Drain cleaning cost calculator
Clogged Drain Cleaning in Houston, TX
See what clearing a clogged drain costs in Houston, then talk with a plumber who works there.
On this page
- Plumbers working in Houston
- One call, no form
- See the price range first
01
How Much Does Clogged Drain Cleaning Cost in Houston?
A clogged kitchen sink in Houston usually costs somewhere in a rough range of $140 to $350. Clearing the main sewer line costs more, around $180 to $575, since it takes a larger machine and sometimes a camera inspection. Roots in the line and a cleanout that is hard to reach both contribute to the bill. The calculator below adjusts national drain cleaning costs for prices in the Houston area. Read the result as a rough range, not a quote.
Estimated cost in Houston
$140 to $350
Snaking, one visit
A rough range, not a quote
- Local prices
- Close to the U.S. 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.
02
Drain Cleaning Prices in Houston by Drain
Prices in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area run close to the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The calculator and the table adjust national drain cleaning prices by that much, so the numbers fit Houston.
| Drain | Snake or auger | Hydro jetting |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen sink | $140 to $350 | $290 to $600 |
| Bathroom sink | $100 to $250 | $240 to $500 |
| Tub or shower | $120 to $300 | $240 to $550 |
| Toilet | $120 to $300 | Not used |
| Floor or laundry drain | $140 to $400 | $290 to $650 |
| Main sewer line | $180 to $575 | $340 to $900 |
| Outdoor or yard drain | $170 to $450 | $290 to $750 |
03
Clogged Drain Cleaning in Houston
Most clogged drains in Houston build up over weeks before they stop. Grease and food scraps coat the kitchen line, and hair and soap scum gather in the bathroom P-trap, until one day the water just sits there. If only one sink is slow, the clog is usually close to that fixture. When a number of drains back up at once, or water rises in the tub as the toilet flushes, the problem is further down in the main sewer line.
A call to 888-681-1687 goes to a local plumber or drain cleaning company that operates in Houston. Explain which drain is backed up, whether any other drain is acting up and what you have already tried. That plumber is an independent business in Texas, separate from this site, and sets the price and the schedule. Ask for the price before any work begins.
04
Which Drain Is Clogged in Your Houston Home?
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
$140 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
$140 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
$180 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.
05
What Houston Pipes, Trees and Weather Do to Drains
The ground around Houston stays wet for much of the year, from heavy rain and, in many low-lying areas, a high water table. Wet soil presses on sewer lines and septic drain fields, so a slow drain can become a backup after a big storm. Roots grow quickly in warm, wet ground, and live oaks, pines and other big yard trees can reach a cracked sewer lateral sooner than you might think.
Kitchen grease is the other common cause. Hot water carries grease down the sink, where it cools, hardens and catches food scraps until nothing gets through. Many homes in Texas rest on a concrete slab, so the drain lines run under the floor. That makes a working cleanout important, and it is why a camera inspection usually comes before any talk of breaking concrete.
Many homes in Houston and across Texas sit on slabs, and in much of the state the soil underneath is expansive clay that swells in wet weather and shrinks in drought. That movement can crack the drain lines under the floor, and in older houses those lines are often cast iron. Water is hard in much of the state, so scale builds up inside the pipe. Live oak and pecan roots go after moisture during long dry spells, and when the rain finally comes it can come all at once. Near the coast, hurricanes and flooding add to the list.
- Expansive clay that moves slabs and the pipe under them
- Cast iron drain lines under older homes
- Hard water in much of the state
- Live oak and pecan roots during droughts
- Hurricanes near the coast and flash floods inland
When It Is More Than a Clog
A plunger or a hand snake can usually handle one slow sink. Call a plumber if several drains are slow, if water rises in a tub, shower or floor drain when another fixture drains, if a toilet gurgles as the washer empties, or if the same drain clogs again within weeks. Those signs point to the main sewer line or the pipe itself, not a single trap. When you speak to a plumber in Houston, ask whether they will use a cable auger or hydro jetting, whether a camera inspection is included or extra, and how the price changes if they find roots or broken pipe.
