Owner or tenant? Decide this before you call
The first question on a commercial call is not what broke, but who is responsible for it. A shopping center tenant, a landlord and a property manager can all be right to call, and each needs a different answer. Settling it early avoids a second visit and a billing dispute.
Your lease is the final word. As a rough guide, the piping that serves only your suite, such as your sinks, restroom fixtures and floor drains, is often the tenant's job. Shared lines, risers, roofs, the water service from the street and the main sewer building drain usually belong to the owner. Read the maintenance clause and the emergency contact section before assuming.
| Problem | Often the tenant's call | Often the owner's or manager's call |
|---|---|---|
| Clogged sink, urinal or floor drain inside the suite | Yes, if the lease puts suite plumbing on the tenant | If the lease says the landlord handles all plumbing |
| Water on the ceiling from the unit above | Notify the manager at once | Yes, since a shared line or another suite may be the source |
| Backup in several suites at once | Report it right away | Yes, because the building drain is shared |
| Kitchen grease trap or interceptor | Yes, for a restaurant or food tenant | Check the lease for who maintains it |
| Backflow assembly on the water service | Check the lease | Often the owner, since it protects the building |
If you are not sure, call (770) 214-4545 anyway. We can start the emergency work to stop damage, then sort out who approves and pays in writing. Tell the dispatcher who holds the lease and who authorizes spending.
When a commercial plumbing problem cannot wait until morning
- Water is running from a ceiling, wall or floor and the shut-off valve does not stop it.
- Sewage is coming up in restroom floor drains, kitchen drains or mop sinks.
- A restaurant or food business has lost its dishwashing or prep sinks and cannot open.
- Restrooms are unusable and customers or staff cannot be accommodated.
- A fire sprinkler, water heater or supply line is leaking over equipment, stock or electrical panels.
- Standing water in a lot or loading area is blocking access because a storm drain is full.
Close the nearest shut-off valve first if you can find it, and turn off power to any wet equipment. Then call and describe what you see.
Need commercial plumbing help right now? Dispatch is open 24/7 and the price is explained before work starts.
Call the 24/7 line (770) 214-4545What to document before and after the plumber arrives
A few notes taken in the first hour help with the lease, the insurer and the next shift manager. They take five minutes and are easy to forget in a rush.
- Photos or short video of the water, backup or damage, with the date and time visible.
- The location of the shut-off valve used and the time it was closed.
- A list of equipment, stock, flooring and ceiling tiles that were wet.
- The names of anyone who reported the problem and the manager you notified.
- Copies of invoices, the plumber's findings and any camera recording of the line.
- The lease pages on maintenance and emergency repairs.
If a tenant cannot reach the landlord, document every attempt, including the time and number called. That record can matter if responsibility is disputed later.
Finding a hidden leak in a commercial building
Finding a leak in a commercial building is slower and more careful than in a home. Pipes run above ceilings, in walls shared with other suites and under slab floors, and a wrong guess means opening finished space for nothing. We do not promise an exact location up front. We promise a methodical search.
The usual first step is a meter test. With all water off in the suite or building, a moving meter dial suggests a leak somewhere on the line. From there, plumbers narrow the search with acoustic listening devices that pick up the sound of water escaping, thermal imaging to spot cool or warm patches, and pressure testing sections of line. Our leak detection page covers these methods in more detail.
Access and scheduling decide how much we can do in one visit. Searches often run after business hours so ceilings can be opened and noisy equipment shut off. Landlords may need to approve entry to a shared chase or a neighboring suite. Ask the manager for a schedule early, and tell us about alarm codes, key access and any space that needs an escort.
Commercial drain backups and slow lines
Commercial drains carry more load than a home line does. Restroom groups flush all day, kitchens send grease, and mop sinks take solids. When one backs up, the cause is often buildup of paper products, wipes or grease in the main or a shared branch.
Our crews use cable machines and jetters on commercial lines, followed by a camera when blockages recur. A small branch is covered in our drain cleaning service. Shared building drains and long runs are cleared as part of main sewer work. If one tenant's drain backs up while the others are fine, the issue is usually in that suite's branch. If several back up together, the building drain is blocked and the owner should be told.
Hair, rags and paper towels are the usual causes in restrooms. Fats, oils and food solids are the usual causes in kitchens. Ask staff what has been going down the drain, since it often points straight to the cause.
Backflow testing for commercial water services
A backflow preventer is a valve assembly that keeps water from flowing backward into the public supply. It protects the drinking water for everyone else on the system. Many businesses have one on the water service, on a fire sprinkler line, on an irrigation system or at a boiler.
Georgia's rule on cross connections says backflow assemblies must be field tested after installation, repair or relocation, and at least once a year after that. Testers must be certified through an approved program, such as the Georgia statewide program, and test reports list the gauge used. Water suppliers enforce this and can stop service to a commercial customer that lacks a required device or fails to maintain it.
