# SewerExperts.ca

> Straight, sourced answers to the sewer questions Canadian homeowners actually ask — and how to tell a good sewer contractor from a bad one. SewerExperts.ca is part of the HAUSE Sewer network — an independent Canadian information and service-request network (not a contractor). Contact: sewers@hause.ca, 403-679-3100.

SewerExperts.ca answers the sewer questions Canadian homeowners actually type: why the house smells, why the basement drain backed up, whether a clog is in the main line, who pays, what insurance covers and how to check a contractor. Every answer comes first in plain words, then the reasoning, the evidence to gather and the next step.

## Guides

### Backups
- [Why does my sewer back up when it rains?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/sewer-backup-when-it-rains/): Why a sewer backs up in heavy rain: storm water and groundwater filling the sanitary main, weeping tile and downspouts, and how backwater valves help.
- [What to do when the sewer backs up](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/what-to-do-when-the-sewer-backs-up/): What to do when the sewer backs up into your basement: stop the water, stay safe, who to call first, what to photograph, and how to clean up safely.
- [Why does my sewer back up?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/why-does-my-sewer-back-up/): Why a sewer backs up into the basement: blockages in your own line, roots and sags, a full city main, laundry surges, and why backups keep coming back.

### Fixes
- [What are my sewer repair options?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/sewer-repair-options-explained/): Sewer repair options in plain answers: clearing, spot repair, sectional liner, full lining, pipe bursting and open-cut replacement, matched to the defect.

### Hiring
- [How do I vet a sewer contractor?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/how-to-vet-a-sewer-contractor/): How to vet a sewer contractor in Canada: trade certificates by province, insurance, workers' comp clearance, permits, written scope, video and red flags.
- [Should I get a second opinion on a sewer diagnosis or quote?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/sewer-second-opinion/): When a sewer second opinion is worth it, what to send a reviewer, how to read the camera video yourself, and the questions that test a diagnosis or quote.

### Money
- [Does insurance cover a sewer backup?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/does-insurance-cover-sewer-backup/): Does home insurance cover sewer backup in Canada? Optional coverage, overland water vs backup, limits, deductibles, condos, tenants and the pipe itself.
- [Why is my sewer bill so high?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/why-is-my-sewer-bill-so-high/): Why a sewer bill is high, or higher than water: wastewater billed on metered water, fixed and stormwater charges, leaks, rate changes and estimated reads.

### Smells
- [Is sewer gas dangerous?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/is-sewer-gas-dangerous/): Is sewer gas dangerous in a house? What is in it, what a sewer smell can do to you, the symptoms that mean leave, and why pits and manholes are worse.
- [Why does my house smell like sewer?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/why-does-my-house-smell-like-sewer/): Why a house smells like sewer, room by room: dry traps, toilet wax rings, vents, cleanout caps and sump lids, plus how to find a smell that keeps coming back.
- [Why does a sewer smell come and go?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/why-does-sewer-smell-come-and-go/): Why a sewer smell comes and goes: rain, wind and still nights at the roof vent, exhaust fans pulling on traps, hot days, laundry surges and yard leaks.

### Symptoms
- [How do I know if my main sewer line is clogged?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/signs-main-sewer-line-is-clogged/): How to tell a clogged main sewer line from one slow drain: which fixtures fail first, simple water tests, water in the cleanout, and what clearing costs.
- [Where is my sewer line, and where is the cleanout?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/where-is-my-sewer-line-and-cleanout/): Where your sewer cleanout usually is, how to trace the sewer line from house to main, who marks it and who does not, and who owns each part in Canada.
- [Why is my drain gurgling?](https://sewerexperts.ca/guides/why-is-my-drain-gurgling/): Why drains gurgle: air pushed or pulled through trap water by a partial clog or a blocked vent. Toilet, floor drain, kitchen sink and frozen vent answers.

## Tools, costs and reference
- [How much do sewer problems cost to fix?](https://sewerexperts.ca/costs/sewer-repair-cost-answers/): Sewer repair costs in Canada, answered one question at a time: clearing, camera inspections, spot repairs, liners, replacement, valves and cleanup (2026 CAD).
- [Sewer Contractor Vetting Checklist](https://sewerexperts.ca/tools/sewer-contractor-vetting-checklist/): Vet a sewer contractor before you sign: pick your province and job, tick what you have, and get missing checks as questions, red flags and where to verify.
- [Sewer Symptom Triage](https://sewerexperts.ca/tools/sewer-symptom-triage/): Sewer symptom triage for Canadian homes: pick the symptom, where and when it happens, and get the urgency, the likely fault zone, causes and who to call.
- [Sewer answers across Canada](https://sewerexperts.ca/canada/): Sewer rules across Canada, checked September 2026: who owns the line in major cities, backup contacts, backwater valve programs, locates and trade rules.
- [Sewer glossary for homeowners](https://sewerexperts.ca/glossary/): Plain-language sewer glossary for Canadian homeowners: traps, vents, cleanouts, laterals, backups, surcharge, liners, bursting, permits and insurance terms.
- [Sewer questions, quick answers](https://sewerexperts.ca/faq/): Quick answers to common sewer questions from Canadian homeowners: smells, backups, clogs, freezing, cleanouts, insurance, bills and hiring contractors.

## Network
- [PipeCleaning.ca](https://pipecleaning.ca/): The Canadian field manual for cleaning drain and sewer pipes — by method, by material, by house.
- [SewerQuotes.com](https://sewerquotes.com/): What sewer work should cost, what a fair quote contains, and how to compare three of them.
- [SewerInspector.ca](https://sewerinspector.ca/): Sewer camera inspections, explained frame by frame — before you buy, renovate or dig.
- [DrainAugering.ca](https://drainaugering.ca/): Find the clog, pick the right cable, and know when augering is the wrong tool.
- [SewerCleaners.ca](https://sewercleaners.ca/): Hiring a sewer cleaner, keeping the line clear, and stopping backups before they start.
- [SewerRoots.ca](https://sewerroots.ca/): Tree roots in sewer lines — why they get in, which trees are worst, and how to stop them for good.
- [SewerJetting.ca](https://sewerjetting.ca/): Hydro jetting, pressure by pressure — what it clears, what it can break, and when it is worth it.

## Optional
- [Full text for language models](https://sewerexperts.ca/llms-full.txt)
- [Editorial standards](https://sewerexperts.ca/about/)