Drain Cleaning Cost: By Fixture, Snaking & Hydro Jetting (4 References)

Drain cleaning costs $100 to $275 for a single clogged drain and $175 to $800 for a main sewer line.² Angi’s national average for a professional cleaning is $246, with most jobs between $147 and $352.¹ Hydro jetting a severe main-line blockage runs $350 to $800+ (Angi, HomeGuide).²³ Prices below are national averages* for 2026.

*National averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on which drain is clogged, how severe the blockage is, the clearing method, and whether you need a camera inspection.

$246

average cleaning, Angi

$100 – $275

single drain, HomeGuide

$380

average main sewer clog, Angi

$125 – $500

camera inspection, HomeGuide

Quick math: HomeGuide’s single-drain range of $100 to $275 midpoints at about $187; Angi’s $246 average sits $59 above that because its pool includes tougher multi-fixture jobs, our reading.¹² Either way, a routine clog is a few hundred dollars — a quote near $800 means main-line work or hydro jetting, not a simple snake, our judgment.

Cost by fixture

Fixture	Angi	HomeGuide
Toilet	$110 – $275	$100 – $275
Kitchen sink	$110 – $215	$100 – $220
Bathroom sink / tub / shower	~$225	$100 – $250
Laundry drain	—	$150 – $250
Main sewer line	$100 – $800	$175 – $800
AC condensate drain	—	$75 – $250
Storm / French drain / drain tile	—	$200 – $600

Toilet and kitchen-sink rows nearly match across both references, a good sign for those numbers.¹² The main line is where quotes spread out: severity ranges from a $200 to $300 simple clog to $600+ with roots or heavy buildup (Angi).¹³

Main line: snaking vs hydro jetting

Method	Cost	Source
Snaking / augering	$100 – $250	Angi
Main-line unclog	$350 – $600	Angi
Hydro jetting	$350 – $600	Angi
Hydro jetting (severe sewer)	$300 – $800 table; $600 – $1,400 text	HomeGuide
Tree root removal	$100 – $1,000	Angi
Camera inspection	$200 – $1,300	Angi
Camera inspection	$125 – $500	HomeGuide

Snaking clears small blockages but leaves residue; hydro jetting scours the line and is the better long-term fix for heavy buildup (Angi).³ HomeGuide’s own page lists hydro jetting at both $300 to $800 and $600 to $1,400 — treat $300 to $1,400 as the honest band, our judgment.² Camera inspections also disagree ($125 to $500 vs $200 to $1,300) because scope ranges from a quick look to full-line mapping.²³

Kitchen sink methods (Fixr)

Method	Cost
Manual snake	$100 – $300
Electric snake	$250 – $400
Hydro jetting	$300 – $500
Open pipe cleaning	$550 – $800

Fixr’s $250 to $400 kitchen-sink average assumes an electric snake; Angi and HomeGuide quote $100 to $220 for the same fixture with a manual snake.¹²⁴ Method drives the price more than the fixture, our judgment. Warning: electric snakes can damage older or fragile pipes (Fixr).⁴

Labor and fees

Plumbers charge $45 to $150 per hour (HomeGuide) or $45 to $200 for sewer work (Angi), plus a $50 to $200 call-out minimum (HomeGuide).¹²³ After-hours emergency rates run 2 to 3 times standard pricing (HomeGuide) — a $150 call-out becomes $300 to $450, our arithmetic.² A simple snake is often billed flat at around $250 (Angi).³

When cleaning is not enough

If the camera shows a broken or bellied pipe, cleaning buys time but doesn’t fix the cause: main sewer line repair runs $1,600 to $7,200, and full replacement $2,000 to $10,000 at $50 to $250 per linear foot (HomeGuide).² See our sewer line replacement cost guide.

Worked examples

Example 1 — clogged toilet, weekday visit. $100 to $275 (both references agree).¹² DIY with a $25 closet auger handles most of these, our judgment.

Example 2 — kitchen sink, grease buildup. Manual snake $100 to $300 (Fixr);⁴ stubborn grease may push to hydro jetting at $300 to $500 (Fixr).⁴

Example 3 — multiple drains backing up. That’s a main-line symptom (HomeGuide): snaking $100 to $250, camera $125 to $500, possible hydro jetting $350 to $600 — $575 to $1,350 all-in, our arithmetic.²³

FAQ

Can I clear a drain myself? Single-fixture clogs often yield to a plunger or hand snake — Angi puts DIY savings at over $100.¹ Main-line and recurring clogs need a pro with a camera, our judgment.

How do I know it’s the main line? Multiple fixtures backing up at once, gurgling, or sewage odor (HomeGuide, Angi).²³

Is hydro jetting worth the extra cost? For grease or root-heavy lines, yes — it cleans the full pipe wall instead of poking a hole through the clog (Angi).³

Should I get the camera inspection? For any main-line or repeat clog, yes: $125 to $500 (HomeGuide) beats paying for the wrong fix twice, our judgment.²

Are chemical drain cleaners a good idea? They can damage older pipes and rarely clear a real blockage; a manual snake at $100 to $300 is the safer first step (Fixr), our judgment.⁴

DIY shopping: drain snakes and augers (plain link, no affiliate relationship) — a $25 hand auger clears most single-fixture clogs; stop at the main line.

Sources

Angi, How Much Does Drain Cleaning Cost?
HomeGuide, How Much Does Drain Cleaning Cost? (2026).
Angi, Main Sewer Line Clog Repair Cost (2026 data, 1,037 projects).
Fixr, Cost to Unclog a Kitchen Sink