Sewer Line Cleaning in Fort Collins & Loveland
Main line clogs cleared and the pipe cleaned properly, with a camera check so the clog does not come straight back.
- Camera inspection first
- Written, itemized quotes
- Licensed and insured
Sewer line cleaning clears your main sewer line, the pipe from the house to the public sewer, using a cable machine with root-cutting heads or a hydro jetter, then checks it with a camera. Fort Collins Sewer Line Repair provides sewer line cleaning for main line clogs, tree roots, grease and scale across Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County. We pick the method once we know what your pipe can take, and if it needs more than cleaning, you see the video and get the options in writing.
Call (970) 999-1365 to schedule sewer line cleaning or a camera inspection.
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Local rules on who owns the line, permits and inspections differ by town. Pick yours:
Signs of a main sewer line clog
Every drain in the house empties into one pipe, the building sewer (or lateral). When it clogs, the whole house feels it:
- Several fixtures slow down at once, such as a tub, a toilet and a basement floor drain.
- The lowest drains go first, usually a basement floor drain, shower or ground-floor toilet.
- The toilet bubbles when the shower runs, or drains gurgle when the washer empties, because water that cannot get past the clog pushes air back up.
- A floor drain or outdoor cleanout backs up, which means the blockage is downstream, toward the street.
One slow sink usually means a clog in its own branch line, not the main. If several fixtures are backing up, stop running water. Our guide to what causes basement sewer backups covers the usual culprits.
Is the clog in the city main or your line?
Fort Collins Utilities makes the property owner responsible for the sewer service line from the home to the city’s main in the street, including any damage it causes. If a blockage is between the house and the main, the owner pays for cleanup and repair, including street or driveway damage. If it is in the city’s main, the city clears it and pays for janitorial cleanup of the affected area. More on Fort Collins sewer rules.
When sewage is backing up, call Fort Collins Utilities at 970-221-6700 first, especially if neighbors are backing up too. In Loveland, Loveland Water and Power maintains the mains, and customers are responsible for the connection up to the main. If a sanitation district such as Boxelder sends your sewer bill, call the district. If the main is flowing, the clog is in your line, and that is when to call us.
What our sewer line cleaning visit includes
Sewer snaking, main drain cleaning and sewer line cleaning all describe the same job: opening the building sewer all the way to the main.
- A short call about what is backing up, and the price before we start.
- Access through the cleanout, or through a pulled toilet if there is none. We can also install a sewer cleanout so the next cleaning is simpler.
- Clearing the line with a cable machine and a cutting head sized to the pipe, or with a jetter when we know the pipe can take it.
- Flushing and a flow test to confirm the line drains at full volume.
- A camera inspection, before or after clearing. It shows what caused the clog, and a locator in the camera head marks the position and depth of any defect on the ground. You keep the video and a written summary. About sewer camera inspections.
- A written, itemized quote if the line needs repair.
Every job is done by licensed sewer technicians and covered by liability insurance.
Cable machine or hydro jetting?
Both clear a main sewer line clog, but they do different jobs:
| Cable machine with root-cutting heads | Hydro jetting | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A spinning steel cable drives a cutter through the clog | High-pressure water from a nozzle scours the pipe walls |
| Good for | Soft clogs, cutting through roots, opening a fully blocked line | Grease, sludge, scale and fine roots; cleaning before lining |
| Roots | Cuts them back at the joint | Cuts and flushes root mass across the full pipe |
| Grease and scale | Leaves much of it on the walls | Scours it off |
| Fragile or broken pipe | Usually the safer first pass | Can tear Orangeburg and worsen cracked clay |
| Cost | Typically lower | About $475 on average; most pay $350 to $600 (Angi) |
When grease or roots keep coming back, hydro jetting usually holds longer, because it cleans the whole pipe wall instead of punching a hole through the blockage.
Sewer root removal, and why roots come back
Roots find the moisture at a joint or crack, grow inside and catch everything flowing past. Vitrified clay joints are the classic entry point, along with cracked cast iron and separated joints in newer pipe. Willows, cottonwoods, silver maples and elms are common culprits.
Cutting removes the roots inside the pipe, but the opening and the tree remain, so roots typically grow back, often thicker. Chemical root treatments may slow regrowth in a line that flows, but they will not open a blocked one. Follow the label exactly and never mix them with other drain products. Sealing the joints with a liner, or replacing the section, is what stops roots for good. Our guide to tree roots in your sewer line goes deeper.