06
Signs Your Houston Drain Needs a Plumber
Most drains give some warning before they stop completely. Below are the signs to watch for in a Houston home, including the ones that mean the main sewer line, not a single clog.
- Water drains slowly. A sink or tub that takes minutes to empty is narrowing inside. It usually gets worse until it stops.
- Drains gurgle. Bubbling or gurgling when water runs elsewhere means air is being pulled through a partly blocked line.
- Water backs up in another fixture. Water rising in the tub when the toilet flushes, or in the sink when the washer drains, points to a shared or main line clog.
- A sewer smell hangs around. Standing water and buildup in the pipe start to smell. So does a dry trap or a cracked line.
- The same drain keeps clogging. If the plunger comes out every few weeks, the cause is further down the line than the plunger reaches.
- Water comes up through a floor drain. A basement floor drain that pushes water up is the classic sign of a main sewer line backup.
07
What Happens When You Call
1
Call 888-681-1687
Use the number on this page. There is no form to fill out and no account to set up.
2
Talk to a local plumber
The call goes to an independent plumber or drain cleaning company that works in Houston. Say which drain is stopped, whether water is backing up anywhere else and what you have already tried.
3
Agree on the price first
Ask for the price or how it is worked out before anyone starts, and what happens if they find roots or broken pipe. You decide whether to go ahead.
What a Typical Drain Cleaning Visit Includes
- Questions about the drain. Which fixtures are slow, when it started and what has gone down the drain. The answers often point to the cause before any tools come out.
- Getting to the clog. For a sink that can mean taking off the P-trap. For a main sewer line it means opening a cleanout outside or in the basement, or pulling a toilet when there is no cleanout.
- Clearing the line. A hand snake or cable auger for most sink, tub and toilet clogs, a larger machine with a root cutting head for the main line, or hydro jetting for grease and scale that keep coming back.
- Testing the flow. Running water through the line afterward to make sure it drains at full speed, and checking the other fixtures on the same line.
- A camera inspection when it makes sense. If the line keeps clogging or roots came back on the cable, a camera shows the condition of the pipe. Ask whether it is part of the visit or priced separately.
08
Drain Cleaning Across Houston
A call to 888-681-1687 from Houston goes to a plumber or drain cleaning company that covers your area. The ZIP codes and nearby communities below show the area this page covers. Plumbers set their own service areas, so if you are on the edge of Houston or past the city limits, mention it when you call and ask about a trip charge.
The same number works across Houston, in neighborhoods such as Harrisburg, Memorial Forest and Timbergrove Manor.
