"Did your parents buy a house built in 1965? You have clay sewer pipes. Here is the problem. (Point at roots). They look like this after 40 years.

A: 50 to 60 years. If your home is from the 1970s or earlier, you are on borrowed time.

A: Weekend/holiday rates can run $400–$600 per hour plus parts. A simple root blockage removal costs $250–$500; a broken pipe repair starts at $2,500.