I had a sewer backup at my house, so I called Cave Creek Septic. They came out and said my tank itself was fine, but after running a camera through the line, they told me there was a root growing into my septic line. I was quoted $3,500 to dig up the line, remove the root, and put salt around the pipe to prevent roots from coming back.
Instead of paying $3,500 without seeing the problem myself, I hired a laborer to dig up the area they said was affected. The septic company said they had to do the job start to finish, but I wanted proof first. We dug up about 12 feet of pipe, and there was absolutely no root where they claimed it was. The pipe is not cracked, crushed, or compromised.
That misdiagnosis caused me to spend extra money digging up my yard unnecessarily.
Another strange thing: the plumber told me I could continue using my plumbing — showers, washer, toilets — just don’t flush toilet paper. That made no sense. It’s now been weeks, we’ve used everything normally, and the system has worked fine ever since.
I also never saw the camera evidence they said they had. I was later told by the receptionist that the technician’s iPad died, so there were no photos or video to show me.
After I uncovered the pipe and found no root, I called the company. The plumber, Curtis, said, “I guarantee there’s something there,” and then said he would replace the baffle (the T-shaped fitting at the tank connection). He also told me that if I didn’t replace the baffle, I would “have problems again in 7 years.” Not next week, not next month — seven years — which made no sense to me.
When I spoke with the owner, I got yet another explanation. He said they were not replacing the baffle, only two 45-degree ABS fittings that he claimed were “compromised.” They are not. I offered to send photos, but the owner didn’t want to see them and told me to just cover everything back up because “everything is good.”
I have now received four different diagnoses from the same company.
In my experience, the owner was rude and unprofessional, and the plumber’s behavior felt very sketchy and inconsistent. Between the changing stories, the lack of proof, and the refusal to even look at photos of the exposed pipe, this whole situation left me with zero confidence in their honesty.
Make sure the plumber’s iPad is “charged,” and that you get clear photos or video showing exactly what’s wrong and exactly what they plan to fix before approving any major septic work