Owner-operated drain & sewer service in Ballard, Seattle
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Phones 8 AM – 8 PM daily · Online booking 24/7
5608 17th Ave NW, Suite 2025, Seattle, WA 98107 · WA #DRAINDA756MA

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Yard & Outdoor Drain Cleaning in Seattle

Water pooling at the bottom of the driveway, a yard drain that overflows every storm, a downspout line that bubbles at the joint. We clear the underground lines that carry Seattle rain away from your house, with a cable, the jetter and a camera.

Call (206) 590-1455 Book online, any hour

Owner answers 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days · Book online 24/7

Trench drain grates lifted off a concrete driveway with a drain cable running into the flooded inlet
Field photo · Driveway drain grates off, cable in

The short answer

Yard drain cleaning clears the underground pipes behind yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and downspout lines, so storm water leaves the property instead of pooling against the house. In Seattle the owner maintains this private drainage system. Ours is $200–$600 flat with a cable, $500–$700 with jetting.

$200–$600

Cable, flat price

$500–$700

Jetted, camera included

$0 trip fee

Same rate evenings & weekends

5.0

Google rating from 100+ reviews

What yard drain cleaning covers, and what it costs

Everything below the grate and past the downspout elbow: the buried pipe that has to carry a Seattle storm off your lot.

We find the line’s access point, clear it with a cable or the jetter depending on what is in it, then run water through it to prove it drains. When a line floods every winter, we camera it so you see whether it is debris, roots or a broken section.

This is drain work, not gutter work. We start where the downspout enters the ground. If the problem turns out to be the side sewer because your downspouts are tied into it, we will show you that on camera too.

Our flat price

$200–$600

cable; jetting $500–$700

Flat price, approved before work starts. No trip fee, no after-hours rate.

Clears
Yard and area drains, trench drains, downspout lines
Method
Cable for debris and roots; 4,000 PSI jetter for silt
Camera
When a line keeps flooding or the cause is unclear
Hours
Phones 8 AM to 8 PM daily; online booking any hour

Not our workGutters, regrading, or installing new drains

WA contractor #DRAINDA756MA · Owner-operated from Ballard

Four outdoor drains, four ways they clog

Most Seattle lots have at least two of these. Knowing which one is backing up tells us which tool to bring.

Where a Seattle storm gets stuck

Roof, downspout, buried line, yard drain, street. A blockage at any point backs water up to the one before it.

DownspoutYard drainFrench drainStreetGround1234
Drain line Where it fails
  1. 1

    The downspout standpipe

    Roof grit and moss wash straight into the buried line. When it clogs here, the downspout overflows at the joint.

  2. 2

    The buried run

    Long, shallow and easy for roots to find. A partial blockage passes light rain and fails in a real storm.

  3. 3

    The yard drain box

    Leaves and sediment settle in the catch box under the grate until the outlet is buried.

  4. 4

    The French drain

    Silt slowly fills the perforations. The yard stays soggy long after the rain stops.

We do not clean gutters or regrade yards. Our work is the pipe underneath.

What Seattle says about private drainage

The City maintains the street drains. Everything that carries water across your lot is yours.

Fallen leaves piled on a storm drain grate on a wet street during rain
Fall leaves on a drain grate during a Seattle rain.

Who maintains it

The property owner, per Seattle Public Utilities

  1. Your drainage, your responsibility

    Seattle Public Utilities says maintaining your property’s drainage system is your responsibility, including catch basins, gutters and downspouts.

    SPU, Drainage System

  2. Video inspect what you cannot see

    SPU recommends hiring a professional to regularly video inspect your underground drainage system, and contacting a soils engineer if you see signs of erosion.

    SPU, Drainage System

  3. Some downspouts feed the sewer

    Seattle’s RainWise downspout guide notes that some Seattle houses have their roof gutters and downspouts connected to the combined sewer, which carries rainwater and wastewater together.

    RainWise, Disconnecting Downspouts

  4. Repairs need a permit; cleaning does not

    SPU requires a side sewer permit when a pipe or an external fixture such as a cleanout or yard drain needs to be repaired or replaced. Its homeowner guide says routine side sewer cleaning needs no City permit.

