Sewer lines and main line backups: Dirty water coming up through the basement floor drain?
When the main drain out of your house blocks, the water you flush or run down a sink has nowhere to go. It comes back up at the lowest opening in the house, often a basement floor drain or a downstairs toilet. We clear the blockage, then put a camera down the line when we need to see what caused it.
- Open 24/7
- Free estimates
- Average arrival about 60 minutes
- Open 24/7 Call or text any time
- Average arrival about 60 minutes Across our service area
- Free estimates You know the cost before work starts
- Licensed & insured For homes and businesses
- 8+ years of experience Local to the Lower Mainland
In short
DrainX Plumbing Ltd. is a 24/7 plumber in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, out to Langley. We clear blocked main lines and sewer backups, and put a camera down the pipe to find out why it blocked. Call or text 778-794-1234. Average arrival is about 60 minutes, and estimates are free.
Last updated
What to watch for
Signs it’s time to call
- Water comes up through the basement floor drain when the washing machine empties
- Several drains in the house are slow at the same time
- A toilet gurgles or bubbles when you drain the tub or a sink
- Flushing upstairs makes water rise in a downstairs shower or tub
- The same line has backed up before
What we do
How we handle it
-
Step 1: Open the line at the cleanout
The cleanout is a capped access point on the main drain, sometimes in the basement floor and sometimes outside near the foundation. If there isn't one we can reach, we may lift a toilet and go in through the pipe underneath.
-
Step 2: Cut through the clog
A drain auger is a long motorized cable with a cutting head on the end. We send it down the main line to the blockage and work it through until water starts moving again.
-
Step 3: Jet the line if it's coated
When the auger comes back covered in grease, we follow up with the hydro jetter. It cleans the full width of the pipe, which leaves less for the next flush to catch on.
-
Step 4: Look inside with a camera
A camera on a flexible cable sends a picture of the inside of the pipe to a screen. If there are roots, a crack or a sag holding water, you'll see it too.
-
Step 5: Flush and watch the floor drain
We flush toilets and run taps upstairs and down, then keep an eye on the drain that backed up. If the camera showed damage, we explain what we saw and what your options are.
Our work
Photos from our jobs
-
New section of sewer pipe joined to the old line in an open trench -
Trench along the side of a house with a new sewer line laid in it -
New cleanout and wye fitting on a sewer line beside a foundation -
Tree roots wound around a drain cable after clearing a blocked sewer line
What it costs
There’s no price list, because every job is different. Some jobs are a flat rate and others are quoted after we take a look. Estimates are free, and we explain the cost before any work starts.
Our work is covered by warranty. Coverage depends on the service, and we go over it with you when you book.
Offers on now
-
$50 off your first service
Conditions apply. Call for details.
-
5% off for seniors
Conditions apply. Call for details.
Mention the offer when you call: 778-794-1234
Before we get there
Stop using water everywhere in the house, upstairs too. Don’t flush, and leave the washer and dishwasher off. Anything that goes down a drain will come back up at the lowest one.
Keep kids and pets away from the water. It comes from the sewer and carries bacteria. If it has reached an outlet or anything plugged in, stay out of the room.
If you know where the cleanout is, move boxes and furniture away from it so we can get straight to work.
Take photos of the water and anything it soaked before you clean up. Your insurer may ask for them.
Sewer lines: common questions
Is it my main line or just one drain?
If only one sink or tub is slow, the clog is probably in that fixture's own drain. If water shows up somewhere else when you use a fixture, or several drains act up at once, the main line is the likely problem. Tell us which drains are affected when you call and we can narrow it down.
What blocks a sewer line?
Usually it's a pile-up. Flushed wipes and paper towels catch on grease that has cooled and stuck to the pipe wall, and more collects behind them. In older pipe, tree roots can also grow in through the joints and give debris something to snag on.
Will it back up again?
It might, if the cause is still in the line. Keeping wipes and grease out of the drains helps a lot. If the same line keeps backing up, a camera inspection shows us what is catching the debris, and that tells you what kind of fix will last.
How soon can you get here?
We're open 24/7. Arrival is about 60 minutes on average across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, out to Langley. That's an average and traffic has its say, so we'll give you a realistic time when you call or text.
Guides on sewer lines
-
Sewer connection grants in Burnaby and Coquitlam
What Burnaby's grant for upgrading a combined sewer connection and Coquitlam's sanitary connection pilot pay, who qualifies and how to apply.
Updated
-
Surrey sewer blockage: the inspection chamber and who pays
How Surrey splits the sewer line between owner and City, what the inspection chamber is, who pays to clear a blockage and what proof the City asks for.
Updated
-
Why is my basement floor drain backing up?
Water or sewage coming up a basement floor drain usually means the sewer line from your house is blocked. Learn what to do first and who clears it.
Updated
Google reviews
What customers say
5.0 out of 5 on Google
From 23 reviews, as of November 2026
What reviewers mention
-
Fair prices
Reviewers often say the price was reasonable. A couple say it came in well under what other plumbers had quoted.
-
Quick to come out
Several mention the plumbers arriving when they said they would. Others describe a same-evening visit, and a call-out at short notice on a holiday.
-
Careful, clear work
The work is described as thorough, tidy and professional. Reviewers mention clear explanations, upfront pricing and no pressure to buy more.
-
Fixed what others couldn't
Two reviewers say DrainX solved a problem other trades had not. Several say they would hire DrainX again, and one already has.
A summary, in our own words, of the reviews on our Google profile as of November 1, 2026. The reviews themselves are on Google.
Reviews shown as written on Google.
Service area
Where we do this work
Need a plumber? Call or text us.
Tell us what’s going on and we’ll take it from there.
Open 24/7 · Free estimates · Average arrival about 60 minutes