- Counties
- Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Waller
- Area codes
- 281, 346, 713, 832
- Local prices
- Close to the U.S. average
- Call
- 888-681-1687
Houston ZIP Codes
- 77001
- 77002
- 77003
- 77004
- 77005
- 77006
- 77007
- 77008
- 77009
- 77010
- 77011
- 77012
- 77013
- 77014
- 77015
- 77016
- 77017
- 77018
- 77019
- 77020
- 77021
- 77022
- 77023
- 77024
- 77025
- 77026
- 77027
- 77028
- 77029
- 77030
- 77031
- 77032
- 77033
- 77034
- 77035
- 77036
- 77037
- 77038
- 77039
- 77040
- 77041
- 77042
- 77043
- 77044
- 77045
- 77046
- 77047
- 77048
- 77049
- 77050
- 77051
- 77052
- 77053
- 77054
- 77055
- 77056
- 77057
- 77058
- 77059
- 77060
- 77061
- 77062
- 77063
- 77064
- 77065
- 77066
- 77067
- 77068
- 77069
- 77070
- 77071
- 77072
- 77073
- 77074
- 77075
- 77076
- 77077
- 77078
- 77079
- 77080
- 77081
- 77082
- 77083
- 77084
- 77085
- 77086
- 77087
- 77088
- 77089
- 77090
- 77091
- 77092
- 77093
- 77094
- 77095
- 77096
- 77098
- 77099
- 77201
- 77202
- 77203
- 77205
- 77206
- 77207
- 77208
- 77210
- 77213
- 77215
- 77217
- 77218
- 77219
- 77220
- 77221
- 77222
- 77223
- 77224
- 77225
- 77226
- 77227
- 77228
- 77229
- 77230
- 77231
- 77233
- 77234
- 77235
- 77236
- 77237
- 77238
- 77240
- 77241
- 77242
- 77243
- 77244
- 77245
- 77248
- 77249
- 77251
- 77252
- 77253
- 77254
- 77255
- 77256
- 77257
- 77258
- 77259
- 77261
- 77262
- 77263
- 77265
- 77266
- 77267
- 77268
- 77269
- 77270
- 77271
- 77272
- 77273
- 77274
- 77275
- 77277
- 77279
- 77280
- 77282
- 77284
- 77287
- 77288
- 77289
- 77290
- 77291
- 77292
- 77293
Neighborhoods in Houston
- Acres Homes
- Addicks
- Afton Oaks
- Alabama Place
- Alief
- Allendale
- Almeda
- Ashford
- Ashford Forest
- Ashford Hills
- Ashford Point
- Ashton Village
- Audobon Place
- Audubon Place
- Autumn Oaks
- Avalon Place
- Avondale
- Avondale East
- Avondale West
- Bammel
- Bayou Estates
- Bayou Place
- Bear Branch
- Bellaire West
- Bordersville
- Braeburn
- Braeswood
- Brays Oaks
- Briar Forest
- Briar Park
- Briargrove
- Briarhills
- Brookhaven
- Calgary Woods
- Camp Logan
- Candlelight Estates
- Candlelight Place
- Candlelight Plaza
- Candlelight Woods
- Canfield Oaks
- Carverdale
- Central City
- Central Northwest Houston
- Central Southwest Houston
- Charlton Park
- Cherryhurst
- Chinatown
- City Oaks
- Clear Lake
- Cobblestone Court
- Cole Creek Manor
- College Oaks
- Colquitt Court
- Courtlandt Place
- Crestmont
- Crestmont Park
- Crestwood
- Dearborn Place
- Deer Ridge Estates
- Denver Harbor
- Dominion Estates
- Dow Acres
- Downtown
- Dunnam
- East Downtown
- East Haven
- East Houston
- Eastwood
- Edgebrook
- Edgeworth Place
- El Dorado
- Ella Lee Forest
- Energy Corridor
- Ethan's Glen
- Fairbanks
- Fifth Ward
- First Ward
- Fleetwood
- Fondren Gardens
- Forest Cove
- Fort Bend Houston
- Foster Place
- Fourth Ward
- Garden City Park
- Garden Oaks
- Garden Oaks Court
- Garden Oaks Plaza
- Garden Villas
- Gaywood
- Genoa
- Glendower Court
- Golfcrest
- Greens Bayou
- Greenspoint
- Greentree
- Greenway
- Greenway / Upper Kirby
- Groveland Terrace
- Gulf Palms
- Gulfton
- Hamlin's Woodland
- Harrisburg
- Hawthorne Place
- Hidden Valley
- Hidden Valley West
- Highland Heights
- Highland Village
- Hobby
- Holiday Forest
- Houston Heights
- Humble Camp
- Hunters Ridge
- Hunterwood
- Huntington Village
- Hyde Park
- Independence Heights
- Inwood
- Kashmere Gardens
- Keegans Glen
- Kensington Green
- Kings Forest
- Kings Forest Estates
- Kings Point
- Kings River Estates
- Kingwood
- Kingwood Lakes
- Kohrville
- Lakes of Bella Terra
- Lakes of Parkway
- Lakeshore
- Lakewood Cove
