The call came in on a Saturday night: sewage backing up into the basement floor drain of a post-war Crosby bungalow — the third backup in eighteen months. Two previous clearings by other companies had restored flow each time, but nobody had answered the obvious question: why does this keep happening?
Diagnosis: Camera First, Guesswork Never
We cleared the line with a professional auger to restore flow, then ran a full-length camera inspection. The footage showed exactly what we expected in a 1950s Crosby home: the original clay lateral, with tree roots entering through a joint gap roughly eight metres from the cleanout. The roots weren't just blocking the pipe — their growth had shifted the joint slightly, which is why every clearing bought less time than the one before.
What We Did
- Cleared the root mass mechanically and flushed the line
- Camera-inspected the full lateral and recorded the condition report for the homeowner
- Marked the intrusion point and gave three honest options: an annual root-maintenance plan, a spot repair at the affected joint, or full replacement — with real flat-rate numbers for each
- Coordinated with the homeowner's insurer on documentation for the Saturday-night damage
The Outcome
The homeowner chose the spot repair — a fraction of replacement cost — with an annual camera check as insurance. Sixteen months on, the line is clear and the camera confirms the repair is holding. The lesson we leave every Crosby and Mill Pond homeowner with: in clay-lateral neighbourhoods, a camera inspection is the cheapest hour in plumbing, and clearing a line three times without one is paying for the same emergency on layaway.
Project details
- 🛠 Category: Sewer Line
- 📍 Location: Crosby, Richmond Hill
- 🗓 Completed: 2026-09
- ✅ Warranty: Written 1-year workmanship warranty on every job
- 📝 Pricing: Flat-rate, quoted in writing before work began
