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How much does drain cleaning cost? The cost of clearing a clogged drain depends on the location of the blockage, severity of the clog, and the method required to clear it. For most Houston homeowners, you can expect to invest between $125 and $275 for standard drain cleaning services.
More severe blockages, main sewer line clogs, or drains requiring specialized equipment typically range from $275 to $600, depending on the drain location, accessibility, and whether camera inspection or hydro jetting is needed.
Use our drain cleaning cost estimator below to get a personalized estimate. Whether you’re dealing with a slow kitchen sink, backed-up shower drain, or clogged main line, our estimator uses real service data from across the Houston area to give you accurate pricing—not generic national averages.
Our Instant Drain Cleaning Quote Tool provides cost estimates for standard drain cleaning services including kitchen sinks, bathroom drains, and main sewer line cleaning. For severe blockages requiring hydro jetting or camera inspections, please contact our office for a customized estimate. Your information is saved as you enter it. If you need to make changes, you can go back to previous pages. Repipe Solutions looks forward to helping restore your drains to full flow.
No two drain clogs are identical, and neither are their costs. Here’s what influences your estimate:
Drain Location The type of drain affects how difficult it is to access and clear. Bathroom sinks and tub drains are typically straightforward, while kitchen drains with grease buildup or main sewer lines require more time and specialized equipment.
Clog Severity A slow-draining sink caused by hair buildup clears quickly with basic tools. A completely blocked main line with years of buildup requires industrial equipment and significantly more labor.
Clog Location in the Line Blockages near the drain opening are easier and cheaper to clear than clogs deep in your plumbing system. Main line clogs located 50+ feet from the cleanout require more equipment and time.
Cleaning Method Required Simple clogs clear with a drain snake or auger. Stubborn blockages may require hydro jetting—high-pressure water that scours pipe walls clean. The method needed directly impacts your cost.
Access Points Homes with accessible cleanouts make main line clearing straightforward. If your cleanout is buried, damaged, or nonexistent, additional work may be required before clearing can begin.
The location and type of clogged drain directly impacts your service cost. Here’s what Houston homeowners typically pay:
| Drain Type | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom Sink | $125 – $185 |
| Shower/Tub Drain | $150 – $225 |
| Kitchen Sink | $150 – $250 |
| Toilet Clog | $150 – $275 |
| Floor Drain | $150 – $225 |
| Main Sewer Line | $275 – $500 |
| Hydro Jetting | $350 – $600 |
These ranges reflect complete service costs including labor, equipment, and standard clearing methods. Your specific price depends on clog severity, accessibility, and whether specialized equipment is required.
Kitchen sink drain cleaning in Houston typically costs between $150 and $250. Kitchen drains are among the most common clogs we clear because they accumulate grease, food particles, and soap residue over time.
The cost to unclog a kitchen sink depends on what’s causing the blockage. A simple food buildup clears quickly with a standard drain snake. Grease clogs that have hardened inside the pipes may require more aggressive methods or enzyme treatments to fully clear.
If your kitchen sink backs up into a garbage disposal or dishwasher connection, the clog may be deeper in the line, which adds complexity. Double-basin sinks with shared drain lines sometimes require clearing from multiple access points.
Regular maintenance can prevent costly kitchen drain emergencies. Running hot water after washing dishes and avoiding pouring grease down the drain keeps your kitchen plumbing flowing freely.
Bathroom drain cleaning costs Houston homeowners between $125 and $225 depending on the fixture. Bathroom sinks typically run $125-$185, while shower and tub drains range from $150-$225.
Hair is the primary culprit in bathroom drain clogs. Combined with soap scum and toothpaste residue, hair creates stubborn blockages that worsen over time. What starts as a slow drain eventually becomes a complete backup if left untreated.
Shower and tub drains often cost more to clear than bathroom sinks because the access points are more difficult to reach. Some tub drains require removing the overflow plate or accessing the trap from below.
