Clogged drain cleaning
Clogged Drain Cleaning Service
Find out what is probably blocking the drain, see a rough cost range for your city, then make one call to a local plumber.
On this page
Find a Plumber in Your City
- Local drain plumbers
- One call, no form
- Cost range before you call
01
From Stopped Drain to the Right Call in Three Moves
A stopped drain normally comes down to one of a few things: grease in the kitchen line, hair in a bathroom trap, wipes in the toilet, or roots and damaged pipe in the main sewer line. This website discusses each one in plain terms, shows a rough cost range for your city before you call, and connects one call to a local plumber or drain cleaning company that does the work. Select your city above, or call 888-681-1687 if the water is already rising.
1
Know which drain you are dealing with
Kitchen sinks clog with grease and food scraps, bathroom sinks and showers with hair and soap, toilets with wipes and too much paper. When several drains back up at once, the main sewer line is the likely problem, and that takes different equipment.
2
Estimate the cost
Pick your city and the calculator adjusts national drain cleaning costs for local prices. One slow sink and a main line full of roots are very different jobs, so choose the one that matches. It is a rough range, not a quote.
3
Make the call
Call 888-681-1687 and the call goes to a local plumber or drain cleaning company. Say which drain is stopped and what you have tried, and ask for the price before work starts.
02
How Much Does Clogged Drain Cleaning Cost?
A rough range for your drain in under a minute. These are national figures; every city page adjusts them for local prices.
Estimated cost
$150 to $350
Snaking, one visit
A rough range, not a quote
- Prices
- National average
The range covers clearing the clog on one visit. Pipe repairs, replacing a broken section and digging are priced separately. The plumber sees the drain and gives you the real price before starting.
03
Which Drain Is Clogged?
Each drain clogs for its own reasons and gets cleared its own way. Find yours to see what usually causes it and what clearing it costs.
Kitchen sink
$150 to $350 to snake
What clogs it
Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
How it gets cleared
The plumber pulls the trap or opens the cleanout under the sink and runs a cable auger into the branch line. Lines packed with grease along their whole length get hydro jetted.
Watch for
A clog that comes back within weeks usually means grease lining the whole branch, not one plug. If the dishwasher backs into the sink, the clog is past the point where the two meet.
Bathroom sink
$100 to $250 to snake
What clogs it
Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
How it gets cleared
Most get cleared at the stopper and the trap with a hand auger. A clog further down the wall line takes a small drum machine.
Watch for
Water that drains slowly from the sink and the tub at the same time points to a shared line, not the sink alone.
Tub or shower
$120 to $300 to snake
What clogs it
Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
How it gets cleared
The plumber clears the stopper and runs a cable through the overflow opening or the drain. Old drum traps under the floor sometimes have to be opened.
Watch for
Water rising in the tub when the toilet flushes means the blockage is in the main line, not the tub drain.
Toilet
$120 to $300 to snake
What clogs it
Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
How it gets cleared
A toilet auger clears most clogs from the bowl without taking anything apart. A stubborn one means the toilet comes off the floor so the plumber can reach the line below.
Watch for
If more than one toilet or a floor drain gurgles or backs up, the main sewer line is the problem.
Floor or laundry drain
$150 to $400 to snake
What clogs it
Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
How it gets cleared
The plumber snakes the drain from the grate or a nearby cleanout. Basement floor drains tied into the main line are often cleared from the main cleanout instead.
Watch for
Water coming up through a basement floor drain is usually a main line backup. Stop running water in the house until it is cleared.
Main sewer line
$190 to $575 to snake
What clogs it
Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
How it gets cleared
A large cable machine with a root cutter goes in through the outdoor or basement cleanout. Heavy buildup and roots get hydro jetted, and a camera shows what caused the clog.
Watch for
Backups in the lowest drains, gurgling toilets and several slow drains at once. A line that needs clearing every year may need repair, and the camera footage tells you.
Outdoor or yard drain
$170 to $450 to snake
What clogs it
Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.
How it gets cleared
Snaking or jetting from the drain opening or the outlet. Long runs and buried pipe often need a jetter to wash the silt out.
Watch for
Water pooling around the house after rain, or a downspout pipe that overflows at the top, means the line is blocked or crushed.
04
Clogged Drain Cleaning in the Largest Cities
Start with your city. Its page has a calculator set to local prices.