- Lamar Terrace
- Lancaster Place
- Langwood
- Lazybrook
- Lindale Park
- Linkwood
- Little Saigon
- Long Point Acres
- Lynn Park
- MacGregor
- Magnolia Grove
- Magnolia Park
- Mahatma Gandhi District
- Manchester
- Mandell Place
- Maplewood South/North
- Maxroy Mews
- Mayfair
- Meadow Park
- Meadowbrook
- Meadowood Estates
- Melrose Park
- Memorial Bend
- Memorial City
- Memorial Drive Acres
- Memorial Forest
- Memorial Green
- Memorial Heights
- Memorial Hollow
- Memorial Thicket
- Memorial Trails
- Memorial Way
- Meyerland
- Midtown
- Mills Branch
- Minnetex
- Mission Oaks
- Montrose
- Moonshine Hill
- Mount Houston
- Murray Park
- Museum District
- Mykawa
- Near Northside
- Neuen Manor
- North Post Oak Estates
- North Shadydale
- North Shore
- North Woodland Hills
- Northwest Crossing
- Nottingham
- Nottingham Forest
- Nottingham Forest VIII
- Nottingham West
- Oak Manor
- Oaks Estates
- Oates Prairie
- Old Sixth Ward
- Old West End
- Palisades Park
- Pamela Heights
- Park Place
- Park Westheimer
- Parkglen West
- Parkridge
- Pecan Park
- Piney Point
- Pleasantville
- Port Houston
- Rice Military
- Rice Village
- Richwood Place
- River Forest
- River Oaks
- Riverchase
- Riverside Crest
- Riverside Terrace
- Rosslyn
- Royal Oaks Country Club
- Royal Shores
- Royden Oaks
- Rustling Pines
- Sand Creek
- Satsuma
- Scenic Gardens
- Scenic Woods
- Second Ward
- Settegast
- Sharpstown
- Shepherd Park Plaza
- Sherwood Oaks
- Silverdale
- Skyscraper Shadows
- Smith Addition
- Somerset Green
- Songwood
- South Belt Central Business Park
- South Lawn
- South Woodland Hills
- Southampton
- Southampton Extension
- Southgate
- Southwest Crossing
- Southwood Oaks
- Spring Branch
- Spring Branch Central
- Spring Branch East
- Spring Branch North
- Spring Branch West
- Spring Falls
- Stonehenge
- Sunnyside
- Tanglewood
- Tealwood
- Terraces on Memorial
- Texas Medical Center
- Third Ward
- Timbercrest
- Timbergorve Manor Section 1
- Timbergrove Green
- Timbergrove Manor
- Timbergrove Manor Section 10
- Timbergrove Manor Section 11
- Timbergrove Manor Section 12
- Timbergrove Manor Section 13
- Timbergrove Manor Section 14
- Timbergrove Manor Section 2
- Timbergrove Manor Section 3
- Timbergrove Manor Section 4
- Timbergrove Manor Section 5
- Timbergrove Manor Section 6
- Timbergrove Manor Section 7
- Timbergrove Manor Section 8
- Timbergrove Manor Section 9
- Timbergrove Point
- Timbergrove Trails
- Town & Country / CityCentre
- Trailwood Village
- University Oaks
- University Place
- University Village
- Uptown
- Vassar Place
- Vermont Commons
- Village Place
- Village of Oak Forest
- Walnut Bend
- Washington Terrace
- Wayside Village
- Weslayan Plaza
- West Lane Place
- West Lawn Terrace
- Westbranch
- Westbury
- Westchase
- Westchester
- Westfield Estates
- Westmoreland
- Westpark Village
- Westridge
- Westwick
- Westwood
- Westwood Grove
- Westwood Park
- Westwood South
- Whispering Oaks
- Wilchester
- Wilchester West
- Willow Meadows
- Willow Run
- Willowbrook
- Winchester
- Winlow Place
- Wood Bayou
- Woodcrest
- Woodland Heights
- Woodland Hollow
- Woods on Memorial
- Woodshire
- Yaupon Grove
- Yorkshire
- Yorkwood
Nearby Communities
09
Clogged Drain Cleaning Near Houston
- West University Place, TX
- Southside Place, TX
- Spring Valley Village, TX
- Hunters Creek Village, TX
- Bunker Hill Village, TX
- Piney Point Village, TX
- Hedwig Village, TX
- Bellaire, TX
- Jacinto City, TX
- Galena Park, TX
- Jersey Village, TX
- Stafford, TX
Find a Plumber in Your City
10
Houston Clogged Drain FAQ
How much does clogged drain cleaning cost in Houston?
