What Is a Bellied Sewer Line?

If a camera inspection turns up a 'belly,' here's what that means — and why it explains a drain that keeps clogging no matter how often you clear it.

What a Belly Is

A belly is a section of sewer line that has sagged below the correct downhill grade, usually because the soil beneath it settled or eroded. Instead of flowing straight through, waste slows and pools in the low spot, where solids drop out and build into recurring clogs.

Why Cleaning Alone Won't Fix It

You can clear a bellied line, but gravity hasn't changed — waste will keep collecting in the same dip. The clogs come back until the grade is corrected.

The Real Fix

A belly is corrected by excavating and re-bedding that section at the proper slope, or replacing it. A camera inspection pinpoints the exact location and length so the repair is targeted and no bigger than it needs to be.