# Drain cleaning cost: snaking, hydro jetting, camera work and a price sheet

> Drain cleaning cost averages $186 to $549 nationally, according to Thumbtack, with simple clogs from $85 and complex jobs up to $1,223. Snaking a drain averages about $195, hydro jetting $350 to $600 (up to $1,000 for complex work) and a camera inspection about $395. Main sewer lines, restaurant grease lines, missing cleanouts and after-hours calls push the price up.

Published 2026-11-06 by Broombook · Pricing and money · 11 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/drain-cleaning-cost

## Key takeaways

- Thumbtack averages by fixture: kitchen sink $100 to $225, bath sink, tub or shower $150 to $225, toilet $110 to $275, main sewer line $100 to $800.
- Snaking about $195, hydro jetting $350 to $600, video inspection $290 to $640 (about $395 on average).
- Emergency, weekend and holiday calls are often billed at double or triple the usual rate, about $135 to $190 an hour per Thumbtack.
- Price a main line without a cleanout higher: pulling a toilet or working from a roof vent adds time and risk.
- In Texas, a Drain Cleaner-Restricted registrant may only clear obstructions through existing code-approved openings, under a Responsible Master Plumber.

## How much does drain cleaning cost?

Most homeowners pay $186 to $549 for drain cleaning, according to [Thumbtack’s drain cleaning cost data](https://www.thumbtack.com/p/drain-cleaning-cost) (updated April 2026). The low end is about $85 and the high end about $1,223. The location of the clog and the method used decide where a job falls.

| Clog location | Thumbtack national average | What usually clears it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kitchen sink | $100 to $225 | Small drum machine or hand auger; grease may need jetting |
| Bathroom sink, shower or tub | $150 to $225 | Hand auger through the drain or overflow; hair is the usual cause |
| Laundry drain | $150 to $215 | Small drum machine; lint builds up in the standpipe |
| Toilet | $110 to $275 | Closet auger; pulling the toilet is the expensive version |
| Main sewer line | $100 to $800 | Sectional or drum machine through a cleanout; jetting for roots and grease |

Thumbtack notes that some companies charge hourly while others charge a fixed service call fee to come out and diagnose, often waived if the client hires them for the work. Pick one model and say it on the phone before you drive.

This page is the price sheet. Licensing, equipment and the first clients are in [the drain cleaning business guide](https://broombook.com/guides/drain-cleaning-business).

## Snaking vs hydro jetting vs camera inspection: what does each cost?

Snaking averages about $195, hydro jetting $350 to $600, and a video inspection about $395 (range $290 to $640), per Thumbtack. Snaking opens a clog; jetting cleans the pipe wall; the camera tells you which one the line needs.

| Method | Thumbtack average | Best for | What drives your cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Snaking (augering, rodding) | About $195; a Denver pro charges $195 for a kitchen sink | Single clogs, hair, wipes, toilet stoppages | Machine and cable wear, time to reach the clog |
| Hydro jetting | $350 to $600; up to $1,000 for complex work | Grease, scale, roots after cutting, recurring backups | Jetter fuel and water, nozzles, hose wear, a second person |
| Video camera inspection | About $395 ($290 to $640) | Finding breaks, bellies, roots, offset joints; checking before jetting old pipe | Camera payments and repairs, recording and the report |

Thumbtack points out that older pipes may not handle jetting pressure and that most plumbers recommend a camera look first. Build that into your price sheet: camera plus jetting as a package, with the camera fee reduced when the client books the jetting. Some companies include a free camera look with a drain clearing; that works if your camera time is short and your clear price carries it.

## How much should hydro jetting cost?

Thumbtack puts hydro jetting at $350 to $600 for typical residential work and up to $1,000 for complex jobs. Price residential jetting per line and commercial jetting per hour or per line on a schedule.

### Why jetting costs more than snaking

- The machine is the most expensive tool on the truck, and hoses and nozzles wear out.
- It often takes two people: one at the jetter, one watching the cleanout and the fixtures.
- It uses water you have to bring or source, and it makes a mess you have to contain.
- It is usually paired with a camera before and after, which is time on site.

### A jetting price structure

| Job | Starting price to test in your market | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Residential main line, cleanout accessible | $450 to $600 | Inside Thumbtack’s range; camera after included |
| Residential main with heavy roots | $600 to $900 | Root cutting first, then jetting; recommend a follow-up |
| Kitchen branch line, home | $350 to $450 | Grease from years of pans; second visit discount |
| Restaurant kitchen line, one-off | Per hour, 2-hour minimum | After-hours by default |
| Restaurant kitchen line, scheduled | Per visit on a monthly or quarterly contract | Lower than one-off; you set the date |

These are starting points, not market data: the market data is Thumbtack’s $350 to $600. Your own number comes from the worked example at the end of this page.

