Introduction
Back in July, a storm sat over the east side of town and dumped rain like it had nowhere else to be. In a few days, the sewer district had more than 1,500 calls about flooded basements. They came from Hyde Park, Oakley, Norwood, Madisonville, Mt. Lookout and plenty of streets in between.
Our phones were ringing too. And almost nobody asked us what it was going to cost. They asked, “Is this my fault or the city’s?”
Honestly, that’s a fair question, and most people have never had a reason to know the answer. So let’s talk about it. Here’s what we think a good plumbing company in Cincinnati, OH should be doing for you, and what we try to do every day.
Key Takeaways
- Cincinnati’s older homes come with older pipes: lead water lines, clay and cast iron sewers, and in many neighborhoods, sewers that also carry storm water.
- If your basement floods, call MSD at 513-443-1169 before anyone else, take lots of photos, and keep them. You may be eligible for help with cleanup and damages.
- Some parts of your plumbing belong to the city, and some belong to you. Knowing which is which saves time and money.
- The city now replaces lead service lines for free. The pipes inside your walls are still up to you.
- A camera inspection before any sewer quote means you see the problem yourself instead of taking someone’s word for it.
- Backwater valves, sump pumps, and good downspout drainage do more to protect a basement than anything else.
- Hire licensed, insured local plumbers in Cincinnati, OH who give you the price up front and put their guarantees in writing.
Why Cincinnati Homes Need a Plumber Who Understands Older Pipes
We love Cincinnati houses. The brick, the hills, the porches. But a lot of these homes went up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the plumbing came along with them.
Back then, lead was a perfectly normal thing to run water through. Sewer lines were clay or cast iron, and they were built to last a long time. They did. Now many of them are cracked and full of tree roots.
On top of that, plenty of older neighborhoods have combined sewers. Rain from the street and everything you flush share the same pipe. On a normal day, that’s fine. In a storm, the pipe fills up, and the easiest way out can be your basement floor drain.
That’s not meant to scare you. It’s just good to know what you’re working with.
How We Find the Real Problem Before Quoting a Price
If a drain keeps clogging, we don’t snake it and hope for the best. We put a camera down the line, and you can watch the screen right next to our plumber.
Sometimes it’s a grease clog, and a cleaning fixes it. Sometimes it’s roots. Sometimes the pipe has sagged or split, and no amount of cleaning is going to save it. Either way, you’ll see it yourself, and you’ll get the price before we touch anything.
We think that’s what professional plumbing in Cincinnati, OH should look like. No guessing. No mystery bill at the end.
How to Protect Your Cincinnati Basement From Sewer Backups
If you’ve had water in your basement once, you’re probably nervous every time the forecast says “heavy rain.” We get it.
Here’s what makes the biggest difference in a Cincinnati basement:
- A backwater valve. It lets water leave your house but won’t let sewage come back in.
- A sump pump with a battery backup. Storms and power outages tend to show up together.
- Downspouts that drain away from the house, not right next to the foundation.
- A healthy sewer lateral. If yours is cracked, trenchless repair can often fix it without digging up the whole yard.
If it happens anyway: before you call us, call the Metropolitan Sewer District at 513-352-4900. They take reports day and night. If the city sewer was overloaded, MSD’s Sewer Backup Program may cover cleanup and damage. Take photos and video of everything, floor drains included. You have up to two years to file a claim, but do it while it’s fresh.
If MSD tells you the problem was on your side, maybe roots, a broken pipe, or a wad of “flushable” wipes, call us. We’ll find exactly what failed and fix it so you’re not doing this again next spring.
Who’s Responsible for Your Plumbing in Cincinnati: You, MSD or GCWW?
When something goes wrong, the first question is usually “who do I call?” Here’s how it breaks down for most Cincinnati homes.
| Part of the system | Who’s responsible | Who to call first |
| Public sewer main under the street | Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) | MSD at 513-352-4900 |
| Sewer line from your house to the street (lateral) | You, in most cases | A licensed plumber |
| Floor drains, cleanouts and backwater valves | You | A licensed plumber |
| Water main under the street | Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) | GCWW |
| Lead service line bringing water to your house | GCWW replaces it for free with your signed OK | GCWW |
| Pipes, fixtures and water heater inside your home | You | A licensed plumber |
Not sure which one you’re dealing with? Call us at (855) 326-7586. If it’s the city’s problem, we’ll tell you, and we’ll point you to the right people.
