11/02/2026
Homeowners! It is an important part of home ownership to know the location of your sewer line cleanout, if your house has one at all.
The aptly named "cleanout" is usually a 4 or 6 inch pipe with a square k**b on the end cap, typically white PVC (newer) or cast iron (older). Often found in a basement, crawlspace, or on the exterior of the house in a mulch bed or elsewhere around the perimeter.
Knowing the cleanout location means that if your drains ever back up, a plumber or inspector can get to the line fast instead of searching.
Just locate it. Don't open the cap unless you know what you're doing, since a backed-up line can spill out. If you can't find one at all, that's worth knowing too, because adding a proper cleanout makes any future inspection or cleaning much easier.