Sewer & Drain Line Services
Sewer root removal in Oklahoma City is one of the most common reasons we get called to older homes with big trees. Roots find a cracked joint, grow into a mat inside the pipe and catch everything you flush. We cut them out, clear the line and run a camera so you can see exactly where they are getting in and what it will take to keep them out.
Talk to a plumber now
(405) 309-1873Roots in a sewer line do not just slow it down. They form a net that catches paper and waste until the line seals shut. Our sewer root removal service clears that net and tells you why it formed:
The EPA lists blockages among the causes of sanitary sewer overflows, which it estimates at 23,000 to 75,000 a year nationwide, not counting backups into buildings. A root mat in a private line is one of the most common blockages we clear.
Roots do not usually break sound pipe. The Morton Arboretum notes that pipes broken by root growth are rare, but blockage of damaged pipes is not uncommon. Older pipes often crack at the joints from age or slight movement of the soil, and the moisture and nutrients leaking from those cracks draw roots toward the break.
Once a root gets in, conditions are close to perfect for it: steady water, air and food. A hair-thin root becomes a dense mat that fills the pipe. Clay tile is especially vulnerable because it has so many joints, and old cast-iron hub joints with dried-out seals give roots an easy way in too.
Roots backing up your sewer?
Stop running water and call us. We cut the roots, clear the line and show you where they got in.
| Method | What it does | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical root cutting | Shears roots at the pipe wall and restores flow | Roots regrow from any opening still in the pipe |
| Hydro jetting | Flushes fine roots, grease and debris from the full pipe diameter | Best after cutting heavy roots, and needs pipe in fair shape |
| Root-control foam | Slows regrowth after cutting | Must follow the product label, and does not seal cracks |
| Pipe lining | Seals joints and cracks from the inside | Pipe must still be round and on grade |
| Repair or replacement | Removes the damaged pipe roots are entering | The permanent fix, with digging or trenchless work |
When the camera shows roots at only one or two joints, a sewer line repair at those spots can end the cycle. When roots are entering all along an old clay line, trenchless sewer repair replaces or lines the pipe without trenching through the tree's root zone.
We price the job once we know what we are cutting. The main factors:
Many of Oklahoma City's older neighborhoods have mature shade trees planted decades ago, often right over or beside clay tile and cast-iron sewer laterals. That combination is the classic setup for root problems. Clay soil that swells when wet and shrinks in drought keeps shifting old joints, and every new gap is an invitation.
It also matters whose pipe it is. Oklahoma City's utility design manual defines the private wastewater service line as running from the building to the public main, owned by someone other than the City. The City's Utilities Department says state law bars it from spending ratepayer money on private sewer repairs. Roots in your lateral are your responsibility, and so is the cleanup when they cause a backup.
Cutting roots is maintenance. Keeping them out means closing the openings. If you are planting, keep new trees well away from the sewer path, and ask us to locate the line before you dig. If you already have roots returning every year, compare the cost of yearly cutting with a one-time repair. We will lay out both honestly. To learn who you are hiring, meet our team.
Local, licensed and insured
24/7
Roots tend to announce themselves with a backup, often on a holiday weekend when the house is full. We answer 24/7, nights and weekends included, and we carry root cutting heads and camera gear so the line is cleared and checked in the same visit whenever possible. On the phone, we tell you what to stop using until we arrive.
Since 1985
Our plumbing experience goes back to 1985, and we have cut roots out of clay tile, cast-iron and plastic sewer lines all over Oklahoma City. We know how roots behave at hub joints and cracked clay bells, and how much cutting an old pipe can take. That experience keeps the cleaning aggressive enough to clear the line without making a damaged pipe worse.
88 reviews
Customers give us 4.9 stars across 88 Google reviews, and a lot of that comes from not upselling. Some lines only need roots cut once a year. Others are cracked so badly that cutting is money spent over and over. We show you the camera footage, explain both paths in plain language and let you decide. Financing is available for larger repairs.
Google reviews
These guys were great! A breath of fresh air from the usual contractor/service. They cared about fixing the problem not how much they can charge. I had a same day service need, leak in between floors, the day before a trip. They came out same day and presented multiple solutions as well as keen explanations.
Mr. Robert has amazing customer service and work ethic. He fixed our toilet very quickly and explained everything that he was doing, and even showed us the finished product. Awesome work!
After having issues with my bathroom and kitchen plumbing for a few days, I contacted Plumber Oklahoma City, OK Plumbing & Repair this morning. He told me he was very busy, but would work to schedule our repair in with his team.
Service area
We serve every part of Oklahoma City plus these surrounding towns.
Straight answers
Cutting the roots that have grown inside the pipe back to the pipe wall is routine, and it is not the same as cutting the major roots a tree depends on. What can hurt a tree is digging a trench through its root zone. The Morton Arboretum notes that cutting one major root near the trunk can remove up to 25 percent of the root system.
As long as the opening they came through is still there, they will grow back. The Morton Arboretum notes that mechanical clearing may be needed on an annual basis, because a sewer pipe gives roots ideal moisture, air and nutrients. Many owners schedule root cutting once a year, while others repair or line the entry points so roots have no way in.
Registered root-control products applied as a foam can slow regrowth after the line has been cut, and the label directions must be followed exactly. They are a maintenance tool, not a repair. The Morton Arboretum points out that replacing the broken pipe is the only permanent fix. We will tell you which approach fits your line and your budget.
Any tree near a leaking sewer line can send roots into it, because the roots follow moisture and nutrients leaking from cracks. The Morton Arboretum notes that species found naturally in wet areas, such as poplars, willows and silver maples, are commonly linked to clogged pipes. Even so, the real problem is the crack, not the tree.
If the roots are in your private service line, they are yours to deal with. Oklahoma City treats the line from your house to the public main as privately owned, and City crews repair only the City's mains. If our camera shows your line is clear to the main and the backup is in the City system, we will tell you so you can report it.
Talk to a real plumber, any hour
Day, night or weekend, call and talk to a licensed Master Plumber about what is going on.
Call (405) 309-1873