![An SOS Plumbing & Heating van and technician on a Rhode Island street](https://sosplumbingri.com/assets/img/svc-hero-drain-cleaning.webp)

Water · Sewer

The pipe you never think about until everything backs up at once.

# Sewer Services in Rhode Island

Main line sewer cleaning from 3 inch to 15 inch, and sewer line repair or replacement when the pipe itself is done. Camera first, so the diagnosis is settled before anything is quoted.

**4.8 ★** · 300+ Google reviews · Licensed & insured in RI · 24/7 live answer · Same-day on most calls

[(401) 601-5040](tel:+14016015040) 24/7, a person answers

[Call (401) 601-5040](tel:+14016015040) Speak with our team now

[Request service online](https://sosplumbingri.com/contact/#request) We'll contact you to schedule

[**See our current promos** Coupons and seasonal offers](https://sosplumbingri.com/coupons/) [**Ask about the SOS maintenance plan** Plan members: priority scheduling · 15% off repairs](https://sosplumbingri.com/coupons/) [**Financing available** 0% up to 24 months for those who qualify](https://sosplumbingri.com/financing/)

![SOS crew excavating to expose a failed sewer line outside a Rhode Island home](https://sosplumbingri.com/assets/img/sos-excavation-sewer-line.webp)

## Drains are inside the house. The sewer is everything after that.

The distinction matters because it decides who you are dealing with and what it costs. A kitchen line, a shower drain or a laundry standpipe is a [drain cleaning](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/drain-cleaning/) job: one fixture, one branch, an afternoon. The sewer main is the single pipe every drain in the building feeds into, running from the foundation wall to the street, or to the tank on a private system. When that pipe has a problem, everything backs up together, starting with the lowest fixture in the house, and no amount of work on the individual drains will fix it.

That main line is what this part of the site is about. Two pages, two different situations.

### [Sewer cleaning](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/sewer/sewer-cleaning/): the line is intact but blocked

Roots at a joint, grease closing the pipe a little every year, scale flaking off the inside of old cast iron, or a wad of something that should never have been flushed. We clear main lines from 3 inch residential laterals up to 15 inch commercial and multi-family mains, by cable where a blockage needs cutting and by [hydro jetting](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/drain-cleaning/hydro-jetting/) where the whole pipe wall needs scouring. Most residential outfits stop at 4 or 6 inches. We carry the equipment for the larger lines because the mills, schools and apartment blocks of Rhode Island run on them.

### [Sewer line repair and replacement](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/sewer/repair-replacement/): the pipe itself has failed

A collapsed section, an offset joint that catches everything, a belly holding standing waste, or a clay or Orangeburg line that has simply reached the end of its life. Cleaning buys time here and nothing more. We excavate and repair the failed section, or replace the run, ourselves, with the permit pulled and the utilities located before a shovel moves. The footage from the camera is what decides which one you need, and you get a copy of it.

### Camera first, every time

Nobody should approve a sewer repair on a description. Before we recommend anything past a straightforward clearing, we run a [camera](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/drain-cleaning/camera-inspections/) through the line and show you what is actually there, where it is, and how far down. If another company has quoted you an excavation, a second look with our camera is the cheapest thing you can do before agreeing to it.

### What we do not do, said plainly

We do not do trenchless lining or pipe bursting. When a sewer line needs replacing we dig it up and replace it, which is the repair that lasts and the one we can stand behind. And on a private system the line to the tank is ours; the tank and the field belong to a wastewater specialist, and we hand off with the footage rather than a guess when the trouble is theirs.

### How pricing works

- Flat price, approved by you before we open anything.
- The number you approve is the number on the invoice.
- Dispatch covers the trip and your first half hour on site.

Prefer to spread the cost? **0% financing up to 24 months, for those who qualify** through Wisetack, [see how financing works](https://sosplumbingri.com/financing/).

### Everything backing up at once?

That is the main line, not a drain. Stop running water and call. Sewage backups are emergencies at any hour.

