We provide the precision tunneling your plumber needs to fix slab leaks without destroying your hardwood or tile floors.
A few years ago, a homeowner in the Heights called us in a panic. She noticed a wet patch in her backyard on a dry July afternoon after weeks of no rain. Her water bill had increased by $200, and the drains were gurgling. It turned out she had a cracked sewer line under her slab, quietly flooding the soil beneath her foundation. By the time she called a Houston plumber, the damage had already occurred.
That is not an unusual story in this area. Houston’s clay-rich soil expands when wet and shrinks when dry, putting significant strain on underground plumbing systems. From Katy to Pearland, Memorial to Midtown, homeowners and business owners face the same challenges year after year. What is the good news? The majority of these issues are easily resolved if caught early and worked with an experienced local plumber.
We are a full-service Houston plumbing company that focuses on underground plumbing, slab leak repair, cast iron pipe replacement, and trenchless sewer solutions. Whether you’re a homeowner near Bellaire dealing with slow drains or a property manager in Montrose managing an aging commercial building, we have the tools and experience to help.
If your toilets are backing up, your drains are slow throughout the whole house, or you’re picking up a strong sewer gas smell near floor drains, chances are something is wrong with your sewer line. Sewer line repair is one of the most common calls we get from Houston residents — and it makes sense. Older neighborhoods like Garden Oaks, Eastwood, and Timbergrove have pipe systems that are decades old.
We start every sewer line repair job with a camera inspection so we can see exactly what’s happening inside the pipe before we touch anything. No guessing. No unnecessary digging. Just a clear picture of the problem and a straight answer on the best way to fix it.
If your Houston home was built in the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s, it most likely still has cast iron drains. Cast iron was the standard back then, and much of it is still in use today, but it does not last forever. Age, moisture, and soil movement cause cast iron to rust from the inside out, resulting in rough surfaces that catch debris and eventually crack or collapse completely.
Cast iron failure symptoms include slow drains across multiple fixtures, dark staining around pipe joints, and a persistent sewer odor that refuses to go away. We specialize in both cast iron pipe repair for small sections and full cast iron pipe replacement when the damage is extensive. We serve communities such as West University, Meyerland, and Braeswood, where cast iron systems are particularly prevalent.
When the job calls for it, we dig. Our plumbing excavation services cover everything from residential yard excavations to commercial main line digs. We operate our own excavation equipment, which means you’re not waiting on subcontractors or juggling multiple schedules. One crew, one company, one point of contact.
Plumbing excavation is required for main sewer line excavation projects, new sewer line installations, and major underground repairs that can’t be handled trenchlessly. We obtain all required City of Houston permits, follow safe dig procedures, and handle utility locates before any ground is broken.
Are you planning to add a new bathroom or construct an accessory dwelling unit? You’ll need new sewer line connections, and that means trenching. We handle trenching for new sewer lines on residential additions, new construction, and commercial buildouts throughout the greater Houston area.
Our team grades the trench properly for the right pipe slope, installs bedding material to protect the pipe, and backfills and compacts the trench in lifts to prevent settling. The result is a sewer connection that works correctly from day one and holds up for decades.
Hydrostatic testing determines whether your under-slab drain system is intact or has a leak. We plug the drains, fill them with water, and monitor the water level. If it falls, there’s a flaw somewhere in the system. If it holds, the pipes are intact.
We recommend hydrostatic testing before purchasing a home in Houston, particularly for properties built before 1990. It’s also a good idea after any foundation repair work, as the movement can sometimes stress drain pipes. A passing hydrostatic test provides genuine peace of mind, not just a guess.
Hydrostatic testing determines whether your under-slab drain system is functional or has a leak. We plug the drain lines, fill them with water, and monitor the level. If it drops, there is a flaw somewhere in the system. If it holds, the pipes are fine.
We recommend hydrostatic testing before purchasing a home in Houston, especially for properties built before 1990. It’s also a good idea after any foundation repair work because the movement can sometimes stress drain pipes. A passing hydrostatic test provides real peace of mind, not just a guess.
Commercial building sewer problems present unique challenges. Downtime costs money. Tenant complaints pile up fast. And the pipe systems are often larger, older, and more complicated than anything you’d find in a house. We handle commercial sewer line repair for office buildings, retail centers, restaurants, and multi-family properties across Houston.
We’ve worked on properties along Westheimer, in the Galleria district, and in commercial corridors from Cypress to Clear Lake. We schedule around your hours when we can, work efficiently, and always give property managers a clear update before, during, and after the job.
When the main sewer line from your home to the city connection fails, it usually needs to be removed and replaced. Main sewer line excavation necessitates experience, the proper equipment, and a thorough understanding of Houston’s soil conditions and municipal code regulations.
We handle main sewer excavation projects from start to finish, including permits, location, digging, new pipe installation, backfilling, and inspection. We’ve completed this work in neighborhoods throughout Harris County and neighboring counties, so we understand what local inspectors expect.
A lot of plumbing companies subcontract their excavation work. We don’t. We are both a licensed plumbing company and an experienced excavating contractor for plumbing projects in Houston. That matters because it cuts out scheduling delays, miscommunication between trades, and the finger-pointing that happens when something goes wrong.
When one team controls the dig and the repair, the whole job goes smoother. Our crew members understand how plumbing systems work, so they dig with purpose — no unnecessary damage to surrounding pipes or utilities, and no guesswork about where the problem ends and the good pipe begins.
When Houston homeowners search for a plumber, they usually want the same three things: someone who shows up, someone who diagnoses the problem correctly the first time, and someone who doesn’t leave a mess behind. That’s exactly what Tunnel Now is built to do.
We specialize in the jobs most plumbers refer out — under slab tunneling, sewer line excavation, cast iron pipe replacement, and foundation plumbing repair. If the problem is underground, beneath your slab, or deep in your drain system, Tunnel Now has the equipment, the crew, and the track record to handle it.
Here’s what you get when you call us:
We serve all of Houston and surrounding areas including Katy, Cypress, Spring, Humble, Pasadena, Pearland, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Friendswood, League City, and Baytown.
Stop guessing what’s wrong under your slab. Call Tunnel Now for a free estimate — and get a real answer today.
