Drain cleaning and clogged drains
One drain or all of them
The most useful thing a homeowner can figure out before calling is whether the problem is one fixture or the whole house. That single distinction tells you a lot about what the job is going to be.
One slow drain, by itself, is usually a local clog. The bathroom sink that will not drain but the tub right next to it is fine, that is a stoppage in the branch line for that one fixture. Hair, soap, grease, a toothbrush that went down, something built up right there. The fix is clearing that one line.
Several drains backing up at once is a different animal. If the toilet gurgles when the washing machine drains, or the tub backs up when you flush, the problem is downstream of all of them. Every fixture in the house ties into one main line that runs out to the tap, and when that main is blocked, everything above it talks back. That is usually the main sewer line, and clearing it is a different job than opening a single branch.
Knowing which one you have saves a phone call and a trip. If it is one fixture, Jacob clears that line. If it is the whole house, he goes after the main.
What we do about it
Jacob clears drains with mechanical cabling. A cable is a flexible rod with a cutting head on the end that is fed down the line and spun, opening the stoppage by cutting through whatever is in there, grease, hair, roots, sludge, and pushing it through or pulling it back out.
Cabling opens a line. It does not fix a broken one. If the pipe has a belly holding water, a separated joint, or roots growing in through a crack, the cable will clear the blockage and the drain will run again, but the condition that caused it is still there. That is the honest part a lot of folks do not hear.
If a line clogs again within a few weeks of being cleared, something structural is usually wrong. A drain that stops up, gets opened, and stops up again right away is telling you the pipe itself is the problem, not what is in it. That is when it is time to stop clearing and start looking with a camera.
What it costs
Drain cleaning starts at $175. The real number comes from the free on-site estimate, and here is what moves it.
- Access. How easy the line is to get to. A cleanout at ground level is straightforward. A line that has to be reached through a roof vent or by pulling a toilet takes more work.
- Length of the run. A short branch line clears quick. A main line that runs a hundred feet out to the tap takes more cable and more time.
- Whether a cleanout exists. If the house has a main cleanout, the cable goes straight in. If there is no cleanout, access has to be made, and that adds to the job.
- Roots. A line with heavy root intrusion takes longer to cut through than one stopped with grease and hair. Roots also mean the clog is likely to come back.
- Whether the line has to be camera'd afterwards. On a repeat clog or a main line stoppage, running a camera after the clear shows whether the pipe is sound or failing. That is a separate step with its own cost.
When a camera is worth it
A sewer camera inspection starts at $125. On a one-time clog that clears and stays clear, a camera is not needed. The cable did the job and the line is running fine.
On a repeat clog it is a different story. Clearing the same line three times in a year costs more than running a camera once and finding out why it keeps stopping. The camera shows the roots, the belly, the separated joint, whatever is causing the line to fail over and over. Then the fix is aimed at the real problem instead of the symptom.
The diagnostic starts at $125. On a complex job that takes an hour or more to locate, it can run higher. The inspection is the first step of the fix, not a charge piled on top.
Drain cleaning questions
How much does drain cleaning cost?
Drain cleaning starts at $175. The real number depends on access, the length of the run, whether a cleanout exists, and what is in the line. It comes from the free on-site estimate.
How do I know if it's one drain or the main line?
One slow fixture is usually a local clog. If two or more back up at the same time, or a toilet gurgles when the washer runs, the problem is usually out in the main line. That is a different job.
Will the clog come back?
If the line is just stopped up, clearing it fixes it. If it clogs again within a few weeks, something structural is usually wrong, like roots or a belly in the line. A camera run shows whether that is the case.
Can I just use chemical drain cleaner?
You can, but it rarely clears a real stoppage and it eats at older pipe over time. Chemicals sit on top of a clog instead of breaking it up. If the drain is fully stopped, they will not reach the problem.
Do you clear main line clogs too?
Yes. Jacob cables the main line through a cleanout when one exists. If the main keeps stopping up, that is when a camera inspection is worth running to see what is actually going on down there.
Do you work weekends?
Jacob works Monday through Saturday, 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and is closed Sunday. After-hours and Saturday calls carry a $75 non-refundable service fee. The estimate is still free.
Get on the schedule
(979) 206-0888Call and you get Jacob. Or send a request and he will call you back.
Got a drain that will not clear?
Call Jacob. He'll talk you through what is happening and tell you straight whether it is a local clog or the main line. Free estimates on any job.
Monday to Saturday, 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Closed Sunday. After-hours and Saturday calls carry a $75 non-refundable service fee.