Sewer Line Repair in Chicago, IL

Timing tells you which you have. If the floor drain backs up only in a downpour, the public sewer is full and your own pipe may be fine. If it backs up in dry weather, or slow drains and yard odors have been getting worse, the lateral or an old catch basin is the likely cause and a camera inspection should come before any repair quote.

Each flood-control option has a trade-off a plumber should spell out. A backwater valve is the least disruptive but stops you from draining water while it is closed. Overhead sewers reroute basement fixtures to an ejector pump and remove the backflow path, at a much higher cost. Chicago enforces its own plumbing code and requires a city license, so check that the proposed materials and methods are approved for use in the city.

Chicago adopts and enforces its own plumbing code, which has historically been stricter about pipe materials than the codes used in most suburbs, and plumbers working in the city must hold a City of Chicago plumbing license. Permits come from the Department of Buildings. Ask for the license number, and ask whether the materials quoted are approved for use in the city.

Keystream Plumbing is a referral service. We do not perform plumbing work or hold a contractor license. The independent plumber you are connected with is responsible for licensing, permits and the work itself.