Residential and Commercial Sewer Service
A main line that keeps backing up, sewage in the basement, or a pipe the last plumber called "old"? We camera the sewer line, show you the damage, and explain whether it needs a spot repair or a full replacement. You get the price in writing before we start.
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Sewer Line Problems in Durham
From Forest Hills to Southpoint, these six account for most sewer calls here. Tell us which one sounds like yours.
Homes from the early to mid 1900s often have clay tile laterals, and mid-century homes may have Orangeburg, a pipe made of pressed fiber and tar. Clay cracks and separates at joints. Orangeburg softens, ovals, and collapses. The camera shows which you have and how far the damage runs.
Old Durham streets have big oaks and maples, and their roots find joints in clay pipe. We clear the roots, camera the pipe, and tell you whether the line is still sound or whether roots will be back in a year.
Durham clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and a buried line can settle into a low spot that holds water and paper. A cable gets through, but the belly stays. That section has to be corrected, not just cleared.
If the line clears and backs up again within months, the cause is in the pipe: roots, a break, or a belly. We find it on camera so you stop paying to clear the same blockage.
In older Durham homes with a basement, the lowest drain is often a floor drain, and it is the first place a blocked main shows itself. Stop running water, keep people and pets out, and call. We camera the line to find the blockage and the cause.
Many older homes never got one, so every cleaning means pulling a toilet. We install a cleanout so the line can be cleared and inspected from the yard.
Clear Answers
We run a camera through the line, locate the damage, and mark its depth. You see the footage before we recommend anything.
A short damaged section can often be repaired on its own. A line with damage along its length is replaced. Either way we explain why, and give you the price in writing. Nothing is dug until you approve it.
We make the repair or replace the lateral in an open trench, and we pull permits and schedule inspections where the City of Durham requires them. The job is not finished until it passes.
Durham Homes
Durham has a wide range of home ages. Older in-town neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Hope Valley, and parts of Downtown Durham have laterals that can be clay or Orangeburg, buried under mature trees. Newer suburban areas like Southpoint and Woodcroft have younger pipe, but clay soil still moves it. The first question is always what the pipe is made of and what shape it is in, and only a camera answers that.
A full replacement means an open trench. Expect the yard to be disturbed along the line, and we tell you the route and what will be affected before you approve the work. A spot repair is a much smaller excavation. Replacement and new drain line work is permitted and inspected where the City of Durham requires it, and we handle that. If the line is sound but clogs with grease or scale, hydro jetting may be the better fix, and our sewer line repair page covers the rest.
Our shop is at 3460 Apex Pkwy in Apex, and we work Monday through Saturday, 7:00 to 18:00. You can call, text, or book online. For everything else we do in town, see our Durham plumber page.
Commercial Sewer Service
Restaurants, offices, and multi-unit buildings depend on a sewer line that works every day. We camera the line, repair or replace the damaged section, and schedule around your hours where we can.
Grease and heavy use wear on a kitchen line. We camera it, jet it, repair failed sections, and try to schedule work outside service hours.
When several units share one lateral, one failure backs up all of them. We camera the line and give you footage and options to decide from.
Repeat backups at the same building mean the line needs a look, not another cable. We document the damage and give you a plan you can budget around.
Helpful Details
It depends on the length and depth of the line, what is above it (lawn, driveway, landscaping), and whether a spot repair or a full replacement is needed. We camera it first and give you the price in writing before we start.
Orangeburg was used in some mid-century homes. The camera shows its soft, oval, or flaking walls. If your house is from that era and has repeat backups, a camera inspection will tell you what you have.
If the damage is one section and the rest of the pipe is sound, a spot repair can be enough. If cracks, roots, or collapse run along the line, replacement is the honest answer. We show you the footage and explain which applies.
Replacement is open-trench, so yes, the ground along the line is dug. We locate the damage first so we open only what we need, and we explain what will be disturbed and how we restore it before you approve the work.
Sewer replacement is permitted and inspected where the City of Durham requires it. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection as part of the job.
Stop running water in the house, keep people and pets out of the area, and do not clean it up barehanded. Call (919) 679-1275. We camera the line to find where it is blocked and why.
Serving Durham and the rest of the Triangle: Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Holly Springs, Raleigh and Morrisville. Not sure we cover your address? Call (919) 679-1275 and ask.
“Matt was amazing! I've worked with many plumbing companies, and I will definitely contact Sweetwater Plumbing for all my plumbing needs moving forward.”
Keila Feracho
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“Sweetwater saved the day! I had an active leak from a water pipe in the ceiling. They fixed the leak promptly and did a great cleanup job.”
Sandy Alex
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“Chris arrived on time and made an assessment. A most conscientious and capable young man — the quality of his work was outstanding.”
Bodin Schexnayder
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“Great job. Punctual, professional, took time to explain the work, what my options were, and let me choose.”
Krista Summitt
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“Joseph was a great technician. He investigated the problem and walked me through every step of the way. So kind and patient.”
Connie Knox
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“I needed repair work done on short notice after a house inspection. Excellent work and great folks to work with.”
Jack Frankenfield
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