Drain screens are your best defense against bathroom clogs. A $5 hair catcher prevents $150+ drain cleaning calls—one of the best investments you can make in your plumbing system.
Toilet drain clearing in Houston typically costs between $150 and $275. Most toilet clogs result from flushing too much toilet paper, feminine products, wipes (even “flushable” ones), or foreign objects.
Simple toilet clogs that a plunger can’t handle usually clear with a toilet auger—a specialized tool designed to navigate the toilet’s internal trap. These clogs are straightforward and fall at the lower end of the price range.
More severe toilet clogs may indicate a blockage deeper in the drain line. If multiple fixtures back up when you flush, or if plunging causes water to rise in the shower or tub, the clog is likely in your main line rather than the toilet itself.
Recurring toilet clogs sometimes indicate a bigger problem—partial main line blockages, root intrusion, or deteriorating pipes. If you’re calling for toilet service more than once a year, a camera inspection can identify the underlying cause.
Main sewer line cleaning in Houston ranges from $275 to $500 for standard clearing, with hydro jetting services running $350 to $600 for stubborn blockages.
Your main sewer line carries all wastewater from your home to the city sewer or septic system. When it clogs, every drain in your house is affected. Warning signs include multiple slow drains, gurgling sounds from toilets, and sewage odors near floor drains.
Main line clogs happen for several reasons: accumulated debris over years of use, tree root intrusion through pipe joints, bellied or collapsed pipe sections, or foreign objects that made it past individual fixtures.
Clearing a main line requires accessing your home’s cleanout—a capped pipe typically located near the foundation or in the yard. Our technicians use professional-grade cable machines that reach 100+ feet into your sewer line to break apart blockages and restore flow.
Understanding the difference between drain snaking and hydro jetting helps you know what to expect—and why costs vary significantly between methods.
Drain Snaking (Cable Cleaning) Cost: $125 – $300
Drain snaking uses a flexible metal cable with a cutting head that rotates through your pipes, breaking apart clogs and pulling debris back out. It’s effective for most household clogs including hair, soap buildup, and minor grease accumulations.
Snaking clears the immediate blockage but doesn’t clean pipe walls. Think of it like poking a hole through a clog—water flows again, but residue remains.
Hydro Jetting Cost: $350 – $600
Hydro jetting blasts water at 3,000-4,000 PSI through a specialized nozzle, scouring pipe walls clean and flushing debris completely out of your system. It removes grease buildup, mineral deposits, and even tree roots.
Hydro jetting is the more thorough solution but costs more and isn’t always necessary. For recurring clogs or heavy buildup, jetting provides longer-lasting results than snaking alone.
Our technicians recommend the appropriate method based on your specific situation—never upselling services you don’t need.
Several factors can increase your drain cleaning cost beyond the base service price:
Emergency/After-Hours Service (+$75-$150) Clogged drains don’t wait for business hours. Weekend, evening, and holiday service calls carry premium rates for immediate response.
Multiple Drains (+$50-$100 per additional drain) If several drains need clearing, we offer discounted rates for additional drains during the same visit.
Difficult Access (+$50-$100) Cleanouts that are buried, damaged, or located in tight spaces require extra time to access before clearing can begin.
Camera Inspection (+$125-$250) For recurring clogs or suspected pipe damage, a video camera inspection shows exactly what’s happening inside your pipes. This diagnostic service identifies root causes and prevents repeated service calls.
Heavy Root Intrusion (+$100-$200) Tree roots that have infiltrated your sewer line require specialized cutting heads and more time to clear completely.
Cleanout Installation (+$250-$400) If your home lacks an accessible cleanout, installing one provides easy access for current and future drain maintenance.
Some clogs respond to a plunger or store-bought drain cleaner. Others require professional equipment. Here’s when to call for help:
Multiple Slow Drains When more than one fixture drains slowly, the clog is likely in a shared drain line or your main sewer—not something DIY methods can reach.
