Sewer Backup: Problem Signs and How To Solve Them

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Serving the Greater Seattle Area

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Rated 5 stars by Casey Y. on Google

"We had the unfortunate experience of a sewer backup into our home’s basement. Bob Oates sent out a capable technician to clear the problem causing the clog. TJ, the sewer manager then arrived to go over our options in detail. He used sewer maps, video footage and a sewer locating device to point out our problem spots and provided multiple repair options designed to prevent this from being a recurring issue. I highly recommend Bob Oates for their attention to detail and customer service."

Rainy weather in the Greater Seattle area is nothing new, but all that moisture can have serious consequences on your plumbing system.

Extra water in the soil can encourage tree roots to invade your sewer pipes and force raw sewage and wastewater back up into your home or office.

Not only is this unhealthy, but it can also cause extensive and costly damage to your property.

The pros at Bob Oates Sewer & Rooter tackle sewer backups every day — let's quickly cover signs of a sewer backup, the benefits of trenchless sewer repair (as opposed to traditional excavation methods), and the steps we'll take to quickly get your life back to normal!

The Signs of a Sewer Backup on Your Property

If you notice any of the following, you could have a clog in your sewer line:

  • Slow-draining fixtures or gurgling sounds
  • Toilets not flushing like they should
  • Persistent sewage odors near drains
  • Lush patches of grass or pooling water in the yard
  • Recurring sewer backups after temporary fixes

Front lawn with a bright green strip of grass caused by a broken sewer line under the yard

A sewer line failure is often visible as a lush green stripe cutting through an otherwise brown yard.

The Sewer Pipe Repair Process in Action

If you suspect that your sewer is backing up into your Seattle property, give us a call as soon as possible. We'll respond right away, and inspections are always free with an accessible outside cleanout.

Our sewer repair and sewer pipe lining services include:

  • Sewer camera inspection. Our high-quality technicians can send a high-resolution camera through your pipes to diagnose the problem and offer the best solution for your needs.
  • Cured-in-place pipe lining. One possible answer to get things up and running again is to create a new pipe within your existing pipe. After cleaning out your sewer pipeline, technicians can insert an epoxy-resin soaked wool sleeve into the pipes that will harden into a seamless new pipe over time.
  • Pipe bursting. Another possible solution is pipe bursting, a trenchless process where our technicians use innovative equipment to blast through your underground pipes and pull new pipes into place.

The Benefits of Trenchless Technology in Washington

The sewer pipe inspection, repair, and replacement options that we offer utilize modern trenchless technology.

Trenchless sewer repair offer several benefits over traditional repair and replacement methods:

Saves you money

Traditional sewer line repair and replacement required extensive excavation through your property that could cause a lot of damage to your lawn, driveway, landscaping, foundation, and other property features.

With trenchless technology, digging is confined to a small access hole. Eliminating the need for a large crew to excavate and repair all the damage associated with that can greatly reduce your overall project costs.

Saves you time

Legacy excavating methods can shut down your property for weeks at a time, disrupting your personal and professional productivity and keeping you from enjoying life the way you're accustomed.

Trenchless sewer repair methods allows our technicians to complete the job within hours, so you can get back to normal much sooner.

Bob Oates technicians curing a 70-foot sewer liner with blue light technology during a trenchless repair job.

On this trenchless sewer repair job, Bob Oates techs installed 70 feet of 4-inch liner using blue light curing — restoring service in hours with no digging required. Traditional methods can take up to 48 hours and involve major excavation.

Saves the environment

With much less digging required, trenchless pipe lining or pipe bursting means much less earth is moved, and, if digging through sidewalks or driveways, less concrete dust generated — cleaner air for everyone in the neighborhood.

The epoxy resin used in our cured-in-place pipe lining is also non-hazardous, so you can feel good about keeping your repairs environmentally friendly.

Bob Oates Easy Payment & Financing

Contact The Pros at Bob Oates Today!

If you suspect a sewer backup, give us a call or schedule an appointment online anytime.

Trenchless sewer repair options can offer an affordable, convenient, minimally intrusive solution to get your property back up and running fast!

Our locally dispatched crews serve homes and businesses across King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties, including:

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Rated 5 Stars by Johanna G.
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"Nothing but great experiences with Bob Oates! Would highly recommend for all your sewer and plumbing needs! Honest, hard working company!"

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Santi Allende
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They are super easygoing, extremely knowledgable, and not sales-y at all. It's difficult to come by honest and reasonably priced plumbers these days, and so I was really happy to work with them. Also supporting a small family business! They did a solid diagnostic assessment before proposing any work to fix the water pressure in our house. Would highly recommend!
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Alyson Mosher
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We had an emergency clog that turned into a big time sewer line repair job, and the Bob Oates team was timely, thorough, and helpful throughout. Prescott was a great project manager and kept us updated and informed the entire process. We're so glad we contacted them first!
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Heather Jay Gee
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I had Bob Oates come for an estimate and they far and away beat every estimate. Konrad did  the work and I was very impressed with the work, communication, and professionalism. I will be use Bob Oates from now on.
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Klodian Muca
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I’d be happy to recommend this plumbing company to anyone. They responded to my call quickly, showed up on time, and did an outstanding job on the plumbing work in my home, including my sinks and other maintenance. Their workmanship was excellent, everything was done professionally, and they stand behind their work with a 100% warranty, which gave me great peace of mind. It’s hard to find a company that is this reliable, honest, and responsive. This has been the best plumbing service I’ve ever experienced. I will definitely use them again and recommend them to all my friends and family. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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jamie lawler
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Had the pleasure of being helped by Autumn today. She was friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable about the services this company offers. I wasn’t quite sure what would be right for me, as I’ve never dealt with major plumbing issues before, but she was able to help me choose the services that would best suit my needs. I appreciate her answering all of my silly questions in a way that I could understand. I will definitely be recommending Bob Oates to my friends and family. Thank you, Autumn!
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Jason Voiss
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I just had Henry and Jesse come over to my condo to help me out with a leaking dishwasher... these guys were rockstars! They gave me a courtesy call and were here on time to the minute! Total professionals as soon as they entered the door, asking about my shoe policy and just pleasant people! As I fumbled around to find my dishwasher literature, they already had it pulled up and were running an initial cycle to troubleshoot the problem. Within minutes Henry diagnosed the problem, the two excused themselves to grab a few tools and were back in moments... it couldn't have been more than 10 minutes and they had resolved the problem and were running a cycle to verify their work. They gave me some additional feedback on what may have caused the issue, how to avoid it in the future, and then proceeded to humor me by answering a few unrelated questions I had about my washer. Great guys and great experience! This is now my second time dealing with the Bob Oates team and both times have been a great experience... Local, first rate service, and family owned; I'd recommend them to anyone! Whether you're a GC or a homeowner, having a great plumber in your Rolodex is a must; Bob Oates is my go to and should be yours as well!
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Erin Anderson
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Bob Oates Plumbing came recommended by our neighborhood, well-known real estate agent. We have used them a few times-once for a clogged kitchen sink situation and also for kitchen faucet installation. They have been timely, honest, knowledgeable and nice guys who make sure the job is done right. They can also order fixtures/products for you and they will install. Highly recommend!

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Serving the Greater Seattle Area