Drain & Sewer Services in the Bay Area
Drain and sewer work is where guessing costs the most. We put a camera down the line first, show you what is actually there, and quote a repair against evidence rather than a hunch — spot repairs where the pipe is sound, trenchless replacement where it is not.
Drain & Sewer Services
Follow any service for full detail on how the job is done, what it costs to move the price, and the questions we get asked most.
Drain & Sewer
2 servicesWho Owns the Sewer Lateral
In every Bay Area city we serve, the private sewer lateral — the pipe running from your building out to the public main — is the property owner's responsibility to maintain and repair. The public mains belong to the local agency: Union Sanitary District for Fremont, Newark and Union City, West Valley Sanitation District for Saratoga and Campbell, East Palo Alto Sanitary District, and the city itself in places like San José and Hayward.
That matters because a blockage on your side of the line is your bill wherever along it the fault sits. If every drain in the house backs up at once, report it to the agency first so they can check the main. If the main is clear, the problem is in your lateral, and that is what we camera.
What Is Actually Under Older Bay Area Homes
Pre-war and early post-war homes typically have vitrified clay in short jointed lengths, and roots get in at every joint. Some houses built in the 1950s and 60s have Orangeburg, a fibre pipe that deforms into an oval and eventually collapses. Cast iron scales down internally and cracks at the hubs.
A camera run identifies which of those you have in a few minutes, along with offsets, bellies and root intrusion, and locates and depth-marks the fault so any excavation goes to the break rather than following the whole line.
Drain & Sewer — Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers, without the sales pitch.
How do I know whether I need a drain cleared or the line repaired?
By how it behaves after clearing. A one-off blockage that clears and stays clear was a blockage. One that returns within weeks or months usually means the pipe is damaged — roots at a joint, a belly holding water, or scaled cast iron. A camera inspection settles it rather than paying for the same visit repeatedly.
Is trenchless replacement always possible?
No, and anyone who says otherwise has not looked. Pipe bursting and lining work along the existing route from small access pits, which spares driveways, lawns and mature planting. But a badly collapsed or severely misaligned line has no path to pull through and still needs open cut. We camera first and tell you which you have.
Should I get a sewer camera inspection before buying a house?
On older stock, yes. A standard home inspection does not usually include the lateral, and because the lateral is the owner's responsibility you inherit whatever is wrong with it the day you close. It either gives you peace of mind or something concrete to raise in negotiation. You keep the footage.
Does hydro-jetting damage old pipe?
It can, which is why we camera first. Jetting takes a line back to full bore and clears grease and roots in a way cabling cannot, but pipe that is already cracked or badly deteriorated needs assessing before high pressure goes near it. Where jetting is not appropriate we say so.
Will roots come back after they are cut out?
If the pipe is still cracked, yes — roots follow moisture and return to the same joint. Cutting and jetting clears the line and buys time, but the durable fix is repairing or replacing the damaged section so there is nothing for them to get into.
Do you charge extra for nights, weekends or holidays?
No. We do not add overtime charges, ever. The rate you are quoted is the same whether we come out on a Tuesday morning or at 2am on a holiday weekend.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Power Plumbing USA holds California contractor license #1082507 and carries full liability insurance. All work is performed to California Plumbing Code, and we pull permits where the job requires them.
Where We Work
15 Bay Area cities from our Union City base. See the full service area →