After a sewer backup, have the line cleared and then camera-inspected before the cause is forgotten. The video shows whether the backup came from your own pipe — roots, a sag, a broken or offset section, grease — or from beyond it, such as a surcharged municipal main. That answer decides who repairs what, supports an insurance claim, and tells you how to prevent the next one.
- Clearing a blockage restores flow; only a camera shows why it blocked.
- Scope as soon as the line is cleared, ideally with a video of the obstruction before and after clearing.
- Backups can come from the private lateral or from a surcharged municipal main during heavy rain; the camera helps separate the two.
- Document everything for insurance: photos, video, dates, invoices, and the report.
- Prevention depends on the cause: maintenance for roots and grease, repair for structural defects, backwater valves for main surcharge.
01 /Why scope the sewer after a backup?
Scope the sewer after a backup because clearing it removes the evidence. An auger or jetter restores flow but leaves the reason behind: a root mass regrows, a sag refills with solids, a broken section keeps dropping soil. A camera inspection shows the cause, where it is, and whether it will happen again.
| Cause | Camera evidence | Usual follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Root mass at a joint | Roots filling the pipe at a joint ring | Cut roots; scope again; consider sealing |
| Sag collecting solids | Deep standing water, settled paper or debris | Clean; repair opinion if repeat |
| Offset joint catching material | Lip with wipes and paper draped over it | Repair or line if feasible |
| Broken or collapsed section | Missing pipe wall, soil, camera cannot pass | Excavated or trenchless repair |
| Grease buildup | Smooth waxy layer narrowing the pipe | Jetting; kitchen habits |
| Foreign objects | Wipes, toys, construction debris | Removal; education |
| Main surcharge | Private line clear but backed up from the main side during wet weather | Municipal report; backwater valve assessment |
02 /When should the inspection happen?
The inspection should happen as soon as the line is cleared, ideally on the same visit. The most useful sequence is: a quick camera look at the obstruction if possible, clearing, then a full camera pass. That captures both the cause and the pipe condition behind it.
- Stop using water
Every flush or drain adds to the backup. Tell everyone in the house.
- Protect people
Keep children and pets away from sewage. Avoid contact; wear gloves and boots if you must move items.
- Call for clearing
Explain the symptoms: which fixtures backed up, whether it was during heavy rain, and whether neighbours have the same problem.
- Ask for camera before and after clearing
If the camera can reach the obstruction first, it records what caused it. After clearing, a full pass shows the pipe.
- Get the video and report
With distances, locates and a clear statement of the cause if found.
- Contact your insurer
Report promptly and follow the claim instructions.
03 /Was it my pipe or the city's main?
A camera helps answer whether the backup came from your pipe or the municipal main. If the camera finds a clear obstruction on your side and the backup ended when it was cleared, the cause was almost certainly private. If your line is clear but the backup happened during intense rain or snowmelt, and neighbours were affected too, the main may have surcharged and pushed wastewater back up service laterals.
| Clue | Points to private lateral | Points to municipal main |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Any time, often during heavy household use | During or just after heavy rain or snowmelt |
| Neighbours | Only your house | Several houses on the street |
| Camera finding | Obstruction or defect on your side | Your line clear; water entering from the main |
| Fix | Clearing solved it | Resolved as the main drained down |
If the evidence points to the main, contact the municipality. In Calgary, report sewer problems through 311. In Edmonton, where some older neighbourhoods have combined sewers, drainage is operated by EPCOR; see sewer scopes in Edmonton. Keep a copy of the video that shows your line clear, since it may be useful in discussions with the municipality or your insurer.
Sometimes the question is not the pipe but the water: a downspout, sump or area drain connected to the sanitary line can add enough storm water to overwhelm it. A dye test shows where a particular drain discharges, and municipal smoke testing finds improper connections street by street; dye, smoke and pressure testing explains both.
04 /What should you document for insurance?
Document the event, the damage, the cause and the response. Insurance policies differ, and sewer backup coverage in Canada is often an optional endorsement with its own limits and conditions. A clear record helps any claim and answers the insurer's questions quickly.
