24-hour emergency · Family-run · Free camera inspection with cleaning
Sewer & Rooter
Trenchless sewer repair, camera inspection, and hydro-jet drain cleaning across Seattle and the Puget Sound. Licensed City of Seattle Registered Side Sewer Contractor. Backed by a 20-year transferable warranty.
The company
Bob Oates is a family-run sewer and plumbing shop that has served Greater Seattle for more than three decades. We fix what is underground — cracked sewers, root-clogged lines, collapsed pipe — and we do it without tearing up your yard. Our trenchless methods, cured-in-place lining and pipe bursting, replace or rehabilitate pipe from the inside, most jobs finish in a single day, and the result is rated to last fifty years or more. Every job is done by our own in-house crews, never subcontractors, and every sewer repair carries a twenty-year transferable warranty.
- Base
- 1817 Queen Anne Ave N #312, Seattle, WA 98109
- License
- Registered Side Sewer Contractor — City of Seattle
- Crews
- In-house only. Never subcontracted.
- Press
- Featured in Cleaner magazine.
- Extras
- Free second opinion on written estimates. Financing available.
Index — what we do
Services
01Trenchless Sewer RepairCured-in-place lining and pipe bursting. No digging, no torn-up yard, no week of construction. Most jobs done in a day; the new line lasts 50+ years.SIGNATURE 02Sewer Camera InspectionA push camera sees exactly what is wrong — roots, offsets, cracks, bellies. Free with every sewer cleaning.FREE W/ CLEANING 03Drain Cleaning / Hydro JettingRoots and grease do not care about your schedule. Hydro jetting scours pipe walls clean at thousands of PSI — the deep clean a snake cannot give.24/7 04Water Main RepairLow pressure, soggy yard, a water bill that suddenly doubled. We locate the leak, isolate it, and repair or replace the service line.DIAGNOSIS 05Water Heater RepairNo hot water is an emergency in January. Tank and tankless diagnosis, repair, and replacement, sized for your household.TANK + TANKLESS 06Sump PumpsSeattle rain finds every low spot. Pump installs, battery backups, and repairs that keep basements and crawlspaces dry through the wet season.WET-SEASON 0724/7 Emergency ServiceSewage backing up at 2 a.m. cannot wait for Monday. A real technician answers, around the clock, every day of the year.ALWAYS ONHow we work
From call to clean pipes
Tell us what is happening
Slow drains, gurgling, a wet spot in the yard — describe it in plain words. A real technician picks up, asks the right questions, and tells you honestly whether this sounds like an emergency or something that can wait a day.
Camera first, guesses never
We run a camera down the line and watch the feed with you. You see the roots, the cracks, the offset joints — the same footage we base the estimate on. Camera inspection is free with sewer cleaning.
One written price, free second opinion
You get a written estimate before anyone touches a shovel. Got another company's bid? Bring it — we give free second opinions on written estimates, no strings attached.
In-house crew, usually one day
Our own technicians — never subcontractors — do the work. Trenchless lining or bursting means no trench through the landscaping; most sewer jobs are done and backfilled the same day.
Twenty years, transferable
Sewer work carries a 20-year warranty that transfers to the next owner if you sell the house. That is paperwork with a name on it, not a handshake promise.
Numbers that matter
Service area
Seattle & the Puget Sound
Based in Queen Anne, working everywhere the water table keeps us busy. Call even if your town is not listed — if we can reach it, we will talk about it.
Seattle · Queen Anne · Ballard · Everett · Lynnwood · Bellevue · Eastside · Tacoma · Southend
Free quote
Get it looked at
No forms that vanish into a black hole. This reaches our dispatch desk directly. Prefer talking? (206) 789-4944 — a real technician answers, day or night.
Sample starting prices: camera inspection $XXX (free with sewer cleaning); hydro-jet drain cleaning from $XXX; trenchless liner installs quoted per foot after inspection. All sample figures — your written estimate follows the camera.
Word of mouth
What neighbors say
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Questions
FAQ
What is trenchless sewer repair? +
It replaces or rehabilitates your sewer line without digging a trench. We use two methods: cured-in-place lining, which forms a new pipe inside the old one, and pipe bursting, which pulls a new pipe through while fracturing the old one out of the way. Your yard, driveway, and landscaping stay intact, most jobs finish in a single day, and the result is rated to last 50+ years.
How much does sewer repair cost in Seattle? +
It depends on the length, depth, and condition of the line — so we quote from camera footage, not over the phone. Camera inspection is free with a sewer cleaning. Trenchless work typically costs more per day but less overall than traditional dig-and-replace once you account for excavation, permits, and landscape restoration. You get a written estimate before we start, and we give free second opinions on competitors' written estimates.
Is Bob Oates a licensed side sewer contractor in Seattle? +
Yes — we are a licensed Registered Side Sewer Contractor (RSSC) with the City of Seattle. That certification is required for side sewer work in Seattle, and it means our permits, inspections, and connections meet city standards. Ask any bidder for their RSSC number before you sign.
Do you offer emergency service? +
Yes — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Sewage backing up into a basement or a burst water main cannot wait for business hours. Call (206) 789-4944 and a real technician answers.
What does the 20-year warranty cover? +
Our sewer repair work carries a 20-year warranty, and it transfers to the next owner if you sell the house. It is written into your contract — not a verbal promise. Financing is also available for larger jobs.