    SPU, Side Sewer Permits

What you see, what it means

The symptom usually points to the clog, and to how soon it needs attention. This is how we read it before we arrive.

How soon

Book when convenient

Book this week

Call today

  • Pond at a yard or area drain after rain

    Likely cause

    Leaves and sediment in the box or outlet

    What we do

    Clear the box, cable or jet the outlet

    Book this week

    $200–$600

  • Water across the driveway at the trench drain

    Likely cause

    Grit packed in the outlet pipe

    What we do

    Jet the outlet line

    Book this week

    $500–$700

  • Downspout overflowing at the ground joint

    Likely cause

    Blocked standpipe or buried downspout line

    What we do

    Cable from the standpipe, flow-test

    Call today

    $200–$600

  • Water against the foundation or in the basement

    Likely cause

    Downspout line or yard drain backing up toward the house

    What we do

    Clear the line, then check where it drains

    Call today

    $200–$600

  • Soggy yard days after the rain

    Likely cause

    Silted or crushed French drain

    What we do

    Camera first; jet if intact

    Book when convenient

    $500–$700

  • Floods every winter even after cleaning

    Likely cause

    Roots or a broken section

    What we do

    Camera to locate it, then a straight answer

    Book when convenient

    Camera $300–$400

Flat Seattle prices for standard service, no trip fee, same rate evenings and weekends. Camera inspection is $300–$400 on its own.

We do not clean gutters, and we will not sell you a new drain. We find out why the one you have stopped carrying water, clear it, and run a hose down it until you watch it work.

The Drain Authority, Ballard

Outdoor drains, up close

Grates, outlets and the equipment that clears them, starting with our own jetter.

Find the outlet first

A clear outlet is half the job. We trace where the line daylights or ties in before we clear it.

Cable or jetter by what is in it

Roots and solid debris get a cable; silt and sludge in long runs get the jetter.

Run water to prove it

A hose in the downspout or the grate shows the line carrying water before we leave.

Shane Caldwell of The Drain Authority in the back of his van beside the jetter and hose reel
Shane with the van-mounted jetter
Grated drain outlet set into a rock-lined swale
A drain outlet in a rock swale
Moss-covered opening of an underground drain pipe
A buried line where it daylights
Downspout discharging rainwater onto paving at the base of a stone wall
Roof water leaving a downspout

How much does yard drain cleaning cost in Seattle?

Two flat prices, set by what is in the line and how long it runs.

Our flat price

$200–$600

Cable; $500–$700 jetted with a camera

  • Access point found and opened
  • Cable or jetter matched to the clog
  • Water run through to prove it
  • Same price evenings and weekends

Yard drain cleaning costs $200 to $600 in Seattle with The Drain Authority when a cable clears it, or $500 to $700 when the line needs hydro jetting with a camera pass. Both are flat prices you approve before work starts.

$0$200$400$600$800Our price, cleared with a cable$200$600Our price, hydro jetted with camera$500$700Angi 2026 Seattle drain cleaning$210$536avg $373
$0$200$400$600$800Our price, cleared with a cable$200$600Our price, hydro jetted with camera$500$700Angi 2026 Seattle drain cleaning$210$536avg $373
Our flat price Angi 2026 Seattle range
Seattle average
Angi’s 2026 Seattle data puts drain cleaning at $210–$536, averaging $373. Angi: Seattle drain cleaning cost
Never added
A trip fee, an hourly meter, or an evening or weekend surcharge
Camera only
Camera inspection $300–$400 when you want to see the line first
Not included
Gutter cleaning, regrading, or installing new drains

How a yard drain visit works

Most outdoor lines are cleared in one visit, with a camera only when the line has a history.

  1. 3–5 min

    The call

    Which drain floods, when it floods, and where the downspouts go.

  2. Same day

    Arrival window

    A window, not a whole day, when the schedule allows.

  3. ~10 min

    Flat price

    We find the access and the outlet, then quote one price.

