Sewer Backing Up? This Is an Emergency.

24/7 sewer backup repair for homes and businesses across Metro East Illinois, we clear it, find the cause, and make sure it doesn't come right back.

GET HELP NOW
Choose the option that best describes your situation.
where can we reach you?
We'll contact you shortly to confirm your service request.
where can we reach you?
We'll contact you shortly to confirm your service request.
where can we reach you?
We'll contact you shortly to confirm your service request.
Tell us a little about the problem.
Our team will contact you shortly to schedule service.
Request Sent Successfully

Thank you. Our team received your request and will contact you shortly to schedule your plumbing service.

If your issue is urgent, you can also call us directly.

From Emergency Repairs to Full Installations

Whether it’s a leaking pipe, a failing water heater, or plumbing for a brand-new build, our licensed team handles projects of every size across the metro east region.

Emergency Plumbing

Burst pipes, sewer backups, no hot water, when it can’t wait, we answer. Day or night, Priority Plumbing shows up fast and fixes it right the first time.

Drains &
Sewer

Slow drains, clogs, and sewer line problems don’t fix themselves. From drain cleaning to full sewer replacement, we diagnose the root cause and get it flowing again.

Commercial Plumbing

Businesses can’t afford plumbing downtime. We handle everything from backflow testing and maintenance contracts to restaurant drain service and new construction rough-ins.

Water
Quality

If your water smells, tastes off, or leaves buildup on everything — there’s a fix. We install whole-home filtration, water softeners, HALO systems, and treat well water at the source.

Water
Heaters

No hot water is never convenient. We repair, replace, and install both tank and tankless water heaters — usually same day, and always with upfront pricing.

Pumps

Sump pumps, well pumps, ejector pumps — we install, repair, and replace all of them. Don’t wait for a pump failure to become a flooded basement or a dry tap.

A Sewer Backup Needs Attention Now, Not Tomorrow

Sewage backing up into your home is one of the most urgent plumbing situations you can face. Raw sewage carries bacteria and pathogens that create an immediate health hazard. Water from a sewer backup damages flooring, walls, and contents fast. And the longer a main line backup sits unresolved, the more of your home’s plumbing becomes unusable.

 

We respond to sewer backup emergencies 24/7 for residential and commercial customers throughout Metro East Illinois. We clear the blockage, identify what caused it like root intrusion, grease buildup, a collapsed line, or something else, and give you an honest assessment of what needs to happen next to prevent a repeat. Clearing a sewer without understanding the cause is a temporary fix. We aim for the permanent one.

 

Priority Plumbing Services is licensed, bonded, and insured in Illinois (License No. 055-045366). Call or text us at (618) 207-1647 any time, day, night, weekends, or holidays. Every emergency job is backed by our 1-year warranty and 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Signs You Have a Sewer Backup Emergency

When the main sewer line backs up, wastewater has nowhere to go, so it finds the lowest drain point in your home and comes back up. That’s usually the tub or shower floor drain in a basement or ground-floor bathroom. If you see black or brown water rising in a drain you haven’t used, your main line is backed up. 

 

Urgency: Call immediately — stop using all water in the home and call (618) 207-1647.

A single slow drain is a localized clog. When multiple fixtures drain slowly or back up simultaneously such as the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, and the toilet all at once, the problem is in the main sewer line, not the individual fixture drains. This is a main line backup until proven otherwise. 

 

Urgency: Call today — a partial main line blockage becomes a full backup fast.

Gurgling from a drain you’re not using, especially when you flush a toilet or run the washing machine, means air is being pushed back through the drain system by a blockage downstream. Gurgling from multiple fixtures simultaneously points directly to a main sewer line obstruction. 

 

Urgency: Call today — gurgling is a warning before the backup becomes visible.

A sewage odor rising from a basement floor drain or permeating a lower level of the home can indicate a dry trap, a venting issue, or, more urgently, a partial sewer backup that hasn’t surfaced yet. If the smell is strong and persistent, treat it as an active backup situation.

 

Urgency: Call soon — persistent sewage odor indoors is a health concern regardless of whether water has surfaced yet.

A toilet that overflows when you flush, with no visible clog in the bowl, means the blockage is downstream of the toilet in the drain or main sewer line. Adding more water to the system by flushing again or running other fixtures will make it worse. 

 

Urgency: Call immediately — stop flushing and call (618) 207-1647.

Types of Sewer Backup Service We Handle

Cable machine or hydro jetting to clear the main sewer line blockage like grease buildup, debris accumulation, or root intrusion that has partially or fully blocked the line. We clear the backup and restore drainage before assessing what caused it and what the long-term fix looks like.

