Basement backup
Basement floor drain backing up?
Right now
What should you do while you wait?
- Stop the water. No flushing, no laundry, no dishwasher. The floor drain is the lowest opening in the house — everything you run comes up there.
- Don't touch standing sewage. If it's gray or smells septic, treat it as contaminated. Keep kids and pets out of the basement.
- Move what's movable. Boxes and rugs first; anything electrical that's near the water stays where it is — don't reach into water for a plug.
- Don't pour anything down it. Drain chemicals in standing water are a hazard for whoever clears the line — usually us, an hour later.
Why it happens
Why is water coming up the floor drain?
The floor drain isn't the problem — it's the messenger. It sits at the bottom of the system, so when the main sewer line blocks, that's where the backup shows first. Occasionally it's the floor drain's own trap or a failed backwater valve; the fix and the price differ, which is one more reason we look before we quote a final number.
Response
How fast can someone be in my basement?
On site within 30 minutes— reported by a customer, Google review
Came out at 8pm on a Friday— reported by a customer, Google review
- Cost
- Floor drain clearing is a published range — see pricing. If it is the main line, that range applies instead; we say which before work starts, in writing.
- After hours
- Small published surcharge. A 2am basement backup does not triple the bill.
- Call immediately if
- The water is still rising, or it is coming up while nothing in the house is running — that can be the municipal side.
Scope
What don't you do in a flooded basement?
We clear the blockage and get the water moving out. We don't do flood restoration, carpet drying, or mold remediation — that's a restoration company, and for a sewage-soaked finished basement you may also want your insurer on the phone. If groundwater (not sewage) is the problem, you need a sump pump company, and we'll say so from the doorway rather than after an invoice.