When jetting is the wrong tool
High-pressure water can tear Orangeburg fiber pipe, which was commonly installed from the 1940s to the early 1970s. It can also blow out cracked clay, wash soil away through a broken joint or trap a nozzle in a partly collapsed pipe.
About 31% of Fort Collins homes and 34% of Loveland homes were built before 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates), and many still have original clay, cast iron or fiber lines. So on a line we have not seen, we run the camera before jetting. If the line is too blocked for the camera, we open a path with a cable machine, inspect, and only then decide whether jetting is safe.
How often should a sewer line be cleaned?
It depends on what the camera shows, not on a calendar. A sound PVC line may never need routine cleaning. A clay or cast iron line with roots at several joints often needs scheduled cleaning until those joints are lined or replaced, and kitchen grease or scale in old cast iron shortens the interval.
After a cleaning, we suggest an interval based on how quickly roots or grease come back. If you are paying for cleaning several times a year, compare that running cost with a permanent repair.
What sewer line cleaning costs
Angi puts hydro jetting at about $475 on average, with most homeowners paying $350 to $600, and This Old House’s 2026 guide puts a sewer camera inspection at $100 to $500. A basic cable clearing typically costs less than jetting.
Access, line length, heavy roots or grease, and camera work all move the price. You get the price before we start, and any repair is quoted in writing and itemized.
When cleaning is not enough
Cleaning clears the clog. It does not fix a broken pipe. If a line clogs again within weeks, or the camera shows a collapse, a sag (belly), offset joints or deformed Orangeburg, the cause is structural:
- Spot repair. One small excavation replaces a single broken section, or a point liner seals it from inside.
- Sewer pipe lining. A cured-in-place (CIPP) liner seals cracked, rooty pipe that still holds its shape.
- Pipe bursting or sewer line replacement for collapsed pipe, bellies, wrong slope or a line failing along its length.
Clearing a stoppage needs no Fort Collins plumbing permit, but replacing concealed pipe is new work that does ($65 plus sales tax on the project valuation). We pull the permit, request the 811 locates and schedule the inspection. For the full range of repairs, see our page on sewer line repair in Fort Collins.
Grease, wipes and what not to flush
- Fats, oils and grease go down warm and harden on the pipe walls.
- Wipes, including many sold as flushable, typically do not break down the way toilet paper does.
- Paper towels, feminine products, dental floss and cat litter snag on roots and rough joints.
Skip chemical drain openers in a main line. They rarely reach the clog and leave a caustic pool for whoever opens the cleanout. Never mix drain chemicals, since some combinations react violently or release toxic gas. If you want to try a soft clog yourself, read our guide on how to clear a main sewer line clog first, and call 811 before digging for a buried cleanout. Sewage can rush out of a backed-up cleanout, and sewer gas can contain hydrogen sulfide and flammable methane.
Sewer line cleaning FAQ
How do I know if my main sewer line is clogged?
Several fixtures back up or slow down at once, the lowest drains go first, and toilets gurgle or bubble when the shower or washing machine runs. One slow sink usually means a branch clog instead.
Is snaking or hydro jetting better for a sewer line?
Snaking with a cable machine is often enough for a one-off clog in sound pipe. Hydro jetting cleans grease, scale and fine roots from the full pipe, but it is only safe on pipe the camera shows can take it.
How much does sewer line cleaning cost?
Cable clearing typically costs less than jetting. Angi puts hydro jetting at about $475 on average, with most homeowners paying $350 to $600, and This Old House puts a camera inspection at $100 to $500.
How often should a sewer line be cleaned?
Only as often as the line needs. A sound PVC line may never need it, while a clay or cast iron line with roots at its joints often needs scheduled cleaning until it is lined or repaired.
Can sewer line cleaning damage an old pipe?
It can if the wrong method is used. High-pressure jetting can tear Orangeburg fiber pipe or worsen cracked clay, which is why we inspect with a camera before jetting a line we have not seen.
Sewer or water line trouble?
Call for sewer line cleaning near you in Fort Collins, Loveland or Larimer County.
Camera inspection first, written and itemized quotes, and trenchless options where they fit.
Sewer and water line repair for Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County. Camera inspection first, written and itemized quotes, licensed sewer technicians.
Call (970) 999-1365