Sewage coming up in the house: what to do first
If sewage is backing up right now
Raw sewage carries bacteria. These four steps limit contact and damage.
Stop using water
No flushing, showers, laundry or dishwasher. Every gallon you add has nowhere to go.
Keep people and pets out
Close the door to the room, wear boots and rubber gloves, and wash with soap afterward.
Protect electronics and outlets
If sewage reaches outlets or an appliance, switch off the breaker from a dry spot. Never stand in the water to reach a panel.
Call us, then Cary if the cleanout is full
Dial (919) 944-7281 for the 24/7 line. If a yard cleanout is full to the top, the blockage may be in the town main, and the Cary numbers below apply.
Repair options and when each one fits
| Method | Fits when | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Spot repair by digging | The camera shows one cracked, offset or separated section | Needs a trench and restoration of whatever sits on top |
| Cured-in-place lining | The pipe is continuous with cracks, rough walls or root entry at joints | Cannot fix a collapsed pipe or a major offset, and it slightly reduces the bore |
| Pipe bursting | The old pipe has failed along a longer run and the path is clear | Needs pits at each end and care near other buried lines |
| Full trench replacement | The line is collapsed, badly sagging or runs under unsuitable ground | Most disruption to lawn, driveway or slab |
| Cleaning only | Roots or grease with no structural damage | A maintenance step, not a repair |
Pipe lining and trenchless repair, explained plainly
How a cured-in-place liner works
A felt tube soaked in resin is pulled or inverted into the old pipe, inflated so it presses against the wall, then hardened with hot water, steam or UV light. The result is a new pipe inside the old one.
It works only on a pipe the camera can pass through. We clean the line first with a jetter so the liner bonds to the wall, and we reopen side connections after it cures.
Trenchless methods avoid a long trench, which matters under a driveway, a mature tree or a patio. They are not magic. A sag that holds water stays a sag after lining, and a pipe broken in two places may be cheaper to replace than to line. We will tell you when lining is the wrong answer.
Epoxy lining under a concrete slab is possible when the pipe is continuous and the camera can reach the whole run. We confirm that with a camera pass before promising anything, and we explain why if the answer is no.
Cast iron sewer pipe: where it fails and how it is fixed
If your house has a cast iron drain, it corrodes from the inside. Rust builds in rough lumps that catch paper and grease, and the wall thins along the bottom of the pipe where waste flows. Eventually a crack or a hole opens and sewage soaks the soil or crawlspace.
A magnet sticks to cast iron and not to PVC or ABS, which is a quick way to check what you have. A tap with a wrench gives a ringing sound on iron and a dull thud on plastic. Camera footage tells us the condition without opening anything.
Repair options depend on how much of the pipe is bad. A failed section can be cut out and replaced with plastic pipe joined by shielded couplings. A long run in good shape can sometimes be lined. A run under a slab with widespread damage may need a reroute or a break-out. We lay out the choices with the footage in front of you.
Who is responsible for which part of the sewer lateral in Morrisville
Cary's utility, which provides sewer service to Morrisville, says the Town clears blockages in the main sewer line and in the lateral up to the cleanout, a capped vertical 4 inch pipe at the edge of your property. The owner is responsible for blockages in the lateral between the cleanout and the house. With no cleanout at the edge, the owner is responsible for blockages anywhere in the lateral.
That rule is about blockages, not about who pays to repair a broken pipe. If our camera finds a break near the cleanout or the street, call Cary before anyone digs. Cary lists weekday sewer blockage help from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 311 or (919) 469-4090, and after hours and holidays at (919) 469-4012. Because 311 is Cary's in-town line, the ten digit numbers are the safer dial from Morrisville.
Source: Town of Cary, sewer lateral and cleanout guidance. Morrisville's own resident guide says Cary Public Works handles emergency sewer service: Morrisville A to Z guide.
Permits, 811 and checking the contractor
The Town of Morrisville's permit page says a plumbing permit is required to install, extend, relocate or replace a plumbing system, while small fixture repairs that do not disturb supply, waste or vent may be exempt. Replacing a section of lateral looks like replacement, so ask the Town of Morrisville Inspections Department at 919-463-6190 who pulls the permit before work starts.
Before any digging, dial 811 or 1-800-632-4949 at least three working days ahead. NC 811 locates publicly managed lines free of charge, so we find the private lateral ourselves with a camera and a locator. You can also verify any plumber's license at the state licensing board search.
A septic tank instead of a town sewer connection
Cary provides sewer service to Morrisville residents, so most addresses connect to the town system. If yours has a septic tank, the plumbing between the house and the tank is ours to inspect and repair, including a cracked line or a root-filled inlet.
We do not pump tanks or build drain fields. That belongs to a licensed septic contractor, and we will tell you when the problem is the tank and not the pipe.
Cleaning is not repair
Many sewer problems start as blockages, and a cleaning visit is the right first call. See sewer line cleaning if the line is blocked but not known to be damaged. If a cable or jetter keeps hitting the same spot, that is when a camera and a sewer inspection become the next step before any money is spent on digging.
Standards, permits and who signs off on a sewer repair
Sewer work follows the 2024 North Carolina Plumbing Code, mandatory since July 1, 2025 and based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Digging in a yard also means calling 811 first, a free utility locate that has to happen before the excavator starts.
Ask the Town of Morrisville Inspections Department at 919-463-6190 whether your repair needs a permit, and check your plumber's licence on nclicensing.org before you sign.
Call the 24/7 line and we will clear it, camera it, and show you the repair choices.
What changes the price of sewer line repair
Repairs range from a short spot dig to a long replacement, so a number given before the camera is a guess. These factors set the final figure.
Repair method
Spot repair, lining, bursting and trench replacement differ in labor, materials and equipment.
Length and depth
A short, shallow break is simpler than a deep line or one that runs most of the way to the street.
What sits on top
Lawn is quick to restore. A driveway, patio, tree root zone or concrete slab adds demolition and rebuild work.
Access and connections
A cleanout at the edge helps. Missing cleanouts, tight crawlspaces and side connections add time.
Permits and locates
Inspection fees, utility locates and any work in the Cary part of the system add steps.
Homeowner policies often exclude wear, age and tree root damage to a sewer lateral, and some cover a sudden collapse only with an added endorsement. Separate service-line plans exist. Read exclusions before you assume coverage. You will see a clear price before work starts.
Questions we hear
Yes. Dispatch answers 24/7. For a sewage backup, a licensed plumber can clear the line first so the house is usable again, then camera it and talk through repair choices when you are ready. Same-day appointments are offered when available.
Cary says the Town clears blockages in the main and in the lateral up to the cleanout at the property edge, and the owner covers the lateral from there to the house. With no cleanout, the owner covers the whole lateral. Confirm your address with Cary before you rely on this.
Sometimes. It depends on the pipe. If the camera shows a continuous pipe with cracks or rough walls, lining can work. If the pipe is collapsed or badly offset, it cannot, and we say so.
We do not make lifespan promises. Liner makers publish rated service lives, and the real figure depends on installation quality and the host pipe. Ask for the product data sheet and a post-lining camera recording.
Often, if the run is mostly sound. Lining works from a cleanout and avoids a long trench. A badly corroded or collapsed section still needs to be cut out and replaced.
The Town of Morrisville says plumbing permits are required for replacement of a plumbing system, so plan on asking. The Inspections Department at 919-463-6190 can confirm what applies to your address.
We repair the pipe between the house and the tank. Pumping, tank repair and drain field work go to a licensed septic contractor, and we will tell you which one you need.