Clearing a clogged kitchen sink in Houston usually falls in a rough range of $140 to $350. A main sewer line clog runs higher, around $180 to $575, and more if roots have to be cut or a camera inspection is added. The drain involved, how far down the clog sits and how easy the cleanout is to reach all move the number. These are rough ranges, not quotes. The plumber who takes your call sets the price, so ask for it before any work starts.
How soon can someone come out to Houston?
That depends on the plumber who covers your part of Houston and how full their schedule is. This site does not set anyone's schedule, so it cannot promise a time. When you call 888-681-1687, ask when they can get there and whether the timing changes the price. If water is rising or sewage is coming up, say so at the start of the call.
Should the drain be snaked or hydro jetted?
A drain snake, also called a cable auger, feeds a spinning cable down the pipe to break up or pull out the clog. It is the usual first step for sinks, tubs and toilets, and a larger machine does the same job on a main sewer line. Hydro jetting sprays water at high pressure to scour grease, scale and fine roots off the pipe walls, so it suits lines that keep clogging. It costs more, and old or cracked pipe may not take the pressure, so ask the plumber to check the line first, often with a camera inspection.
How do I know if it is the main sewer line?
Look at how many drains are involved. One slow sink is usually a clog in that fixture's trap or branch line. Suspect the main sewer line when several drains are slow at once, when water comes up in a tub, shower or basement floor drain as something else drains, when toilets gurgle, or when you smell sewage near a floor drain or cleanout. A main line clog is cleared from a cleanout with a longer machine, and a camera inspection shows whether roots or broken pipe caused it.
Are chemical drain cleaners a good idea?
Usually not. The strong ones work by heat and caustic or acid reactions, which can soften plastic joints, eat at old corroded pipe and harm the bacteria a septic tank depends on. They rarely clear wipes, roots or a solid grease plug, and when they fail you are left with a sink full of chemicals that the plumber has to work around. A plunger or a hand snake is a safer first try. If you have already poured something in, tell the plumber before they start.
What should I do while I wait for the plumber?
Stop sending water into the drain that is backed up. If it looks like the main line, stop using water anywhere in the house until the plumber gets there, including showers, laundry, the dishwasher and flushing. If a toilet is close to overflowing, turn the shutoff valve behind it clockwise. Move rugs and anything stored near a floor drain, keep kids and pets away from dirty water, and clear a path to the cleanout if you know where it is.
Who is the plumber I get connected to?
An independent local plumber or drain cleaning company that works in Houston, TX. This site is a referral line: it connects the call. It does not clear drains, send anyone out or set the price. The plumber sets their own prices and schedule, so ask about the price, the method and what happens if they find a bigger problem before any work starts.
Still have water sitting in the sink or tub? Call 888-681-1687 and explain which drain is backed up, when it started and whether any other drain is slow. The call goes to a local plumber who works in Houston, and nothing is booked until you have heard the price and agreed to it. Until then, a plunger is fine on a sink or toilet. Leave the chemical drain cleaner on the shelf. It can damage old pipe and makes the job riskier for whoever clears the line.