Recurring Clogs If the same drain clogs repeatedly despite your best efforts, there’s an underlying issue that temporary fixes won’t solve.
Complete Blockage Standing water that won’t drain at all needs professional clearing. The longer wastewater sits, the greater the risk of overflow and water damage.
Sewage Odors Foul smells from drains indicate either a dry P-trap (easy fix) or a clog allowing sewer gas to escape (needs professional attention).
Gurgling Sounds Gurgling from drains or toilets when other fixtures are used signals a venting problem or partial blockage in your drain system.
Water Backing Up Water coming up through floor drains, tubs, or showers when you flush or run the washing machine indicates a main line clog requiring immediate service.
That $8 bottle of drain cleaner seems like an easy solution—but it often creates bigger problems than it solves.
Chemical Damage Caustic drain cleaners generate heat to dissolve clogs. That same heat damages PVC pipes, corrodes older metal pipes, and destroys the rubber gaskets in your plumbing connections.
Partial Clearing Store-bought products may open a small channel through the clog without removing it. Water drains temporarily, but the blockage rebuilds quickly—often worse than before.
Safety Hazards If chemicals don’t work and you call a plumber, those caustic substances are still sitting in your pipes. Snaking through chemical-filled water creates dangerous splashing risks for technicians.
Masking Serious Problems DIY methods can temporarily improve drainage while ignoring underlying issues like root intrusion, pipe damage, or bellied sections that will eventually cause backups.
Professional drain cleaning costs more upfront than a bottle of Drano, but it actually solves the problem instead of temporarily masking symptoms.
Prevention always costs less than emergency service. Here’s how the math works:
Reactive Approach
Preventive Approach
Preventive maintenance removes buildup before it becomes a blockage. Our maintenance plans include annual clearing of your main drains, keeping your system flowing freely and catching small problems before they become emergencies.
Our drain cleaning cost estimator is designed to be fast, easy, and accurate. Here’s what to expect:
Select Your Drain Type Choose which drain is causing problems—bathroom sink, kitchen sink, shower, toilet, or main line. Each selection adjusts your estimate based on typical service requirements.
Describe the Problem Tell us what you’re experiencing—slow drainage, complete blockage, multiple affected drains, or recurring issues. Problem severity affects the equipment and time needed.
Answer Access Questions Provide details about cleanout locations and accessibility. Easily accessible cleanouts mean faster service and lower costs.
Receive Your Instant Estimate After answering all questions, we will contact you for your personalized cost estimate right away.
Schedule When Ready Your estimate is valid for 30 days. When you’re ready for service, contact us to schedule at your convenience—or request emergency service if you can’t wait.
General plumbers handle drain cleaning along with dozens of other services. Drain specialists focus on clearing and maintaining drains, delivering expertise and efficiency that generalists can’t match.
Right Equipment We carry professional-grade cable machines, hydro jetters, and camera systems on every truck. No waiting for equipment—we arrive ready to solve your problem.
Accurate Diagnosis Experience clearing thousands of drains means we quickly identify what’s causing your clog and choose the most effective clearing method.
Transparent Pricing Our cost estimator shows you expected pricing before we arrive. No surprise fees, no “discovered problems” that triple your bill, no pressure tactics.
Guaranteed Results We don’t leave until your drains flow freely. If the clog returns within 30 days, we come back at no additional charge.
Same-Day Service Clogged drains disrupt your entire household. We offer same-day service throughout the Houston area because we understand you can’t wait.
Ready to clear that clog? Our cost estimator provides an accurate estimate in under two minutes. Simply answer a few questions about your drain problem, and you’ll receive instant pricing for professional clearing.
At Repipe Solutions Inc., we’ve helped thousands of Houston homeowners restore their drains to full flow. Our licensed technicians arrive with the equipment and expertise to solve your drain problem—usually in under an hour.
Use the estimator above to get your instant quote, or call us at (832) 662-4288 to speak with a drain cleaning specialist. We offer same-day service for emergencies and flexible scheduling for routine maintenance.