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Trade Playbook
Drain companies brand as drain companies, not plumbers: camera inspections, flushing, clog emergencies, and trenchless sewer replacement. It is equipment-heavy, emergency-priced, and one of the most franchise-contested niches in the trades.
Drain & Sewer Services at a glance
Learn it. Earn it. Own it. Pick the door that matches where you are.
Nuanced: drain cleaning, camera inspection, and flushing are generally not licensed plumbing work — but repairing or replacing drains and sewers is plumbing (306A, compulsory) and needs permits, and many municipalities require a licensed plumbing contractor to work on the sanitary lateral. Most serious drain businesses run licensed plumbers for the repair side. Municipal sewer-lateral subsidy programs (for replacing clay pipes, removing roots) feed steady work.
Sewage backups and flooded basements drive claims — carry $2M CGL with explicit water/sewer-backup response, plus equipment coverage for cameras and flush units (a camera rig alone is five figures).
The official pages that govern this trade. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements and fees.
AEC Stack handles incorporation, licensing, insurance, compliance, and operations, so you can focus on the work.
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