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A sewer cleanout typically looks like a white or gray PVC pipe with a removable cap. It's often located either in your yard or basement, depending on your home's plumbing configuration. The cleanout pipe is designed to provide easy access to your sewer system for maintenance and inspections. It may be flush with the ground or slightly elevated, making it distinguishable from other pipes. When you remove the cap, you can access the sewer line directly or determine its direction, which can be helpful when you need to locate your sewer line from your house to the street.

If you’ll be digging up your floor to get access to your pipes when putting in a sewer backflow preventer, this would also be a good time to take care of any other plumbing issues or renovations. For example, you could install additional pipes for a basement bathroom. Since the floor will be sealed over with concrete when you’re done, now’s a good time to take care of those bigger tasks.

Homeowners insurance usually doesn’t cover sewer backups because it’s typically an avoidable problem with proper maintenance. The only exception would be if the backup is occurring because of local flooding and only if your city uses a combined drainage system for stormwater and sewage. If that’s the case, your policy should cover any resulting damage.

A clogged sewer line is not typically covered by homeowner’s insurance, though some sewer line issues are covered. For instance, damage related to a fallen tree is usually covered. Though sewer line replacement is not covered in a standard insurance policy, some companies offer add-ons for this purpose. Read the fine print before spending your own money.