Sump Pump & Sewage Lift Station Services
Anywhere a fixture sits below the sewer line, gravity stops helping and a pump becomes the only thing standing between you and a backup.
This covers two related things: sump pumps that move groundwater away from a basement or crawlspace, and sewage ejector or lift pumps that carry waste up from a below-grade bathroom or laundry to the main line. Both are equipment that runs unattended in a place nobody looks, which is exactly why they fail unnoticed.
The most useful thing we install on these systems is usually the least exciting: a working high-water alarm. A pump that fails silently is discovered by the water. A pump that fails with an alarm is discovered by you, hours earlier, while it's still a service call rather than a restoration job.
When this is likely your problem
What's included — and what isn't
In the quoted price
- Diagnosis of pump, float switch, check valve, or basin issues
- Repair or replacement of the pump and its float switch
- Installation of a sump pump or sewage ejector system
- Check valve and discharge line connection
- Testing under an actual fill cycle before we leave
Quoted separately
- The pump or basin itself, if supplied by us
- Electrical work beyond connecting to an existing suitable outlet — dedicated circuits, GFCI, and wiring faults are an electrician's scope
- Battery backup units and standby power equipment
- High-water alarm equipment, if you're adding one that isn't already in place
- Exterior discharge routing or drainage work beyond the immediate connection
- Waterproofing, foundation sealing, or restoration of water-damaged finishes
How this job gets priced
Diagnosis is a flat visit charge. Repairs and replacements are quoted flat once we know whether you're looking at a float switch, a pump, or a basin problem. New installations are quoted from the site, since discharge routing and electrical availability drive the number more than the pump does.
What the work involves
Test under real conditions
We fill the basin and watch a full cycle rather than judging from a bench test.
Isolate the actual failure
Float, pump, check valve, and basin all fail differently and cost differently to fix.
Repair, replace, or install
Quoted flat and approved before work starts, with the alarm question raised honestly.
Cycle test before leaving
The system runs a complete fill-and-discharge cycle with us standing there.
Questions about sump pump & sewage lift station services
How long does a sump pump usually last?
It varies a lot with how often it runs — a pump cycling constantly in a wet crawlspace wears out far sooner than one that runs a few times a year. Rather than quoting a number, we'd suggest testing it before each wet season and treating any change in sound or cycling behaviour as the warning it usually is.
Do I need a battery backup?
It depends on what's downstream of a failure. If the pump protects a finished basement, expensive flooring, or a below-grade bathroom, a backup is worth serious consideration, because pumps most often fail precisely when the power is out during a storm. If it protects an unfinished crawlspace, it's a reasonable thing to skip. We don't supply backup units, but we'll tell you honestly which category we think you're in.
What's the difference between a sump pump and a sewage ejector?
A sump pump moves groundwater — clean water collecting around a foundation. A sewage ejector or grinder pump moves wastewater from fixtures below the sewer line up to where gravity can take over. They're built differently and are not interchangeable; putting a sump pump on a sewage application fails quickly and unpleasantly.
My pump hums but doesn't move water. What's wrong?
Commonly a jammed impeller, a stuck float, or a check valve problem. Sometimes it's a failed motor. All of those present similarly, which is why we test through a real cycle before recommending a replacement — a stuck float is a much smaller bill than a new pump.
Ready to find out what's going on?
Call and describe the symptoms. You'll get an honest read before anyone drives out.