[(401) 601-5040](tel:+14016015040)

- Main lines 3 to 15 inch
- Repair and replacement by excavation
- Camera footage, yours to keep
- No trenchless, no subcontracting the dig

[Request service online](https://sosplumbingri.com/contact/#request)

Go deeper

## Specialty pages for specialty problems.

[Main lines, 3 to 15 inch**Sewer Cleaning**](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/sewer/sewer-cleaning/)[By excavation, camera-proven**Sewer Line Repair & Replacement**](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/sewer/repair-replacement/)

How a rescue works

## From your call to fixed, in four moves.

Signal 01, dispatch

### You call. A person answers.

No phone tree, no callback queue. Describe the problem and we dispatch the nearest tech, same-day for most calls, immediately for emergencies.

Signal 02, diagnose

### Upfront price before we open a wall.

The tech diagnoses on site, walks you through options, and quotes flat pricing before any work begins. You approve, or you don't. No surprises on the invoice.

Signal 03, fix

### Fixed right, left clean.

Stocked vans mean most repairs finish in one visit. We protect floors, wear boot covers, and leave the space cleaner than we found it.

Signal 04, guarantee

### Backed in writing.

Workmanship is guaranteed and every tech is licensed and insured in Rhode Island. If something isn't right, we come back. That's the whole policy.

No phone tag

## Tell us what's going on.

Pick a service, leave a number, and a dispatcher calls you back. No account, no spam. Emergency? Skip the form: [(401) 601-5040](tel:+14016015040) is answered 24/7.

Signals received

## What Rhode Islanders say after the fix.

★★★★★

"They were responsive even on a holiday. The only company out of several that actually responded. Showed up and did professional work. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for reliable and good service."

Matthew P. · Google review

★★★★★

"If you want good hard working honest people, call this company! I've had this company do an excellent job installing a sump pump system with a spare pump and a backup battery… They've always come out quickly when it was an emergency and they price very fair."

Vita M. · Google review

★★★★★

"I had a saddle valve fail at 10pm and couldn't get the drip to stop at the leak. I got an instant and informative call back… Good advice, kind people, solid work and reasonable prices. This is a great company, highly recommended."

Ryan A. · Google review

Pulled from our [4.8★ Google profile, 300+ reviews](https://sosplumbingri.com/reviews/).

Good questions

## Asked before every sewer services job.

How do I know if it is the sewer main and not just a drain?

Two or more fixtures backing up at the same time, especially the lowest ones in the house, is the signature. A floor drain in the basement giving back water when a toilet upstairs is flushed is the main line, not the toilet. A single slow sink is a drain.

What is the difference between sewer cleaning and drain cleaning?

Drain cleaning works on the lines inside the building, one fixture or one branch at a time. Sewer cleaning is the main line every drain feeds into, from the house to the street or to the tank. Different equipment, different access, and usually a different scale of pipe.

Do you clean commercial sewer mains?

Yes, that is why the equipment goes to 15 inches. Restaurants, multi-family buildings, schools and mill conversions run on larger mains than any house, and a residential cable will not do anything useful in a 10 inch pipe.

Can you repair a sewer line without digging?

No. We do not do trenchless lining or pipe bursting. When a line is past cleaning we excavate and repair or replace it, and we would rather tell you that up front than have you find out from the quote.

Will I get to see the camera footage?

Yes, every time. You should never have to take a sewer diagnosis on faith, and you should be able to get a second opinion on the same evidence without paying for a second camera run.

Is a sewer backup an emergency?

Yes. Sewage in a basement is a health problem and it gets worse by the hour. Stop using water, keep people and pets out of it, and call. Backups jump the queue at any hour.

Available across Rhode Island

## This service, on your street.

[Service area**Plumber in Coventry, RI**](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/coventry/)[Service area**Plumber in West Greenwich, RI**](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/west-greenwich/)[Service area**Plumber in Scituate, RI**](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/scituate/)[Service area**Plumber in North Kingstown, RI**](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/north-kingstown/)[Service area**Plumber in Exeter, RI**](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/exeter/)[Service area**Plumber in South Kingstown, RI**](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/south-kingstown/)

**We serve every town in Rhode Island.** These are the ones with their own pages, [see every service area](https://sosplumbingri.com/service-areas/).

[Inside the house**Drain Cleaning**](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/drain-cleaning/)[Where every sewer job starts**Camera Inspections**](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/drain-cleaning/camera-inspections/)[Backups jump the queue**24/7 Emergency**](https://sosplumbingri.com/services/emergency-plumbing/)

## Whatever's leaking, clogged or cold, send the signal.

[Call (401) 601-5040](tel:+14016015040) [Request service](https://sosplumbingri.com/contact/#request)