Expert Plumber Near Me in Delaware County PA: Drains & Sewers

Plumber Near Me in Delaware County, PA: What “Specialty” Actually Means

When you search for a plumber near you in Delaware County, most of what comes up is general plumbing — faucets, water heaters, fixture replacements. Those contractors are competent at what they do, but they are not specialists in underground drain and sewer systems. The lateral running from your house to the street is a different category of work. It requires a camera, the right clearing equipment, and in many cases a structural repair method — CIPP lining or pipe bursting — that a general plumber does not carry.

Advanced Drains and Underground Solutions is the underground specialist in Delaware County. We run sewer cameras, hydro-jet blocked laterals, and perform trenchless repairs. We do not do kitchen and bath plumbing. The distinction matters when you have a backing-up basement, a collapsed lateral, or a sewer line that has been cabled five times and keeps blocking.

What Your Pipes Are Made Of — and Why It Matters

Delaware County’s housing stock tells you what to expect underground:

• Built before 1960 (most of Havertown, Drexel Hill, Upper Darby, Media, Swarthmore, Lansdowne, Yeadon): clay tile sewer laterals. Four-foot segments, mortar joints. Joints loosen over decades and tree roots grow in. Cabling removes the current blockage; lining closes the joints permanently.
• Built 1945–1960 in postwar subdivisions (parts of Sharon Hill, Glenolden, Folcroft, Upper Darby): some Orangeburg lateral pipe. Bituminous fiber that deforms and collapses as it ages. A camera tells you immediately if you have it — collapsed Orangeburg cannot be cabled open.
• Built 1960–1985: cast iron drain lines inside the house, clay tile or concrete lateral to the street. Cast iron corrodes from inside out and develops a rough, narrowing interior over time.
• Built after 1985: PVC lateral, rarely the problem source unless there has been ground movement or a bad installation.

Knowing your home’s age and build era tells you what material is probably underground before a camera goes in. The camera confirms it. We explain what we find in plain language and in writing — photos, video, and a written condition report you can use to compare quotes or talk to your insurance company.

Get a Second Opinion Before Any Sewer Work

Sewer repair is one of the few areas where homeowners regularly get one quote and authorize work without comparison. The range in scope and price is wide. A root blockage cleared with hydro-jetting and followed by a camera is a $400–800 job. The same lateral lined with CIPP from the foundation to the curb is $3,500–7,000. A contractor who cables first and recommends lining after is telling you a different story than one who cameras first and recommends the repair scope the camera shows.

We offer camera-first second opinions throughout Delaware County. You pay for the camera; we show you exactly what the pipe looks like and explain the repair options for what we find. If the scope does not match what another contractor told you, you will have video evidence to base that conversation on.

Township Responsibility vs. Your Lateral

In Delaware County, you own the sewer lateral from your foundation to the curb connection at the public main — the full run under your yard and any sidewalk. The township or sewer authority owns the main in the street. If your property is backing up, the problem is almost always on your lateral. If the entire block backs up simultaneously during heavy rain, the public main may be surcharging — that is a municipal issue, and we document the distinction in writing when it is ambiguous.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any plumber handle a sewer lateral problem?

A general plumber can cable a blockage. What they typically cannot do: run a push-camera to find the actual cause, hydro-jet a root mass or grease-packed pipe, or install a CIPP liner. If the problem is structural — roots, cracks, Orangeburg collapse — you need a contractor with that specific equipment. Calling a general plumber for a sewer backup and expecting a permanent result is the most common reason homeowners call us for a second visit.

How much does a plumber cost in Delaware County for sewer work?

Camera inspection runs $175–350. Hydro-jetting a blocked lateral runs $350–650. CIPP lining from the cleanout to the street connection on a typical Delaware County residential lateral runs $3,500–6,500 depending on pipe diameter and length. Pipe bursting for a collapsed section adds access-point excavation cost. We provide itemized written quotes before any work starts.

Do you work in my township?

We serve all of Delaware County, PA — including Upper Darby, Havertown, Springfield, Media, Ridley Park, Swarthmore, Chester, Lansdowne, Glenolden, Folcroft, Collingdale, Sharon Hill, Drexel Hill, Norwood, Clifton Heights, and all surrounding municipalities. Call 1-855-DONT-DIG (1-855-366-8344) to schedule a camera inspection or describe what you are seeing.