★★★★★
“Fantastic service! Called, told him the bottom of my water heater is leaking, sent him pics of everything and he was out the next day replacing it at a reasonable price! Highly recommend 👌 Thank you!”
Noah H.March 2026
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You can't fix a sewer line well if you're guessing at what's wrong with it. A-1 Sewer Service runs a waterproof camera through the pipe so you can see the problem on a screen: roots, a crack, a sag that holds water, a joint that's pulled apart or a pile of grease. Then we can tell you where it is and how deep. Call (319) 600-4224 or use the contact page to set up an inspection anywhere around Iowa City and the Corridor.
The camera rides on the end of a stiff push cable. We feed it in through a cleanout and watch the live picture as it moves down the line toward the street. Most problems are obvious on camera. Roots look like a beard hanging from a joint. A sag shows as standing water that the camera drives into. A crack or an offset joint shows as a ledge or a dark gap in the pipe wall.
We talk you through what we're seeing as it happens, so you're not left reading a report full of terms you don't use.
Knowing there's a broken joint 40 feet down the line only helps if you know where 40 feet is in your yard. The camera head carries a small transmitter. With a locator on the surface, we follow its signal and mark the spot and depth on the ground. If the line has to be dug up, the hole goes in the right place and stays as small as possible.
A general home inspection usually stops at the cleanout. The sewer lateral from the house to the street belongs to the homeowner, and on an older house it's often the most expensive surprise after closing. A camera inspection before you buy shows whether the line is in good shape, needs cleaning or needs repair, while there's still time to negotiate.
If the same drain has backed up two or three times this year, clearing it again won't change much. A camera shows why it keeps happening. Sometimes the answer is simple, like a heavy grease coat that hydro jetting will remove. Sometimes it's roots or a sag that needs a repair. Either way, you stop paying for the same visit over and over.
Excavation is the most expensive part of a sewer repair. A camera inspection makes sure it happens only when it's needed, and only where it's needed. If we find a single bad joint, that may be a small repair. If the whole line is failing, you'll see that too, and we'll go through what replacing it involves on our plumbing page.
You'll know what the line is made of, what condition it's in, where any problems are and how deep they sit. We'll tell you what we'd do about each one and what it costs, and which ones can wait. If the line just needs cleaning, we can usually do that on the same visit through our drain cleaning service.
We inspect sewer and drain lines in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Cedar Rapids, West Liberty, Kalona and the Amana Colonies. Recent jobs are on the projects page.
Finished work from across Eastern Iowa. Drag the slider to compare.
“Fantastic service! Called, told him the bottom of my water heater is leaking, sent him pics of everything and he was out the next day replacing it at a reasonable price! Highly recommend 👌 Thank you!”
“10 Stars if I could. Coming from someone who builds systems and processes for a 9 figure company, Andy does it all right and keeps it simple. Easy to find in search, stands out in reviews, easy to see why. Answered the phone 8am first try, flexible to when I needed, arrived within hours of first contact. Followups easy in text. Got pertinent info, walked the house, got to work, fixed it and another issue after quick run to store for parts. More than reasonable price. In my phone for next time if I ever need it! Thanks Andy!”
“I’ve had a recurring issue for years with my floor drain backing up. Andy at A1 Sewer Services was the first one to do a more thorough inspection rather than just clearing out the line. He also discovered a crack in my clean out which I had him repair to prevent worse issues down the road. I highly recommend A1 for sewer and drain issues.”
No. The camera goes in through a cleanout, or through a toilet flange or roof vent if there's no cleanout. Nothing gets dug up for the inspection itself.
Not through a full blockage. If the line is backed up, we clear it first and then run the camera.
Most residential inspections are a single visit. Long lines or lines with several problems take longer, and we'll tell you up front.
If the line has clogged more than once, yes. It's the only way to know whether the cleaning fixed the problem or just bought time.
Main sewer lines, kitchen sinks, floor drains and bathroom drains.
Learn moreHigh-pressure water that scours grease, roots and buildup off pipe walls.
Learn moreA camera look inside the line, with the problem marked on the ground.
You’re on this pageFixtures, disposals, sump pumps, downspout lines, leaks and sewer repair.
Learn more24/7 response for sewer backups, burst pipes and failed sump pumps.
Learn moreTank and tankless heaters, with gas and venting checked first.
Learn moreTo see what's really going on in your sewer line, call A-1 Sewer Service at (319) 600-4224 or send a message through the contact page.
Drain cleaning and plumbing from our shop off Bay Ridge Ave on the south side of Iowa City.