Sewer & Drain · Nashville, TN
Sewer Backup Response in Nashville
The blockage cleared, the line scoped to find out why it backed up, and the cleanup and repair steps laid out in order.
Estimate request
Tell us which drain is backing up
Sent straight to us, day or night. We respond immediately.
Sewer Backup Response in Nashville, Tennessee
The blockage cleared, the line scoped to find out why it backed up, and the cleanup and repair steps laid out in order.
For sewer backup response, Nashville's Sewer and Drain works across Middle Tennessee — licensed, insured, with the price in writing before the work starts. Drain and sewer crews who clear the stoppage first, then put a camera down the line and show you what caused it.
Why homeowners call
Signs that bring people to us for this
- Sewage coming up a floor drain
- Every drain in the house slow at once
- Gurgling toilet when the washer drains
- Sewer smell in the yard or basement
- A soggy, sunken strip over the sewer line
- Roots back in the line every year
- Sump pump running and running
What is included
What our sewer backup response work includes
- Water use in the house stopped right away
- Blockage cleared from the cleanout or a fixture
- Camera run to find why it backed up
- Public main ruled in or out as the source
- Photos and video kept for an insurance claim
- Soaked materials listed for removal or cleaning
- Backwater valve assessed for repeat backups
- Repair steps set out in the order they happen
How Sewer Backup Response goes, from cleanout to final pass
A sewer backup has one of two sources. Most come from the private lateral: roots, grease, a collapsed or bellied pipe, or wipes caught on a bad joint. Less often the public main itself is surcharged, usually in heavy rain, and sewage pushes back up the lateral into the lowest drain. Clearing your line won’t help then, and the call goes to the sewer utility, which in Nashville is Metro Water Services.
The cleanup industry’s standard classes sewage as Category 3 water, the most contaminated there is. Hard surfaces like tile and sealed concrete can be cleaned and disinfected. Carpet, pad, drywall that has wicked water up and anything soft that soaked it up generally comes out. Wear gloves, boots and eye protection for any of it.
Check your homeowner’s policy before the cleanup goes far. Many policies leave out sewer backup unless a water backup endorsement was added, and an adjuster will want photos of the water line on the walls and what was damaged. We give you the camera video and a written cause, which is usually the first thing an adjuster asks for.
A house that backs up from the main more than once is a case for a backwater valve. It is a flap installed in the lateral that closes when sewage flows toward the house and opens again for normal drainage. It needs an accessible box so it can be cleaned, and while it is closed, the house shouldn’t be using water either.
Also available
Other sewer, drain and septic work
Emergency Sewer and Drain
Sewage coming up a floor drain or a tub, or no drain in the house that will take water, answered day or night.
Learn moreEmergency Drain Cleaning
After-hours clearing of the stoppage that will not wait for Monday, starting at the main cleanout.
Learn moreBurst Pipe Repair
A split or burst line cut out and replaced after the water is shut off, with the pipe either side checked for the next weak spot.
Learn moreService area
Sewer and drain calls we take across Middle Tennessee
Our trucks reach Nashville and 100 more towns in 12 counties, and we take sewer and septic calls anywhere within about an hour of the city.
FAQ
Sewer Backup Response: what people ask first
Who is responsible for a sewer backup in Nashville, me or the city?
It depends on where the blockage is. Metro Water Services maintains the public sewer, and the property owner is responsible for the private service line that runs from the house to it; Metro can confirm where that boundary falls at a given address. If the camera shows your line is clear and the backup came from the main, Metro needs to be called. If the stoppage is in your line, the repair is yours.
Does homeowners insurance cover a sewer backup?
Often only with an added endorsement. Many standard homeowner’s policies exclude water that backs up through a drain or sewer unless water backup coverage was bought on top of the policy. Call your agent before the cleanup goes far, photograph the water level and the damage, and keep the camera video and written cause from our visit.
Is it safe to clean up sewage in my basement myself?
Small amounts on hard floors, with care; anything more is a job for a cleanup company. Sewage carries bacteria and viruses, so wear waterproof gloves, boots and eye protection, keep children and pets out, and disinfect hard surfaces afterward. Carpet, pad and drywall that soaked up sewage are generally thrown out rather than dried.
How do I keep my basement from backing up again?
Fix the cause first, then consider a backwater valve. If roots, grease or a broken section caused it, the camera shows that and the repair follows. If the public main surcharged in heavy rain, a backwater valve in your line closes against the backflow. Keeping grease and wipes out of the drains prevents the most common repeat stoppages.
Free estimate
Book sewer backup response with our crew
Call or write to Nashville's Sewer and Drain with what the drains are doing; we clear the line first and price any repair from the camera footage.