## What does a main sewer line cost to clear?

Clearing a main line runs $100 to $600 depending on the clog and the tools, per Thumbtack: snaking $100 to $250, hydro jetting $350 to $600. When several fixtures back up at once, it is the main, and the price should reflect the access.

### Adders on a main line

- **No accessible cleanout.** Thumbtack notes main line work goes through a sewer cleanout or an exterior drain vent. No cleanout means pulling a toilet (and resetting it with a new wax ring) or a roof vent. Price it as a separate line, for example $100 to $175.
- **Roots.** Cutting heads, repeat passes and often a camera to show the client the intrusion.
- **Distance.** Long runs to the city tap need more cable and time.
- **Sewage on the floor.** Cleanup of the backup area is a separate job; quote it as sanitation, not drain clearing.

### When the camera finds damage

Thumbtack reports sewer line repair at $1,800 to $3,700 for labor alone, and replacement at $50 to $450 per linear foot including materials, around $3,900 on average. Unless you are a licensed plumbing contractor, that work is a referral. A clean video and a short written report make you the company the plumber calls back for the next drain job, and make the homeowner trust your diagnosis.

## How do you price commercial and restaurant grease lines?

Price commercial drain work by the hour or by the line, sold as a maintenance schedule, with after-hours as the normal working time. Restaurants pay for no surprises: a line jetted every one to three months costs them less than one Friday-night backup.

### What changes on commercial jobs

- **Hours.** Kitchens close late. Your night rate is the standard rate for this client; bake it into the contract price instead of surprising them with a surcharge.
- **Grease volume.** Grease lines fill faster than any household line. Use camera footage from the first visit to set the frequency.
- **Paperwork.** Certificate of insurance, a service report per visit with the line, method and condition, and sometimes a log the city inspector can see. Many cities run fats, oils and grease (FOG) programs for food service; check yours, because it defines what records the restaurant must keep.
- **Grease traps and interceptors.** Pumping and hauling the trap is often a separate, licensed hauling service. Partner with a hauler or price it only if you are permitted to transport the waste.

### A contract example (hypothetical)

A restaurant with one kitchen line and a floor drain: jetting quarterly after close, camera on the first and fourth visits, one emergency call-out per year at the contract rate. Four scheduled visits at $425 is $1,700 a year, invoiced per visit, plus emergency calls at your contract hourly rate. If you also clean kitchens, see [commercial kitchen cleaning prices](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-kitchen-cleaning-prices): hood and floor cleaning and line jetting are a natural bundle for the same manager.

## What should you charge for trip fees and after-hours calls?

Charge a trip or service call fee that covers the drive and the diagnosis, credited if the client books the work, and an after-hours rate that is a stated multiple of your day rate. Thumbtack says emergency, weekend and holiday calls are often billed at double or triple the usual rates, about $135 to $190 an hour.

| Fee | How to set it | Example (hypothetical) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trip or service call | Round trip at the IRS rate plus 30 to 45 minutes of tech time, plus overhead | $79, credited toward the clear |
| Evening (after 6 pm) | 1.5 × day price | Kitchen sink $175 becomes $265 |
| Overnight, weekend | 1.5 to 2 × day price | Main line $250 becomes $375 to $500 |
| Holiday | 2 × day price | Posted in advance |
| Outside your service area | Per mile beyond the boundary | $1.50 a mile past 25 miles |

For the trip fee math, the IRS standard rate is [76 cents a business mile for July to December 2026](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates). A 24-mile round trip is $18 of vehicle cost before your tech’s time. Say the after-hours rate on the phone, and take a card when you book an emergency; the drain cleaning business guide covers how to run the on-call side.

## Do plumbing license rules limit what you can put on a price list?

Yes. In states that treat drain cleaning as plumbing, your registration defines which services you may sell, so it defines your price list. Thumbtack’s hiring advice notes that plumbers must be licensed under rules each state sets. Rules differ widely; check your state plumbing board, and treat this as general information, not legal advice.

### Texas: two registrations, two price lists

The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners lists [Drain Cleaner-Restricted and Drain Cleaner registrations](https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/registrations/), added to a Plumber’s Apprentice registration (the Drain Cleaner registration can also go on a Tradesman Plumber-Limited license):

- **Drain Cleaner-Restricted** may clear obstructions in building drains and sewers through any existing code-approved opening, under the general supervision of a Responsible Master Plumber. Your list is clearing and camera work from existing openings.
- **Drain Cleaner** requires at least 4,000 hours as a Drain Cleaner-Restricted and may also install cleanouts and remove and reset P-traps to clear obstructions. Now “install a cleanout” can be a line item, which matters, because no cleanout is the biggest adder on a main line.

