Drain Cleaning in Arlington Heights, IL

Arlington Heights' Drains, Sewers and Housing

Arlington Heights has a genuine mix of housing eras - a downtown core with construction going back to the early 20th century, surrounded by extensive postwar and later single-family development. The older core carries more of the cast-iron and clay infrastructure typical of that era, while the surrounding subdivisions sit mostly on newer PVC piping. Arlington Heights' three ZIP codes (60004, 60005, 60006) border Palatine, Mount Prospect and Rolling Meadows.

Floor Drains and Basements

Basements are standard across nearly all of the town's housing, and the floor drain remains the lowest fixture in most homes - worth clearing periodically even when it's just slow rather than fully backed up, since a slow drain now can become a real problem during the next heavy rain.

What "Rodding" Means, for the Record

If you've heard local plumbers use the word rodding, it's this region's term for clearing a drain with a flexible steel cable - the same work called snaking or cabling elsewhere. Arlington Heights homeowners hear it from local crews regularly enough that it's worth knowing, even if you've never needed the service before.

Dunton to Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights began in the 1850s as Dunton, named for settler William Dunton, who helped bring the Chicago and North Western railroad through the area and laid out the town around its station. Renamed Arlington Heights in 1874, it grew as a farming and market town with a downtown along Vail Avenue and Campbell Street. Arlington Park racetrack opened in 1927 and hosted thoroughbred racing for more than ninety years until it closed in 2021, after which the Chicago Bears purchased the site. After the Second World War, Arlington Heights boomed, becoming one of the largest villages in Illinois, with thousands of ranches, Cape Cods, split-levels and later larger homes spreading across former farmland.

Housing ranges from Victorian and early twentieth-century homes near the historic downtown to postwar subdivisions and newer construction on teardown lots. The downtown itself has been transformed with condo towers and the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Plumbing ranges from century-old cast iron and clay to modern PVC.

Weller Creek, McDonald Creek and the Buffalo Creek watershed run through the village, and clay soils and flat terrain influence drainage.

Older Homes Near Downtown

Homes near downtown Arlington Heights and the Metra station, some from the late 1800s and early 1900s, may have clay laterals approaching a century old and interior cast iron with heavy scale. Mature trees along these streets send roots into aging joints.

A camera inspection shows the condition of old laterals, and lining can seal them without excavating established yards. Adding a backwater valve protects the basement during heavy storms.

Postwar Ranches and Split-Levels

Most Arlington Heights homes were built from the 1950s through the 1970s. They typically have cast iron drains and clay laterals now fifty to seventy years old, and trees planted when neighborhoods were built have grown large enough for their roots to reach aging joints. Root intrusion causes backups that recur every year or two at about the same distance from the cleanout.

Split-levels often have lower-level family rooms, bathrooms and laundry close to sewer elevation, served by ejector pumps. When lower-level fixtures back up while upstairs drains work normally, the pump or its check valve is often the cause rather than the main line.

Creeks and Flooding

Weller Creek and McDonald Creek have flooded neighborhoods during major storms, including those in 1987, 2008 and 2013. When creeks rise, groundwater climbs and sanitary sewers can be overloaded by infiltration, pushing sewage back through floor drains. The village has built stormwater detention and relief projects, but homes in low areas still benefit from backwater valves, sump pumps with battery backups and flood-resistant basement finishes.

Sanitary Sewers and Backups

Arlington Heights' sanitary sewers are separate from storm sewers, but heavy rain can overload them through groundwater infiltration and improperly connected sump pumps or downspouts. A backwater valve protects your basement, and routing sump discharge to the yard, as local rules generally require, helps prevent overloads. If several homes on your street back up at once, contact village public works.

Clay Soils and Settling

Dense glacial clay underlies much of the village. It swells when wet, shrinks when dry and heaves with frost, stressing buried pipe year after year. Older clay laterals can crack or separate, while newer PVC lines can settle into sags that trap debris. A clog that returns at the same distance from the cleanout often signals a sag, and a camera inspection confirms it.

Teardowns and New Construction

Many older Arlington Heights homes have been replaced with larger new houses. New construction includes modern drains and basement protection, but service lines still connect to older public mains. When buying a newer home, ask whether the lateral was replaced all the way to the main.

Downtown Restaurants

Downtown Arlington Heights has a dense cluster of restaurants and bars around Vail Avenue and Campbell Street, many in mixed-use buildings with condos above. Commercial kitchens should maintain grease interceptors and schedule regular hydro jetting so a restaurant clog does not affect residents upstairs.

Buying in Arlington Heights

For postwar homes, schedule a sewer camera inspection before closing and ask about ejector pump age. Near the creeks, ask about flooding history. For newer homes, ask about backwater valves and pump age.

Drainage Notes for Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights is one of the largest villages in Illinois, and its housing spans more than a century: Victorian and early homes near downtown, a huge wave of postwar ranches, Cape Cods and split-levels, and later larger homes and teardown rebuilds. Weller Creek, McDonald Creek and tributaries of Salt Creek cross the village, and several neighborhoods have seen basement flooding in heavy storms, which led to major storm water projects. Older homes have cast iron stacks and clay laterals under mature parkway trees; postwar homes are reaching sixty to seventy years on their original laterals. Root intrusion and storm-related backups are the two most common problems. For basements in low areas, a backwater valve or overhead sewer is the most effective protection. New homes on teardown lots should confirm the lateral was replaced all the way to the main.

For year-round upkeep that applies to most homes (sump and ejector pump testing, winter care, kitchen habits, warning signs and keeping service records), see the Drain Care Guide.

Service in Arlington Heights

Crews serving the northwest suburbs cover Arlington Heights along with Mount Prospect, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Buffalo Grove and Prospect Heights. When you call, share your address, the type of home and which fixtures are affected, and mention if you have a sump pump, ejector pump or backwater valve.

For main line clogs, the crew will rod from the most accessible cleanout. For older homes or recurring problems, a camera inspection is recommended. Pricing is confirmed on site before work begins.

Coverage Area

Local crews in our network serve the Village of Arlington Heights, including downtown near the Metra station, the neighborhoods along Weller Creek and McDonald Creek, the area around the former Arlington Park and the subdivisions along Arlington Heights Road, Rand Road, Palatine Road and Dundee Road. Share your address and nearest cross streets when you call.

Everyday Habits

Keep grease out of kitchen drains, flush only toilet paper, use hair catchers in showers and keep the basement floor drain clear so early warning signs are easy to spot.

Frequently Asked Questions