Sewer line repair - London, Ontario
We find the problem before we dig.
Every sewer job starts with a camera down the line, so you see exactly what is wrong and pay to fix that - not to find out what it was.
Mon-Fri, 7:30am - 5pm - same-day answer
5.0 on GoogleNo guesswork. No surprises.
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Camera first
The line is inspected on screen before anything is quoted. You watch the same footage Steve does.
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The problem, located
Roots, a crack, a collapse, a separated joint or a low spot - identified and located along the run, so any excavation is precise.
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Flat-rate quote
You get a written flat-rate quote for the repair the camera actually found, before work starts.
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Repaired and re-checked
The section is repaired or replaced, then the line is camera-checked again and the work is backed by a warranty.
The homeowner's guide
Sewage in your basement is not a plumbing problem. It is a crisis.
You flush the toilet and hear gurgling from the shower drain. Water backs up in the basement after a rainstorm. There is a wet patch in the yard that was not there before - and it smells wrong. These are not random plumbing issues.
Signs your sewer line needs repair
Sewer problems are different from a clogged sink: they do not just affect one fixture, and they do not get better on their own. Watch for:
- Multiple drains in the house slow or backing up at the same time
- Sewage odour in the basement, the yard, or near floor drains
- Gurgling from drains or toilets when water runs elsewhere
- Water backing up after heavy rain
- Unexplained wet or sunken patches in the yard
- An unusually green or lush strip of grass over the sewer line path
- Recurring clogs that keep coming back after cleaning
- Foundation cracks appearing alongside drainage problems
Why sewer lines fail
Four causes account for almost every failed line in London and the surrounding communities:
Tree root intrusion
Roots find the moisture at pipe joints and enter as hair-thin fibres, then grow into a mass that blocks the line completely. The most common failure on older London streets with mature trees.
Age and material
Clay tile and cast iron lines in older homes scale, crack and break apart at the end of their service life. Mid-century homes may have Orangeburg - a tar paper pipe that delaminates and collapses under load.
Ground shifting and settlement
Soil movement opens joints and creates low spots - bellies - where waste and water pool instead of flowing through.
Grease and buildup
Years of accumulation narrow the pipe until normal use is enough to block it.
This is not a $200 repair. Choose carefully.
Sewer work is one of the larger repairs a homeowner faces, and the difference between a precise repair and an oversized one is usually the diagnosis. A plumber who quotes sewer work without running a camera first is making assumptions with your money.
Every Serpa sewer job starts with a camera inspection: you watch the footage, you see the fault located along the run, and the written flat-rate quote covers the repair the camera actually found. The longer a cracked pipe waits, the worse it gets - a root intrusion becomes a blockage, a crack becomes a collapse, and a small repair becomes a replacement. The first step is not panic. It is a camera.
How the fix depends on what is broken
A root mass at one joint, a cracked section, and a line collapsed along its length are three different jobs at three different prices - which is why nothing is quoted before the camera locates the fault.
Where one section has failed, it is excavated precisely and rebuilt with new pipe and fittings, keeping the dig as small as the job allows. Where the run is past repairing - deteriorated clay, collapsed Orangeburg - the line is replaced properly and the ground restored. Either way the line is camera-checked again when the work is done, and it carries the same warranty on parts and labour as every Serpa job.
Mon-Fri, 7:30am - 5pm. Same-day answer, flat-rate quote before any work.
Why sewer lines fail.
Common questions about sewer line repair
Straight answers before you call.
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Tell-tale signs: several drains slow or backing up at once, sewage odour near floor drains, gurgling toilets, wet or sunken patches in the yard, or clogs that keep returning after cleaning. A camera confirms it.
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Not always. The camera locates the fault first, so the repair is scoped to the damaged section rather than the whole run. You see the footage and the flat-rate quote before anything is excavated.
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It depends entirely on what the camera finds and how deep the line sits, which is exactly why nothing is quoted before the inspection. Once it is known, you get a written flat-rate quote and the number you approve is the number you pay.
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Sewer faults get worse, not better - a crack becomes a collapse and a small repair becomes a replacement. If drains are backing up, get it looked at rather than clearing it again and hoping.
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Yes - parts and labour, like every Serpa job.
Drains backing up?
Same-Day Answer
Call or send the job and you hear back from Steve the SAME business day - what it likely is, what it likely costs, and when he can come.
Call (519) 777-5741Replies Mon-Fri, 7:30am - 5pm
Planning the work?
Flat-Rate Quote First
Describe the job and get a written flat-rate quote before any work starts. The number you approve is the number you pay.
Get a Flat-Rate QuoteWarranty on all work