What Cincinnati Homeowners Should Know About Lead Water Lines
Here’s some genuinely good news. Greater Cincinnati Water Works recently passed 10,000 lead service lines replaced, and the replacement is free for homeowners now. If you get a letter, sign it. The work usually takes about five hours.
The catch is that the city replaces the line coming to your house. Whatever’s inside the walls is still on you. Some older homes have lead or galvanized pipe running from the meter to the kitchen sink. If you don’t know what you’ve got, we’ll come take a look and tell you honestly. GCWW will also test your water for free if you ask.
Why Licensed, Code-Compliant Plumbing Protects Your Home’s Value
Plumbing is one of those jobs where a shortcut doesn’t just cost you money. A badly vented water heater or a sloppy gas line can hurt someone.
Our plumbers are licensed, insured, and trained to Ohio code. When a job needs a permit, we pull one. That might feel like a hassle today. You’ll be glad we did when you sell the house someday, and the inspector starts poking around.
The Eco Guarantees That Protect Your Home While We Work
Letting a stranger into your home is a big deal. So we put our promises in writing:
- Trusted Up-Front Pricing: you know the number before we start.
- Trusted Employee: we stand behind every person we send to your door.
- Property Protection: we cover floors and work carefully around your things.
- Cleaner Than We Found It: and we mean it.
- One-Year Make It Happen: if something’s not right, we come back and fix it.
Why Eco Plumbers Shows Up the Way We Do
Our founder, Aaron Gaynor, didn’t have an easy start. He has dyslexia, and school was a struggle. His high school principal even told him he should drop out. He went into the trades instead and had his contractor’s license by 23.
Then 2007 happened. The financial crisis took down his commercial plumbing business, and he filed for bankruptcy. A lot of people would have walked away from the trade after that.
Aaron didn’t. He borrowed $50 and started over with a small team he trusted, including his sister Roslyn. This time he worked for homeowners.
That’s where our whole way of working comes from. He knows what it feels like when everything goes wrong and you just need somebody to show up. So our promise is simple: we come through for you when you need us to.
And yes, we take the “Eco” seriously. We recycle what we can from job sites, and we’ve even used collected rainwater to fill our hydro jetters. When we recommend a water heater or a fixture, we’re also thinking about what it’ll cost you to run.
How to Choose the Right Plumbing Services in Cincinnati, OH
Whether you call us or not, here’s what we’d want our own families to check before hiring local plumbers in Cincinnati, OH:
- Are they licensed and insured? Ask. A good company won’t mind.
- Will they give you a firm price before they start?
- Will they camera the line before quoting sewer work?
- Are their guarantees in writing?
- What do local reviews say, and how do they respond to the bad ones?
- Do they know about MSD and GCWW, and will they tell you when to call those first?
- Will they answer the phone on a holiday?
Schedule a Plumbing Inspection With Eco in Cincinnati
Your house has been around a while, and it probably has a few secrets in the walls. That’s okay. The right plumbing company won’t just fix today’s problem. They’ll help you get ahead of the next one.
“If something’s dripping, gurgling, or making you nervous every time it rains, give us a call at 513-443-1169. We’ll come out, show you what’s going on, and give it to you straight.”
FAQs
1. How do I know if a basement backup is the city’s problem or mine?
Call MSD at 513-352-4900 and they’ll send someone to check. A backup from the public sewer usually rises fast and goes down fast. If the cause turns out to be your own line, a plumber will need to camera and repair it.
2. Does Cincinnati replace lead water lines for free?
Yes. Greater Cincinnati Water Works replaces lead service lines at no charge, but you have to sign off first. The pipes inside your house aren’t part of the program.
3. How often should an older Cincinnati home get its sewer line checked?
If your house is more than 50 years old or has big trees near the sewer line, we suggest a camera inspection every two to three years. Get one right away if more than one drain starts gurgling or backing up.
4. Can you come out today?
Usually, yes. Call us at 513-443-1169 or book online, and we’ll get a licensed plumber out as fast as we can, often the same day. We take emergency calls too.
5. How much does a plumber cost in Cincinnati?
It depends on the job, but with us you’ll always know the price before work starts. Financing is available for bigger repairs.
