Comprehensive Sewer Line Services in Highwood, IL
Your sewer line is the critical pipeline that carries waste away from your home — yet it often goes overlooked until trouble strikes. I've helped plenty of homeowners who ignored slow drains only to face major backups and costly repairs later. Fortunately, most sewer issues announce themselves ahead of failure if you know what signs to watch for, but many folks don’t.
Once you reach out at 224-524-1625, the first thing we do is run a sewer camera inspection. This step is non-negotiable — it’s the only way to accurately diagnose what’s going on underground. I won’t guess at the problem or price without seeing the inside of your pipe. Whether it’s roots clogging the line, a broken clay tile, or something else, we’ll watch the video together and explain what repairs are needed. Sometimes it’s a quick hydro jetting and root cutting; other times, a section may need replacement. And sometimes, your line is in good shape — we’ll tell you that too.
We handle everything from drain cleaning and camera inspections to spot repairs, trenchless lining, pipe bursting, and traditional excavation and replacement. If sewage is backing up inside your home right now, call our 24/7 emergency service right away. Every job comes with a clear, upfront quote before we begin.
Our Sewer Line Services
Sewer Camera Inspection
We insert a waterproof, high-res camera into your sewer line through a cleanout or toilet flange. This lets us see real-time footage of root invasions, fractures, separated joints, sagging pipe sections, grease accumulation, collapses, and foreign debris. This inspection tool is critical — without it, work is guesswork.
We record the footage and review it on-site with you. If any issues show, you’ll see them firsthand. If the pipe is solid, we’ll confirm that too. For Highwood homes, especially older properties, a camera inspection is crucial before buying or selling. It’s also a key part of our drain cleaning service for stubborn clogs.
Trenchless Sewer Repair (CIPP Pipe Lining)
Cured-in-place pipe lining lets us repair damaged sewer pipes from the inside without digging up your yard. We slide in a flexible liner coated with epoxy resin, inflate it to mold to the pipe’s interior, and cure it with heat or UV light. This forms a new, pipe inside the old one that’s resistant to roots and corrosion, designed to last 50+ years.
This option is ideal when the pipe is cracked or invaded by roots but still retains its shape. It keeps your landscaping and driveway intact and is usually quicker and more affordable than a full dig-up. Clay tile and cast iron pipes common in Highwood respond well to this treatment.
Pipe Bursting (Trenchless Replacement)
For pipes too damaged for lining, we use pipe bursting — a no-trench method that replaces your entire sewer line. A bursting head breaks apart the old pipe underground and pulls a new high-density polyethylene pipe behind it. This requires digging only small pits at each end, avoiding long trenches across your yard.
This method works well in the mostly stable Illinois soils and for typical residential line lengths. However, pipes with severe sags or steep grade changes might need full digging. When suitable, this saves you a ton of time and yard disruption.
Traditional Sewer Line Excavation & Replacement
Some damage leaves no alternative but to dig. When pipes are collapsed, severely sagging, or too deteriorated, we excavate to expose and remove the damaged section. Then we install new schedule 40 PVC pipe with proper slope and bedding, backfill carefully, and restore your surface as best as possible. We also handle any permits required.
We’ll always recommend trenchless repair if it fits your situation, but when excavation is necessary, we’ll explain why. If we’re in the yard already, it’s a good time to inspect your water service line too, since those run nearby underground.
Root Removal & Prevention
Tree roots cause more sewer line trouble in Illinois than anything else. Roots sneak in at joints and cracks and expand into dense masses that block your pipe. We mechanically cut roots and flush the line with hydro jetting to clear them out. But cutting alone is temporary if roots can re-enter. We’ll assess whether the line needs lining or replacement to stop roots for good. If roots have damaged your internal drain piping, we include that repair as well.
Understanding Sewer Lines in Highwood, IL
Highwood sits in a region with a mix of home ages and sewer materials, reflecting decades of development. Many homes built from the 1950s through early 1970s feature clay tile sewer laterals made of terracotta with bell-and-spigot joints — natural entry points for tree roots. The freeze-thaw cycles common here also cause soil movement that can worsen joint separations over time. If your house dates before 1975, root intrusion or joint gaps might be silently causing trouble.
From the 1970s into the ’80s, many homes used cast iron piping indoors paired with clay tile or early PVC for lateral lines. Cast iron is tough but corrodes internally, restricting flow, which often shows as slow drains across the house. If you own a 1980s ranch or split-level in the area and your drains have been sluggish for a while, corrosion inside those pipes is a typical suspect.
Trees like willow, oak, silver maple, and cottonwood thrive in our Illinois suburbs and aggressively seek out moisture. If any of these trees are within about 30 feet of your sewer lateral — especially a large, established tree — getting a camera inspection before problems arise is a smart move.
Warning Signs Your Sewer Line Needs Attention
- Several drains slow or clogging simultaneously
- Toilets gurgling when water is running elsewhere
- Bad sewer smells inside the house or in the yard
- Bright green, lush grass patches along the sewer line path
- Soggy or depressed spots in your lawn over the pipe route
- Backed-up basement floor drains
- Increased rodent activity — rats can enter through broken pipes
- Repeated main line backups even after drain cleaning
Common Sewer Pipe Materials by Installation Period
Pre-1970 Highwood homes: Clay tile/terracotta pipes — prone to root invasion at joints, often over 60 years old
1950s–1970s: Orangeburg (tar paper) pipe — fragile and prone to collapse; urgent replacement needed if present
1970s–1980s: Cast iron indoors, clay tile or early PVC for underground laterals — inspect cast iron for signs of corrosion
Post-1985: Schedule 40 PVC — smooth bore, corrosion-resistant, and long-lasting
Sewer Line Frequently Asked Questions
If you see several drains backing up at once, hear gurgling in your toilets, smell sewage indoors or outside, notice green patches or soggy areas along the pipe route, or keep having backups despite drain cleaning, you probably have a sewer line issue. Give us a call before it gets worse.
Trenchless repairs use either CIPP lining or pipe bursting to fix or replace your sewer line through small openings instead of digging a big trench. This works if the pipe still holds its shape and the soil conditions allow it. It’s faster, easier on your yard, and usually less expensive than digging up your sewer line. We’ll assess your situation and let you know if trenchless is the way to go.
It varies a lot depending on the damage. Root cutting might cost a few hundred dollars, lining can be $3,000 to $8,000, and a full dig-up replacement could be over $10,000. We don’t guess — we inspect and then give you a firm price before starting.
Clay tile lines last about 50–60 years, and many in Highwood are at or beyond that. Cast iron usually holds up 50–75 years, PVC often lasts over 100 years, and Orangeburg pipes tend to fail after 30–50 years. Getting a camera inspection every so often helps identify problems early.
Definitely. Typical home inspections don’t cover sewer laterals. These underground pipes can have root damage, sagging, or partial collapse that won’t be visible until you own the house and face backups. Spending a little on a camera inspection before buying can save you big headaches later.