Anything that’s actively damaging your property or creating a health risk. We treat these as same-hour emergencies, 24/7:

**Active sewage backup.** Sewage coming up through a basement floor drain, shower drain, or laundry standpipe means the main lateral is blocked downstream. Every flush, every load of laundry makes it worse. We need to be on site within 60 minutes to prevent contamination spread and structural damage.

**Basement flooding from drainage failure.** Atmospheric river hits, perimeter drain is overwhelmed, sump pump failed, downspouts backed up – any combination, water is now on your basement floor. The longer it sits the more it costs. We bring submersible pumps and emergency hydro flush equipment on every truck.

**Toilet overflowing repeatedly.** A toilet that overflows when other fixtures drain means the main soil stack or lateral is blocked. Single-fixture clogs we handle on next-business-day. Multi-fixture symptoms are emergency.

**Sewer smell suddenly throughout the house.** Lost P-trap seal, dry trap on a rarely-used floor drain, or a vent stack blockage. Health risk if untreated. Same-day response.

**Restaurant or commercial kitchen drain blocked during service.** Single-call priority – we keep your kitchen open. Standard for our commercial maintenance clients; available to non-contract customers with surcharge.

**Strata common-line backup.** Multi-unit building with shared horizontal stack failure affects every unit on that line. Property managers – call us direct, we coordinate with your council on the spot.

These are NOT emergencies (book next-business-day instead): slow single drain, occasional gurgling, periodic smell, scheduled maintenance, perimeter drainage during dry season.

**Main Sewer Line Backup** – Same-hour cabling or jetting. Camera scope before and after. Most common emergency call. See also [sewer cleaning](https://mambadrainageservices.com/drainage-service/drain-cleaning/).

**Basement Flood Response** – Submersible pump-out + drain clearing + perimeter drainage assessment. We don’t do water remediation (drywall, flooring) but we coordinate with the restoration company you choose.

**Toilet / Multi-Fixture Backup** – Soil stack or main lateral clearing. Cable or jet depending on cause.

**Sewer Backflow into Basement** – City main surcharge pushing sewage backward through your fixtures. Immediate cabling to clear, then we discuss [backwater valve installation](https://mambadrainageservices.com/drainage-service/backwater-valve-installation/) to prevent recurrence.

**Commercial Kitchen Grease Trap Overflow** – 4,000 PSI hydro jetting on FOG-blocked stacks. Restaurant priority – we keep you open.

**Storm Drain / Catch Basin Flooding** – During atmospheric river events, parkade catch basins fill faster than they can drain. We bring vac-trucks and emergency pumps. See [catch basin cleaning](https://mambadrainageservices.com/drainage-service/catch-basin-cleaning/).

**Strata Common-Line Emergency** – Multi-unit horizontal stack failure. Direct property-manager contact, after-hours certificates of service emailed by morning.

**Frozen Pipe Backup** – Winter cold snaps freeze exterior drainage and venting. We thaw with hot water hydro and prevent recurrence with heat-tape recommendations. See also [frozen pipe repair](https://mambadrainageservices.com/plumbing-contractor/frozen-pipe-repair/).

Active emergencies (sewage backing up, basement flooding) – we quote on the call after the 5-question intake. Most common ranges:

**Emergency main line cabling, residential:** $349-$649 including camera scope. From an existing exterior cleanout. Add $150 if we have to pull a toilet for access.

**Emergency hydro jetting, residential main:** $549-$999 for grease, scale, or stubborn root blockages. Pre and post camera footage included.

**Emergency basement pump-out + clearing:** $599-$1,200 depending on water volume. Submersible pumps, pump-out, then drain clearing. Does not include water remediation – we coordinate that with your insurance restoration company.

**Emergency commercial kitchen jetting:** $749-$1,650 same-call response. Overnight scheduling standard.

**Emergency strata common-line backup:** $899-$2,400 depending on length and complexity. Property manager coordination, certificates of service.

**Sewer backflow event (City main surcharge into basement):** $649-$1,400 emergency clear + same-call quote on backwater valve install.

**Storm drain / catch basin emergency pump-out:** $549-$1,200 depending on vac-truck need and access.

**After-hours surcharge for non-emergency overnight calls:** +$99. Active flooding / sewage = NO surcharge. We don’t penalize you for an emergency you didn’t choose.

All emergency pricing locked once we arrive and confirm scope. Re-quote in writing if we find an underlying issue requiring more work – you decide whether to proceed.

**How fast can you actually get here?**
Vancouver core: 30-45 min from the call. Burnaby / Richmond: 45-60 min. New Westminster: 60 min. Surrey / Delta: 75-90 min. We name the window on the call – if we slip by more than 15 minutes, we call YOU before you call us.

**Do you charge extra for weekends or 2 AM calls?**
For ACTIVE flooding or sewage emergencies – no. Same price as daytime. For non-emergency overnight calls (slow drain at midnight) – $99 after-hours surcharge. We don’t penalize people for emergencies they didn’t choose.

**Do you serve all of Greater Vancouver overnight?**
Yes – Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster, Surrey, Delta. Response times are longer for the outer cities (75-90 min vs 30-60 in Vancouver core) but we cover the full region with the same overnight dispatcher.

**Will you scope the line or just snake it?**
Always scope. Camera goes in before the cable does, and again after. You see the blockage, you see it cleared, you keep the MP4. No charge for the camera time – it’s how we close the job.

**Can you handle restaurants and commercial properties?**
Yes – commercial emergency dispatch is about 40% of our overnight work. We schedule around your service hours when possible (most restaurants get cleared between midnight and 6 AM so they reopen for breakfast). $5M liability + WCB, certificates emailed within 24 hours.

**What about strata buildings?**
Yes. Property managers should call us directly – we coordinate with strata council and provide overnight certificates of service for your insurance file. Common-line backups are handled as building emergencies, not unit-by-unit.

**Do you do water cleanup / remediation?**
No – we clear the drainage and pump out standing water. For drywall, flooring, mold remediation, you need a restoration contractor (Belfor, ServiceMaster, etc.). We coordinate the handoff with whoever your insurance company recommends.

**What if the blockage is a structural problem (collapsed pipe, root mat)?**
Emergency call: we clear what we can, get you flowing again temporarily, document the structural issue on camera, and quote the permanent fix in writing. The emergency clear is its own job – no pressure to commit to the structural repair on the spot.

**Do you take credit cards on emergency calls?**
Yes – Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Interac. We can also bill insurance directly if you’ve notified your carrier and have a claim number. Most emergency calls are paid on-site with credit card.