Sewer cleanout installation in Aurora, CO

Without a cleanout, a plumber clearing your main line has to pull a toilet and feed the cable through the flange, or climb onto the roof and run it down a vent. Both routes add time, and the toilet path can mean extra cleanup and a new wax seal. Roof vents also include bends that can make cable work harder.

A cleanout gives a straight shot into the main sewer line, close to where it leaves the house. Clearing a blockage, running a camera, jetting the line or installing a liner all get faster and cleaner. Over the life of the home, the savings from easier service often exceed what the cleanout cost to install.

Outdoor cleanouts sit in the yard just outside the foundation, with a capped riser coming up to grade. They keep sewer work outside, so a backup can be relieved without dirty water inside the house. A two-way cleanout lets us run cables both toward the street and back toward the house, which is ideal for most homes.

Indoor cleanouts are installed on the main drain or stack in a basement or crawlspace. They're useful when outdoor digging is difficult, such as under a deck or a long concrete slab. We look at where your line exits, what's above it and how the space is used before recommending one location over the other.

We use a threaded PVC plug and a riser set at a sensible height so lawn mowers, snow shovels and sprinklers don't hit it. In lawns we often add a small box or protective collar around the cap. Outdoors, the riser needs good support so soil movement doesn't crack it at the connection to the main line.

Avoid covering a cleanout with mulch beds, pavers or decking. If you're landscaping, mark it and leave a clear path to it. Indoors, keep storage shelves and finished walls away from the cap. Write down its location for future owners, too, since a cleanout only helps if someone can find it during an emergency.