My toilet is overflowing
Turn the shutoff valve behind the toilet clockwise to stop the water, then lift the tank lid and push the flapper down to close it. Do not flush again. If other drains in the house are also slow or backing up, the problem is the main line rather than the toilet.
Do this first
- Turn the valve behind the toilet clockwise until it stops. That cuts the fill.
- Lift the tank lid and push the flapper closed by hand if water is still running in.
- Do not flush again to test it. Every flush adds to what has to be cleaned up.
- Check other drains — tub, shower, laundry. If they are also slow, tell us that when you call.
What it usually is
- A blockage in the toilet itselfThe common case, and often clearable. Usually something that should not have been flushed.
- A blocked branch lineIf the toilet and the nearby tub are both slow, the blockage is past the toilet.
- A main line blockageMultiple fixtures backing up, especially on the lowest level, points at the main.
- A failed fill or flapperA toilet that runs and overflows without a blockage is a valve problem, not a drain problem.
When to call, and when it can wait
If you do need us
Establish how many fixtures
This single question separates a toilet problem from a main line problem.
Clear the blockage
Toilet, branch, or main, depending on where it actually is.
Camera if it repeats
A line that blocks on a schedule has a structural reason. We look rather than clearing it again.
Test before leaving
Flushed and run to confirm the line carries flow.
Houston note
Older Houston neighbourhoods inside the Loop often still have cast iron drain lines, which corrode along the bottom and narrow over decades. If your house is from that era and the same fixture keeps backing up, the pipe is a more likely explanation than what is being flushed.
Related problems
What moves the price
- LOCATIONThe toilet itself, a branch line, or the main.
- ACCESSWhether a usable cleanout exists.
- REPEATWhether this has happened before, which changes what we recommend.
Questions about this
Should I use a chemical drain opener in a toilet?
No. They are largely ineffective on a toilet blockage, they make the job unpleasant and hazardous for whoever works on it next, and caustic products can damage older pipe. A plunger or an auger is the right tool.
Why do several drains back up at once?
Because the blockage is downstream of all of them, in a shared branch or the main line. That is a different job from clearing one toilet, and it is worth telling us on the phone so we bring the right equipment.
It cleared on its own. Do I still need someone?
If it was a one-off, probably not. If it has now happened more than once, the line is telling you something and a camera run is worth more than another clearing.
Not sure how urgent it is?
Describe what is happening and we will tell you straight: call an emergency out now, book it for today, or leave it until the week.