- Photos and video of water levels, affected rooms and damaged items before clean-up.
- Date and time the backup started and ended, and the weather at the time.
- Clearing invoice describing what was found and what was done.
- The camera video and report showing the cause and the pipe condition.
- Any correspondence with the municipality.
- Receipts for emergency clean-up and restoration.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada publishes consumer guidance on water damage and sewer backup; your own policy wording always governs.
05 /How do you stop the backup from happening again?
Stop it from happening again by fixing the cause the camera found. Roots and grease need a maintenance plan and sometimes sealing; structural defects need repair; main surcharge calls for backflow protection such as a backwater valve, installed and maintained correctly.
| Cause found | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Roots | Scheduled cutting or jetting; seal joints by lining or repair. See SewerRoots.ca |
| Grease | Kitchen habits; periodic jetting of the kitchen branch and lateral |
| Sag | Repair by excavation if blockages repeat |
| Offset or broken section | Spot repair or lining |
| Main surcharge | Backwater valve; downspout and grading review; municipal programs where offered |
| Wipes and objects | Nothing but toilet paper in toilets; a sewer is not a garbage chute |
A backwater valve needs a sound pipe to sit in and regular checking. Scope the building drain before installation. Many municipalities have rules or programs around backwater valves; confirm locally.
06 /What if the camera finds nothing?
If the camera finds nothing on your side after clearing, that is useful information: the cause may have been a one-off obstruction that was fully removed, a problem at the main, or an intermittent issue such as grease that was flushed away. Keep the video as a baseline and watch for repeat symptoms.
- Ask whether the camera reached the main and viewed the tie-in.
- Check whether any branch lines (floor drains, laundry) were not inspected.
- If backups repeat, scope again promptly and compare videos.
- Consider whether weather timing points to the main.
Repeat backups deserve a full look. Read what to do after the inspection, use the inspection report decoder on your report, or request an inspection quote.
07 /Which branches should be inspected after a backup?
After a backup, inspect every branch that could have carried or received the overflow, not only the main run to the street. The fixture that overflowed is usually the lowest one, not the one closest to the cause. A camera pass from the main cleanout to the main answers most questions, but a kitchen line full of grease or a laundry branch packed with lint can cause local backups the main run never shows.
| Branch | Why it matters | What the camera looks for |
|---|---|---|
| Main building drain to the lateral | Carries everything; most backups start here or downstream | Roots, sags, offsets, breaks, tie-in condition |
| Floor drain branch | Often the overflow point | Trap condition, debris, connection to the main drain |
| Kitchen branch | Grease is a common cause of repeat slowdowns | Fat, oil and grease layers narrowing the pipe |
| Laundry branch | Lint and detergent residue build up | Soft buildup at bends and fittings |
| Suite or added bathroom branch | Newer piping connected to older drains | Connection quality, slope, construction debris |
Tell the technician which fixture overflowed first, which ones were slow beforehand, and whether a washing machine or dishwasher was running. Those details narrow where the camera needs to go.
FAQQuestions people ask
Should I get a camera inspection after a sewer backup?
Yes. Clearing restores flow but does not show the cause. A camera inspection shows whether roots, a sag, a broken section or something else caused it, and whether it will repeat.
How soon after clearing should the camera go in?
Ideally on the same visit, immediately after clearing, so the cause and the pipe condition are recorded before anything changes.
Does insurance cover sewer backup?
Only if your policy includes sewer backup coverage, which in Canada is often an optional endorsement. Check your policy wording and limits, and contact your insurer promptly.
Can heavy rain cause a sewer backup in my house?
Yes. Heavy rain or snowmelt can overload municipal sewers, especially older combined systems or systems with inflow, pushing water back up service laterals. A backwater valve helps protect against this.
Why did my basement floor drain back up first?
The floor drain is usually the lowest opening on the building drain, so a downstream blockage fills the pipe until water rises out of the lowest fixture.
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