Georgia's rule leaves the day-to-day program to the water supplier, so ask your provider which assemblies it tracks, what form it wants and when your annual test is due. We repair or replace failed assemblies, and a failed test usually has a deadline, so call before it passes.
Grease trap and interceptor cleaning
A grease trap or interceptor catches fats, oils and grease before they enter the sewer. If it is full, grease passes through and builds up in the building drain, which causes slow kitchen sinks, smells and backups. One common rule of thumb, used by Pierce County in Washington, is to pump out the unit when grease reaches about a quarter of its capacity.
Busy restaurants may need service several times a year, while a low-volume kitchen can go longer. A proper cleaning removes the grease and solids from the unit and its walls, cleans the lines and refills the tank with clean water. Haulers should be familiar with disposal rules, and you should keep the service records.
Requirements differ by sewer provider. Ask your utility or the city what interval and records it wants. If your kitchen sink drains slowly or grease shows up in a cleanout, ring us and we can check the interceptor and the line behind it.
Storm drain and catch basin cleaning
Storm drains are not the same as sanitary sewers. They carry rainwater from parking lots, roofs and streets, and in many places they discharge directly to a creek without treatment. In Georgia, the state Environmental Protection Division and NPDES permits regulate discharges to them, so oil, paint, wash water and sewage must stay out.
A blocked storm drain, catch basin or trench drain floods lots and loading docks quickly, since stormwater has no other path. Leaves, silt, trash and gravel are the usual cause. Clearing may require a vacuum rig or a jetter, and a camera can show whether the pipe has collapsed or is full of sediment.
If you see sewage or an oily sheen in a storm drain, do not wash it down. Call your property manager and the local stormwater office.
Commercial areas along I-85
Union City's businesses cluster near I-85, including exits for SR 138 (Exit 64) and Flat Shoals Road (Exit 66), and the Atlanta Metro Studios site sits beside the interstate. This is geography only, and we do not imply clients there. For a service call, the nearest exit and the unit or dock number help our crew find the building and the right door after dark.
Code behind commercial plumbing
Commercial plumbing in Georgia is built to the International Plumbing Code (IPC) with Georgia amendments, published by the state Department of Community Affairs. Backflow assemblies, grease interceptors and restroom fixture counts all fall under it, so a landlord or tenant should ask which items need a permit before work starts.
What changes the price of commercial plumbing work
Scope and size of the system
A single suite sink differs from a building drain serving many tenants. Larger pipes need larger equipment.
After-hours access
Key access, alarm codes and escorts affect the time on site. Early coordination with the manager helps.
Equipment needed
Cable machines, jetters, leak detection gear and vacuum rigs differ in time and setup.
Testing and paperwork
Backflow tests and grease interceptor service often need reports for a utility or inspector.
Hour of the call
Nights, weekends and holidays are emergency hours. Same-day appointments when available cost less for non-urgent work.
Commercial property policies often cover sudden water damage but not the repair of a worn pipe, and some exclude sewer backup unless an endorsement is added. Ask your insurer or broker before work starts, and keep photos, invoices and any camera recording.
You get a clear price before work starts, with a written scope for the owner or manager. Want your real number? Call (770) 214-4545.
Common questions about commercial plumbing in Union City
Yes. Our 24/7 emergency line takes after-hours calls for leaks, backups and failed fixtures. Tell us the business type, the problem and who authorizes the work.
It depends on the lease. Suite fixtures are often the tenant's, while shared lines, risers and the building drain are often the owner's. Read the maintenance clause and notify the manager in writing.
The plumber runs a meter test, then uses acoustic listening, thermal imaging and pressure tests to narrow the search. We do not promise a location in advance, and access to ceilings and shared spaces affects the result.
Georgia's cross-connection rule says assemblies must be field tested after installation, repair or relocation, and at least annually after that, by a certified tester. Your water supplier handles the details, so ask what form it needs.
A common rule of thumb is when grease reaches about a quarter of the unit's capacity. Busy kitchens may need service several times a year. Check your utility for its required schedule.
Yes. Blocked catch basins and drains are cleared with vacuum or jetting equipment, and a camera can check the pipe afterward.
Photos, the time you closed the shut-off, a list of damaged items, invoices and any camera recording. Keep copies of the lease pages on maintenance.
Yes. Many leak searches and drain jobs are scheduled after hours to limit disruption. Plan for key access, alarm codes and a contact for the building.
Commercial Plumbing across Union City and nearby towns
We handle commercial calls in Union City and in Palmetto, South Fulton, College Park and Riverdale, with more on our Riverdale plumbing service area.
Questions about commercial plumbing? Call the line and describe what you see.
Call (770) 214-4545