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Houston, TX
- Phoenix, AZ
- Philadelphia, PA
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- Dallas, TX
- Jacksonville, FL
- Fort Worth, TX
- San Jose, CA
- Austin, TX
- Charlotte, NC
- Columbus, OH
- Indianapolis, IN
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Denver, CO
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Nashville, TN
- Washington, DC
- El Paso, TX
- Las Vegas, NV
05
Clogged Drain Cleaning by State
Pick a state to see its counties and cities.
Northeast 9 states · 1,430 cities
- Connecticut26 cities across 9 counties
- Maine23 cities across 11 counties
- Massachusetts58 cities across 12 counties
- New Hampshire13 cities across 9 counties
- New Jersey292 cities across 21 counties
- New York408 cities across 56 counties
- Pennsylvania585 cities across 63 counties
- Rhode Island8 cities across 3 counties
- Vermont17 cities across 9 counties
Midwest 12 states · 3,475 cities
- Illinois636 cities across 97 counties
- Indiana293 cities across 90 counties
- Iowa264 cities across 97 counties
- Kansas181 cities across 91 counties
- Michigan345 cities across 75 counties
- Minnesota350 cities across 85 counties
- Missouri328 cities across 103 counties
- Nebraska102 cities across 64 counties
- North Dakota45 cities across 28 counties
- Ohio510 cities across 88 counties
- South Dakota61 cities across 40 counties
- Wisconsin360 cities across 70 counties
South 17 states · 3,598 cities
- Alabama248 cities across 66 counties
- Arkansas179 cities across 72 counties
- Delaware33 cities across 3 counties
- District of Columbia1 city
- Florida330 cities across 64 counties
- Georgia297 cities across 139 counties
- Kentucky196 cities across 103 counties
- Louisiana149 cities across 53 parishes
- Maryland97 cities across 21 counties
- Mississippi149 cities across 73 counties
- North Carolina328 cities across 90 counties
- Oklahoma202 cities across 74 counties
- South Carolina147 cities across 46 counties
- Tennessee229 cities across 89 counties
- Texas782 cities across 224 counties
- Virginia134 cities across 53 counties
- West Virginia97 cities across 43 counties
West 13 states · 1,497 cities
- Alaska25 cities across 14 areas
- Arizona85 cities across 15 counties
- California467 cities across 53 counties
- Colorado147 cities across 50 counties
- Hawaii1 city
- Idaho85 cities across 38 counties
- Montana54 cities across 38 counties
- Nevada18 cities across 8 counties
- New Mexico60 cities across 28 counties
- Oregon159 cities across 33 counties
- Utah152 cities across 25 counties
- Washington202 cities across 37 counties
- Wyoming42 cities across 23 counties
06
How the call works
1
Find your city
Use the finder to open your city's page. It shows a cost range, what local soil and trees do to drains, and the signs of a main line problem.
2
Check the range
Run the calculator for the drain that is stopped. A rough range tells you whether the price you hear on the phone is in the right area.
3
Call 888-681-1687
The call goes to an independent local plumber who works in your area. They set the price and the schedule, and you decide whether to book.
07
Clogged Drain FAQ
What usually causes a clogged drain?
Grease and food scraps in kitchen lines, hair and soap scum in bathroom drains, and wipes or too much paper in toilets. Main sewer lines clog from tree roots, built-up grease, and old pipe that has cracked or sagged.
How much does drain cleaning cost?
A single sink or tub clog costs far less than a main sewer line, and roots, access and local prices all change the number. Pick your city for a rough range. The plumber who takes your call sets the actual price.
Is it a clog or a main sewer line problem?
One slow drain is usually a local clog. Several slow drains at once, water coming up in a tub or floor drain when something else drains, or gurgling toilets point to the main sewer line.
Snake or hydro jetting?
A drain snake, or cable auger, breaks up or pulls out the clog and is the usual first step. Hydro jetting scours grease, scale and fine roots off the pipe walls and suits lines that keep clogging. It costs more, and old or cracked pipe should be checked with a camera first.
Should I use a chemical drain cleaner?
It is better not to. Strong drain chemicals can damage old pipe and septic systems, rarely clear wipes or roots, and leave the plumber working in a sink full of chemicals. Try a plunger first.
How soon can a plumber come?
It depends on the plumber who covers your area and how busy they are. Ask when you call. This site does not set schedules and cannot promise a time.
Who answers when I call?
An independent local plumber or drain cleaning company. This site is a referral line. It connects the call and does not do the work or set the price.
Drain stopped? Make one call.
Call 888-681-1687 and say which drain is backed up and what you have already tried. The call goes to an independent local plumber or drain cleaning company. Ask for the price before work starts.