PlumbX keeps commercial sewer lines running across Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and the surrounding Lowcountry. Much of what runs under these properties is older clay or cast iron, and decades of root intrusion, grease, and shifting soil take a toll on it. We camera the line first, then repair what the footage actually shows. PlumbX is licensed in South Carolina, CLM.118214.

Sewer Line Inspection

We push a high-resolution sewer camera through the line and read the pipe condition end to end. The footage shows blockages, cracks, offset joints, bellies, and root intrusion, and it locates the defect so we know exactly where the problem sits before anyone opens a floor slab or a parking lot. You see the same video we do, along with our recommendation.

Sewer Line Repair

Once we know what is wrong, we repair the line trenchless wherever the host pipe will take it. Cured-in-place lining rebuilds a structurally sound pipe inside the existing one. Pipe bursting pulls a new pipe through the path of the old one when the host pipe is too far gone to line. When trenchless will not work, we excavate and replace the failed section. Our methods and completed trenchless work are on our trenchless sewer repair page. TrenchX is our trenchless division, same company and same South Carolina license.

Hydro Jetting

Grease, scale, sludge, and fine roots come out with hydro jetting, which scours the pipe wall back toward full diameter instead of punching a hole through the clog. We jet before lining so the liner bonds to clean pipe, and we jet on a set schedule for restaurant kitchens and other properties that build grease up fast. Details are on our hydro jetting page.

Preventive Maintenance

Scheduled camera inspections and jetting keep a small defect from becoming a backup in the middle of a business day. We set the interval around what your line actually does rather than a generic calendar, and we re-camera after each cleaning so you can see the change. For houses, our residential team handles pipe repair and replacement.

Should you camera the line first, or just start digging?

Camera first, every time. Digging without footage means guessing at the location and depth of the defect, and it almost always means opening more concrete than the repair needs. The inspection tells us where the failure is, how far it runs, and whether the pipe can be lined, which often turns what looked like a full replacement into a spot repair.

When does trenchless lining work, and when do you have to excavate?

Lining works when the host pipe still holds its shape and its grade. Cracks, root-infiltrated joints, corrosion, and general age are good candidates. We excavate when the pipe has collapsed, when a section is offset or bellied badly enough that the grade itself is wrong, or when the line has to be rerouted or upsized. The camera footage is what makes that call, not a guess from the surface.

Why do roots keep getting into commercial sewer lines in the Lowcountry?

Mature live oaks and a high water table are a hard combination for old joints. The clay and cast iron lines under much of Charleston were built with joints that open slightly as the soil shifts, and roots follow the moisture straight into the gap. Jetting clears them, but they come back until the joint is sealed, which is why we usually pair a jetting with lining the affected run.