4 services · Chicago
Drains & sewer in Chicago, IL
A single slow sink is usually a local clog a plumber can clear in one visit. Several drains backing up at once, gurgling toilets or water at a basement floor drain point to the main sewer line, which may need cleaning, a camera inspection and sometimes repair.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Drains & sewer services in Chicago
Drain cleaning in Chicago
UrgentIf one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.
Sewer camera inspection
A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.
Sewer line repair in Chicago
UrgentA damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.
Local conditions
Drains & sewer in Chicago: what's different
Early 1900s Chicago homes often have clay sewer lines and cast-iron drains, and heavy summer storms reveal any weakness in them. Roots, cracked pipe and grease buildup are the usual causes of main-line backups.
Clearing the main and scoping it with a camera shows whether the line is sound or needs repair. Plumbing work in Chicago must be done by licensed plumbers registered with the city, with permits from the Department of Buildings.
- Water and sewer in Chicago
- The Chicago Department of Water Management supplies water and maintains sewers inside the city.
- Permits in Chicago
- Plumbing permits are issued by the Chicago Department of Buildings, and plumbing work in Chicago must be done by licensed plumbers registered with the city.
Chicago housing and plumbing
Bungalows, two-flats and greystones from the early 1900s fill neighborhoods like Logan Square and Pilsen, many with basements, cast-iron drains and clay sewer lines.
Other Chicago conditions that affect plumbing
- Basement flooding: Combined sewers can back up during heavy storms; overhead sewers, backwater valves and sump pumps are common upgrades.
- Frozen pipes: Sub-zero cold freezes pipes along exterior walls and in unheated porches and garages.
- Lead service lines: Many older Chicago homes are served by lead service lines, and the city has a replacement program.
- Deep Tunnel: Chicago's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (Deep Tunnel) stores stormwater to reduce flooding, but intense storms can still overwhelm local sewers and push water into basements, which is why overhead sewers and backwater valves are popular upgrades.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Plumbers on Thawline cover Chicago and Cook County, including Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Lakeview, Beverly, Pilsen, Rogers Park. ZIP codes: 60290 · 60499 · 60601 · 60602 · 60603 · 60604.
When to call a plumber in Chicago
- Water backing up in the tub or shower when a toilet flushes
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time
- Water or sewage at a basement floor drain
- Gurgling from drains or toilets
- Sewer smell inside or a soggy patch in the yard
- The same clog returning within weeks of being cleared
How these problems start and how to choose between repair options is covered in the drains & sewer guide.
Drains & sewer questions in Chicago
Why does my Chicago basement drain back up in storms?
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
More plumbing in Chicago
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