### California: plumbing is a contractor classification

The Contractors State License Board lists [C-36 Plumbing Contractor](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/About_Us/Library/Licensing_Classifications/) among its classifications. If you are not licensed, pipe repair, replacement and anything the board treats as plumbing contracting should not be on your list; confirm with CSLB which drain services and job sizes you can sell.

### What to do with the work you cannot sell

Refer it. Agree a referral arrangement with a licensed plumber (who often has more clogs than time) and put “repairs by our licensed partner” on your quote. The camera video you already shot is the plumber’s estimate.

## A worked drain cleaning price sheet and one costed job

Build the sheet from day prices, then add the trip fee and after-hours rules on top. The prices below are hypothetical starting points that sit inside Thumbtack’s ranges; your costs decide the final numbers.

| Service (daytime) | Example price | Thumbtack average |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kitchen sink | $175 | $100 to $225 |
| Bathroom sink, tub or shower | $165 | $150 to $225 |
| Toilet (auger, no pull) | $150 | $110 to $275 |
| Laundry drain | $165 | $150 to $215 |
| Second drain, same visit | $95 | Not listed |
| Main line from cleanout | $250 | $100 to $250 (snaking a main) |
| No cleanout (toilet pull or roof) | Add $125 | Not listed |
| Camera inspection with video | $325, or $150 with a clear | $290 to $640 |
| Hydro jetting, residential main | $525 | $350 to $600 |

### Costing one job: a restaurant line jetted after close

- Labor: one technician, 2.5 hours on site plus 45 minutes driving. O\*NET reports a 2025 median wage of [$30.67 an hour for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2152.00); with a 1.5 times night premium that is about $46 an hour, so 3.25 hours is $150.
- Jetter fuel, water and nozzle and hose wear: $35. Camera use (your internal rate): $25.
- Vehicle: 30 miles round trip at $0.76: $23.
- Direct cost: $233.
- Drain work carries heavy overhead (machines, cable and hose replacement, the camera, insurance, the van, answering at night), so set overhead at 35% and profit at 25%: direct cost is 40% of the price. $233 ÷ 0.40 = **$583**.

That lands at the top of Thumbtack’s $350 to $600 jetting range, which is right for a night job with a camera. On a quarterly contract you might take $425 a visit because you choose the night and stack two restaurants on one trip. Put the sheet in the [estimate template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-estimate-template), and if you want clients to book a drain call online with the trip fee shown, [quoting software](https://broombook.com/software/cleaning-quote-software) such as Broombook handles the booking, card on file and reminders; see [features](https://broombook.com/features).

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does it cost to snake a drain?

Thumbtack puts snaking at about $195 on average, and snaking a main sewer line at $100 to $250. Kitchen sinks average $100 to $225 and toilets $110 to $275.

### How much does hydro jetting cost?

Thumbtack reports $350 to $600 for hydro jetting, with complex work up to $1,000. Many companies run a camera first on older pipes, because high pressure can damage weak lines.

### Is hydro jetting worth more than snaking?

For grease, scale and roots, yes: snaking punches a hole through the clog, while jetting cleans the pipe wall, so the line stays clear longer. For a single hair clog, snaking is enough.

### How much does a sewer camera inspection cost?

About $395 on average, with a range of $290 to $640, according to Thumbtack. Some companies include a camera look free with a drain clearing.

### Should a drain cleaning company charge a trip fee?

Yes, if it is stated up front and credited toward the work. It covers the drive and diagnosis when the client cancels or the clog clears before you arrive.

### How much more are emergency drain calls?

Thumbtack says emergency, weekend and holiday calls are often billed at double or triple the usual rate, about $135 to $190 an hour. Publish your multiplier and say it on the phone.

## Sources

- [Thumbtack: how much does drain cleaning cost? (national data, updated April 2026)](https://www.thumbtack.com/p/drain-cleaning-cost)
- [Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners: Drain Cleaner registrations and scope of work](https://tsbpe.texas.gov/license-types/registrations/)
- [California Contractors State License Board: licensing classifications (C-36 Plumbing)](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/About_Us/Library/Licensing_Classifications/)
- [O*NET OnLine: plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (2025 median wage)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2152.00)
- [IRS: standard mileage rates (76 cents per business mile, July to December 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates)

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