Floor Drain Backing Up: Common Causes and What to

When a floor drain backs up, it’s more than an inconvenience. Standing water in a basement, laundry area, or garage can create odors, damage floors and belongings, and, in some cases, indicate a problem further down the plumbing line.

While the exact cause varies, most floor drain backups fall into a few predictable buckets: blockages near the drain, problems in the building’s trap or venting, or—less commonly—issues in the municipal sewer or neighboring property.