Once the line is clear, we run a camera inspection to find out why it backed up. Root intrusion, pipe offset, grease buildup, a partial collapse, or a cracked pipe, the camera shows us exactly what’s there. This step is what separates a temporary fix from understanding the actual condition of the line. 

Tree roots are one of the most common causes of recurring sewer backups in Metro East Illinois, especially in older neighborhoods with mature trees and aging clay tile or cast iron sewer lines. We remove root intrusion mechanically or via hydro jetting and assess whether the line needs repair or replacement to prevent recurrence. 

When a camera inspection reveals a collapsed section, a significant crack, or a pipe that’s failing structurally, clearing the blockage is only the first step. We repair or replace the damaged section, using trenchless methods where applicable, to address the underlying cause of the backup.

Benefits of Professional Sewer Backup Response

A sewer line that backs up once and gets cleared without a camera inspection is a sewer line that will back up again, often sooner than you’d expect. We clear the line and then find out why it backed up. If it’s root intrusion that can be managed, we tell you. If the line has a structural failure that needs repair, we tell you that too, with options and honest numbers.

Sewer backups don’t wait for business hours. A backed-up main line at 10 PM on a Sunday makes every toilet, sink, and drain in your home unusable until it’s cleared. We’re available around the clock for sewer emergencies throughout Metro East Illinois, call or text (618) 207-1647 any time.

Sewage water is classified as Category 3 contaminated water, the highest risk level for water damage. Flooring, drywall, and any porous material it contacts needs to be cleaned or replaced. Responding fast limits how far the backup spreads and how much of your home is affected. Every hour matters.

A sewer backup in a restaurant, retail space, or commercial facility shuts down operations immediately. We respond to commercial sewer emergencies on the same 24/7 basis as residential, because a business closure costs more than just repair bills. One call handles it.

Sewer backup damage may be covered under a separate sewer backup endorsement on your homeowner’s or commercial property policy. We document the nature of the backup, the cause identified, and the work performed, giving you accurate information to submit to your insurer. Ask your insurance provider specifically about sewer backup coverage if you don’t already have it.

Your Problem, Solved in 4 Simple Steps

We make the process simple so you can get back to what matters.

Call, Text, or
Book Online

Reach out however works best for you. Prefer not to talk on the phone? Book through our online scheduler anytime.

Get a Quote or Get Scheduled

Need a price first? We'll give you one. Ready to go? We'll get you on the schedule — same day when possible. You'll get a text or email confirmation.

We Show Up and Do the Work

Our licensed team arrives on time, explains what we're doing, and treats your home like our own. No surprises.

Transparent Billing, Warranty in Hand 

You get a clear invoice and a 1-year warranty on our work. If anything isn't right, we come back and fix it.

WE'LL BE IN TOUCH

Hear It From Your Neighbors

The five star standard we hold ourselves to

Proudly Serving Five Counties Across Southern Illinois

From our home base in Pocahontas, we serve homes and businesses across Madison, Bond, Clinton, Montgomery, and Macoupin Counties. One local team that shows up fast and gets it done right. If you’re in the Metro East or surrounding areas, we’ve got you covered!

Sewer Backup Questions

What should I do while I wait for you?

Stop using all water in the home, no flushing, no running sinks, no showers, no laundry. Every gallon you add to the system comes back through the backup. Keep people and pets away from the affected area. If sewage has surfaced on the floor, don’t walk through it without protective footwear. Call (618) 207-1647 and we’ll be on our way.

Standard homeowner’s insurance policies typically do not cover sewer backup damage, it requires a separate sewer backup endorsement. If you don’t currently have that endorsement, it’s worth adding. We provide documentation of the cause and the work performed to support any insurance claim you file.

The most common causes in Metro East Illinois homes are tree root intrusion into aging clay tile or cast iron sewer lines, grease buildup in kitchen drain lines, flushed materials that shouldn’t be flushed (wipes, paper towels), and structural pipe failures in older lines. A camera inspection after clearing tells us which one you’re dealing with.

That depends on the cause. If the backup was a one-time blockage from debris and the line is otherwise structurally sound, recurrence is unlikely after proper clearing. If there’s root intrusion or a structural issue in the pipe, the backup will return without a more permanent repair. The camera inspection gives us the information to answer that question honestly for your specific situation.

Clearing a main line blockage is one cost. Camera inspection to find the cause is another. If the line needs repair or replacement, that’s a separate estimate based on what the camera shows. We break it down clearly at each step so you’re never surprised by what comes next. Financing is available through Wisetack for larger repairs.

Yes. Commercial sewer backups, in restaurants, retail spaces, apartment buildings, and commercial facilities, are handled on the same 24/7 emergency basis as residential. A backed-up sewer in a commercial kitchen or multi-tenant building is an operational emergency and we respond to it that way.

WE'LL BE IN TOUCH