How to Choose a Drain Cleaning Company in Cedar Rapids
This guide is published by Clog Busters Drain Cleaning and Repair, which serves Cedar Rapids from its North Liberty branch. The questions below work with any drain cleaner you call.
Choose a drain cleaning company in Cedar Rapids by how it diagnoses, not by how fast it quotes. A good company asks about your symptoms, explains whether a cable or a water jet fits your pipe, recommends a camera inspection when a clog keeps returning, and puts its findings in writing before any sewer repair.
Why does the choice matter so much for sewer lines in Cedar Rapids?
Most Cedar Rapids sewer backups start on private property, so a private company, not the City, usually clears and repairs them. Only about 10 percent of the backup calls the City receives each year trace to a blockage in the public main, according to the City of Cedar Rapids sanitary sewer backup guidance.
A sewer lateral, also called the building sewer or service line, is the private pipe that carries wastewater from a house to the public main. Cedar Rapids property owners are responsible for it from the main to the building, according to the City’s collection system overview.
About 42 percent of Cedar Rapids housing units were built before 1970, and about 13 percent before 1940, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2024 one-year estimates).
Snaking or hydro jetting: which does your drain need?
The right method depends on what is in the pipe and what shape the pipe is in.
- Snaking, also called cabling or augering, is clearing a drain with a rotating steel cable that bores through a clog or cuts roots.
- Hydro jetting is cleaning a drain with high-pressure water that scours grease, sludge, scale and roots off the pipe walls.
Matching the Drain Problem to a Cleaning Method
| Situation | Usual starting method | What a good company checks first |
|---|---|---|
| One slow sink or tub, first clog | Snaking | Whether other fixtures are slow too |
| Kitchen line with grease buildup | Hydro jetting | Pipe condition, often by camera |
| Main line roots, first visit | Root cutter or jetting | Camera after clearing |
| Clog that returns within months | Camera, then cleaning or repair | Cracks, offset joints, sags |
| Cracked or partly collapsed line | Repair, not cleaning | Camera footage and location |
A company that pitches jetting without knowing the pipe’s condition is guessing, and so is one that snakes the same line every few months without asking why. Our post on hydro jetting versus traditional drain snaking covers the tradeoffs.
When should a camera inspection be part of the job?
A camera inspection belongs on the job whenever the main line backs up, a clog returns, roots have been cut, or someone recommends sewer repair. A sewer camera inspection records the inside of the line so the problem can be seen, measured and located.
Ask before the camera goes in:
- Will I see the footage?
- Will you note the distance from the cleanout to any problem spot?
- Will you explain what you see, such as a belly (a sag where waste settles) or an offset joint (two pipe sections out of line)?
If a company will not show the footage, treat a large repair quote with caution.
What should a sewer repair quote include?
A sewer repair quote should name the cause, the location, the method and what is included, not just a price.
Sewer Quote Checklist
- Cause and location: roots, a crack, an offset or a sag, with footage
- Distance and depth: how far from the cleanout, roughly how deep
- Method: spot repair, open excavation, or trenchless replacement, which replaces or rehabilitates a line through small access pits instead of a full trench
- Permits: who pulls them and whether the cost is included
- Restoration: what happens to the lawn, driveway or sidewalk
- What could change: conditions that would change the price once the line is opened
Clearing a backup today should not commit you to a repair. You can decide on a sewer line replacement after you have seen the footage.
What should you do when a basement drain backs up during heavy rain?
Stop running water, and if you are not sure of the cause, call the City first. Cedar Rapids sewer staff respond to reported backups 24/7 and check the public main, according to the City’s sewer backup page. If the main is clear, the City tells the owner to contact a private plumbing contractor.
The same page notes that gaps tree roots open in a sewer can let large amounts of rainfall in and overload the pipe. It also warns that many homeowner’s policies exclude sewer backup damage unless that coverage was added.
A backwater valve is a device on the building sewer that lets wastewater out but closes when sewage tries to flow back in. Cedar Rapids will put up to $800, or the actual cost if less, toward one for eligible properties that have had a backup, according to its backwater valve reimbursement program. The owner must submit the City’s agreement before hiring a plumber, and the work needs a licensed plumber and a plumbing permit.
How often should drains and sewer lines be maintained?
There is no single schedule; the interval should come from what the camera shows. Where roots keep returning, the City says they need routine removal, that replacing the building sewer is the best long term fix, and that cutting down the tree will not stop them.
How Clog Busters fits
Clog Busters Drain Cleaning and Repair was founded in 2020 and is owned by Jarod Smith. We serve Cedar Rapids from our North Liberty branch at 390 Herky Street, Suite 1E, North Liberty, IA 52317, open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Our work includes drain cleaning, hydro jetting, sewer camera inspections, leak detection, broken pipe repair and trenchless sewer replacement. If that fits, you can schedule service online or see our Cedar Rapids service area.
One last piece of advice: before you pay for anything bigger than clearing a line, ask to see what the camera saw.
For the other side of the job, see our guide to choosing a plumbing company in Cedar Rapids.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hydro jetting safe for older sewer lines?
Hydro jetting is safe for many older sewer lines, but not all. A cracked, badly offset or partly collapsed line can be damaged further by high-pressure water. A camera inspection before jetting shows whether the pipe can take it.
Why does a drain keep clogging after it was snaked?
A drain that clogs again soon after snaking usually has a cause the cable did not remove. Common causes are roots regrowing through a joint, grease left on the pipe walls, or a sag where waste settles. A camera inspection shows which one it is and points to the right fix.
Who is responsible for the sewer line between a Cedar Rapids house and the street?
In Cedar Rapids, the property owner is responsible for the sewer service line from the public main to the building, and the City maintains the public mains. During a backup, City crews check the public main first. If it is clear, the owner hires a private contractor.
Should I get a sewer camera inspection before buying an older home?
A sewer camera inspection is worth considering before buying an older home, because the buyer takes over the private sewer line. Roots, cracks and sags are not visible from inside the house.
Key Takeaways
- About 10 percent of sewer backup calls to the City of Cedar Rapids are caused by a blockage in the public main.
- Cedar Rapids property owners are responsible for the sewer service line from the public main to the building.
- Tree root intrusion is the leading cause of public and private sewer blockages in Cedar Rapids, according to the City.
- About 42 percent of Cedar Rapids housing units were built before 1970, per 2024 American Community Survey estimates.
- Cedar Rapids reimburses up to $800, or the actual cost if less, toward a backwater valve for eligible properties, with the agreement submitted before a plumber is hired.
- Many homeowner’s insurance policies exclude sewer backup damage unless that coverage is added, according to the City.
Citations and References
- City of Cedar Rapids, Sanitary Sewer Backup
- City of Cedar Rapids, Collection System Overview
- City of Cedar Rapids, Backwater Prevention Device Reimbursement Program
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS Table B25034, Year Structure Built, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
