, and instead of draining away, it comes back up into the sink, tub, or toilet. It’s gross, it’s stressful—but here’s the good news: most backups can be fixed, and often it’s not as bad as it looks if you act quickly.

Sewer backups are common, and there are steps you can take right away to keep the mess from getting worse. At 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma, we see this problem all the time, and we know how to get your system moving again fast.

What to Do Right Away

If you spot water or sewage coming back into your home, don’t wait. Do these things first:

Stop using water. Every flush, every load of laundry, every shower makes the problem worse.

Find the cleanout. Most houses have an outdoor pipe with a cap. Loosening it can release pressure in the line. Do it slowly—don’t stand right over it.

Leave drains alone. If sewage is visible, don’t run sinks or tubs until the line has been checked.
These steps won’t solve the problem, but they can keep it from spreading until a plumber gets there.

When It’s Time to Call for Help

Sewer backups almost always need professional tools. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma at (206) 487-1757 if you notice:

Multiple drains backing up at once
Toilets gurgling when you run sinks or showers
The problem returning soon after a DIY fix

Those signs point to a main sewer line issue, not just a small clog.

What It Might Cost

Every job is a little different, but Tacoma homeowners usually see:

Snaking/auger service: $250–$600
Camera inspection: $250–$450

Snaking clears most blockages. A camera inspection is often worth it because it shows what’s really going on—roots, collapsed pipes, or heavy buildup—so you don’t waste money guessing.

Why Sewer Lines Back Up

A few common reasons backups happen:

Tree roots sneaking into older pipes.
Grease, wipes, and debris building up over time.
Aging or broken pipes starting to collapse.

Not every backup means you need to replace the whole sewer line, but every backup does mean you should get it checked right away.

Local Plumbers Who Know What to Do

A sewer backup is more than just an inconvenience—it can damage your home and create health risks. At 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma, our plumbers come equipped with augers, hydro-jetters, and cameras to find and clear the problem fast. We’ll explain what we see in plain words, not jargon, and walk you through your options so you know exactly what’s happening.

Call Now Before It Gets Worse

If sewage is backing up into your home, don’t wait and hope it clears itself. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Tacoma at (206) 487-1757, and we’ll send a licensed plumber to clear the blockage and check your line.

One call, and you can go from a smelly, stressful mess to clean, working drains again.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3330 reviews

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Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Our house decided to replace our own toilet, but we got stuck halfway through because we didn’t have the right tools and accidentally broke an anchor bolt. I called 2 Sons Plumbing, and they showed up within an hour to help us out. Derek, our plumber, was super friendly, explained everything clearly, and got the job done quickly and professionally. Excellent service all around—highly recommend!

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Dave and David came and cleared out a huge clog in my kitchen sink (both sides) that has been plaguing us for a while as well a ton of glass shards that got into the drain when our glass fridge shelf broke. Dave walked us through each step of the process and explained everything which was excellent. He also gave us advice about galvanized piping replacement. They even gave us a few free parts for the sink drain that had eroded away and didn’t charge extra for it!! All around 5 star service!!!

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Fantastic service and communication. Local company. Solved my clogged basement laundry utility sink. Dave and David were courteous, informative, professional and easy to engage with. Scheduling was easy (they came the next day) and they arrived within the expected time window. Transparent pricing and i could also apply a coupon. I will use them again.

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

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