4 services · Baltimore
Drains & sewer in Baltimore, MD
A single slow sink is usually a local clog a plumber can clear in one visit. Several drains backing up at once, gurgling toilets or water at a basement floor drain point to the main sewer line, which may need cleaning, a camera inspection and sometimes repair.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Drains & sewer services in Baltimore
Drain cleaning in Baltimore
UrgentIf one fixture is slow, the clog is usually in that fixture's branch line. If several drains back up at once, or the basement floor drain fills when you run the washer, the main sewer line is blocked and needs a larger cable or a jetter.
Hydro jetting
Hydro jetting cleans the full width of a drain pipe with high-pressure water, washing out grease, scale and fine roots that a cable only punches a hole through. It works best on sound pipe and is usually done after a camera inspection confirms the pipe can take it.
Sewer camera inspection
A sewer camera inspection runs a waterproof camera through the line from your house to the city main and records what it finds: roots, cracks, sags, offset joints or collapsed pipe. It's the best way to decide between cleaning, spot repair and replacement.
Sewer line repair
UrgentA damaged sewer line can be fixed with a spot repair, a trenchless liner, pipe bursting or an open-trench replacement. Which one fits depends on what the camera shows, how deep the pipe is, and what's on top of it, such as a driveway, trees or landscaping.
Local conditions
Drains & sewer in Baltimore: what's different
Rowhouse basements often hold the laundry and water heater beside an old floor drain, so a slow main line floods the basement first. Heavy rain can also back up old sewers.
Low-lying harbor neighborhoods like Fells Point face tidal and storm flooding. Permits come from Baltimore City's permitting office.
Old cast-iron and clay laterals under rowhouses collect roots and scale, and a camera inspection shows whether a repeat clog needs cleaning, a liner or replacement. A backwater valve helps in neighborhoods where storms push water back through basement drains.
- Water and sewer in Baltimore
- The City of Baltimore Department of Public Works provides water and sewer service to the city and much of the region.
- Permits in Baltimore
- Plumbing permits are issued by Baltimore City's permitting office within Housing and Community Development.
Baltimore housing and plumbing
Rowhouses from the 1800s and early 1900s dominate, often with basements, cast-iron drains and galvanized supply.
Other Baltimore conditions that affect plumbing
- Rowhouse plumbing: Old cast iron and galvanized pipe in rowhouses leak and clog.
- Frozen pipes: Cold snaps freeze pipes in rear additions and exterior walls.
- Basement backups: Heavy rain can back up old sewers into basements.
- Rowhouse renovations: Many rowhouses have been renovated over decades, mixing old cast iron and galvanized pipe with newer PEX and PVC.
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes
Plumbers on Thawline cover Baltimore and City of Baltimore, including Canton, Fells Point, Hampden, Federal Hill, Roland Park, Mount Vernon. ZIP codes: 21201 · 21202 · 21203 · 21205 · 21206 · 21209.
When to call a plumber in Baltimore
- Water backing up in the tub or shower when a toilet flushes
- Several fixtures draining slowly at the same time
- Water or sewage at a basement floor drain
- Gurgling from drains or toilets
- Sewer smell inside or a soggy patch in the yard
- The same clog returning within weeks of being cleared
How these problems start and how to choose between repair options is covered in the drains & sewer guide.
Drains & sewer questions in Baltimore
Why does my Baltimore rowhouse basement flood?
Are chemical drain cleaners safe to use?
More plumbing in Baltimore
Need help with drains & sewer in Baltimore?
Tell us what's going on and your ZIP code. You'll be connected with a licensed plumber who serves your area.
Call now to check plumber availability