  4. 30 min–2 hrs

    Clear the line

    Cable or jetter, from the access that reaches the whole run.

  5. ~15 min

    Prove it

    Water through the drain until it runs clear; camera if it keeps failing.

Water pooling where it shouldn’t?

Book a slot online any hour, or call and the owner answers 8 AM to 8 PM. Same flat price evenings and weekends.

Book yard drain cleaning

Not sure which drain it is? Call (206) 590-1455

Outdoor drain prices and what comes next

Flat Seattle prices for the lines around your yard drains.

Seattle drainage rules worth knowing

Where roof water may go, who maintains the pipe, and when work needs a permit.

Basement5 ftSPU minimum10 ftBetter, per SPURainWise minimum with a basementNever onto a neighbor’s lot
Basement5 ftSPU minimum10 ftBetter; minimum with a basement

  • You maintain it

    SPU: maintaining your property’s drainage system is the owner’s responsibility. SPU: Drainage System

  • Keep downspout water away from the house

    SPU says to direct downspout flows at least 5 feet from the foundation (10 is better) without sending them onto neighbors’ property. SPU: Drainage System

  • Basements need more distance

    RainWise’s guide sets a minimum discharge of 10 feet from a house with a basement, 5 feet with a crawlspace, and 5 feet from a property line. RainWise downspout guide (PDF)

  • Permits for repairs

    Repairing or replacing a yard drain or cleanout needs an SPU side sewer permit; a drainage repair permit generally costs $375. SPU: Side Sewer Permits

Drain cleaning near you

Same flat prices across Seattle, the north end and the Eastside. See all service areas.

Yard drain cleaning FAQ

Costs, French drains, permits and who owns the pipe. More in the Seattle drain & sewer FAQ.

Still have a question?

Shane answers the phone himself, 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.

Call (206) 590-1455 Send a question

Do you clean yard drains and outdoor drain lines in Seattle?

Yes. We clear yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the underground pipe that carries downspout water away from the house, using a cable or the jetter, and a camera when the line keeps flooding.

Do you clean gutters?

No. Gutter cleaning is not our work. We start where the downspout goes into the ground and clear the underground line and the drains it feeds.

How much does yard drain cleaning cost in Seattle?

Ours is $200–$600 flat to clear an outdoor drain line with a cable, or $500–$700 when it needs hydro jetting with a camera pass. There is no trip fee and no evening or weekend surcharge.

Who is responsible for a yard drain in Seattle?

The property owner. Seattle Public Utilities says maintaining your property’s drainage system is your responsibility, and recommends hiring a professional to video inspect the underground part of it regularly.

Can a French drain be cleaned?

Often, when there is a cleanout or an outlet we can reach and the perforated pipe is still intact. If the camera shows the pipe crushed or filled with silt, cleaning will not bring it back, and we say so instead of selling a cleaning.

Why does my yard drain back up only in heavy rain?

Usually because the line is partly blocked by leaves, sediment or roots. It carries a light rain, but in a Seattle downpour the narrowed pipe cannot keep up and water pools at the lowest inlet first.

Do I need a permit to have a yard drain cleaned?

Not for cleaning. Seattle Public Utilities requires a side sewer permit when a pipe or an external fixture such as a cleanout or yard drain needs to be repaired or replaced. Clearing an existing line is not a repair.

Sources and Seattle references

Drainage rules, discharge distances and permit fees on this page come from these public sources. Our prices are flat Seattle rates for standard service, reviewed October 2026.

Water where it shouldn’t be? Tell us where it pools.

Which drain, how much rain it takes, and where your downspouts go is enough for a flat price.

  • Which drain backs up
  • How much rain it takes
  • Where the downspouts go
  • Any prior camera footage
Book online Call (206) 590-1455

The Drain Authority

5608 17th Ave NW, Suite 2025
Seattle, WA 98107
Phone
(206) 590-1455
Email
info@drainauthority.pro
Hours
Daily, 8 AM to 8 PM
Booking
Online, 24/7
License
WA contractor #DRAINDA756MA
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