Drain & Sewer Cleaning Services in Seattle —
Every Price Published
Compare cable snaking, hydro jetting, descaling and camera inspection side by side:
what each one fixes, what it costs, and which one your symptom actually needs.
Every job quoted flat before work begins.
Which Drain Service Does Your Problem Actually Need?
Most companies sell you the service they showed up with. This page works the other way: compare the four methods, match one to your symptom, and see the flat price before anyone knocks on your door.
Licensed & bonded — WA #DRAINDA756MA8 AM–8 PM, 7 daysFlat price before work — no trip feeCamera proof on every main line
Snaking vs. Hydro Jetting vs. Descaling: Which Method Clears What
There are four ways to deal with a blocked drain line: cable snaking cuts a path through the clog, hydro jetting washes the pipe wall clean at 4,000 PSI, chain descaling grinds hardened scale out of cast iron, and a camera inspection tells you which of the three you actually need.
Method
Best For
Typical Price
The Limit
Cable Snaking
First-time clogs, single slow fixtures, backed-up toilets — the fastest, cheapest restore of flow
$200 – $600
Cuts a hole through the clog but leaves grease and roots on the pipe wall, so heavy buildup returns
Hydro Jetting
Recurring clogs, grease-heavy kitchen lines, root intrusion in the side sewer
$500 – $700
Needs an access point and a pipe sound enough to take pressure — the camera confirms both first
Chain Descaling
Old cast iron that flows slowly everywhere with no single blockage to blame
From $800
Cast iron only, and bid case-by-case after a camera look at how much wall the pipe has left
Camera Inspection
Diagnosis before any dig, pre-purchase sewer scopes, locating breaks and bellies
$300 – $400
Finds the problem, doesn't fix it — but it's what keeps you from paying for the wrong repair
The gurgling sink, the shower you're standing in, the laundry drain that overflows on the spin cycle. One fixture misbehaving means the blockage is in that fixture's branch line — and the right fix is cabling that branch end to end, not pouring another bottle of chemicals down it.
We cable the full branch, not just the trap under the fixture
Flow is tested at the fixture before we pack up
If the branch is fine and the problem is deeper, you'll know before paying more
Rooter is the triage call: a mechanical cable through the line to cut the blockage open and get the toilet, tub or floor drain working again the same day. It's the right first move for most sudden backups — and if the cable tells us the problem is roots or collapsed pipe, we say so on the spot instead of re-billing you next month.
Phones answered 8 AM–8 PM, seven days a week
Handles wipes, hair, soap and soft organic blockages
Honest escalation: cabling that won't hold is never resold as a fix
If you've paid to snake the same line twice, the clog was never the problem — the pipe wall was. Hydro jetting sends a 4,000 PSI jetter head down the line and washes grease, sludge and root hair off the wall itself, restoring the pipe's full diameter instead of drilling a temporary hole through the buildup.
One jetting pass typically replaces years of repeat snaking
Safe for the pipe: pressure scours buildup, not the pipe material
Before-and-after camera footage shows you the clean wall
When the tub fills as the washer drains, or the basement floor drain burps when a toilet flushes, every fixture is talking about the same pipe: the main line out to the city sewer. We clear it through the cleanout, cut any roots, and finish with a camera pass so "it's clear" is something you watch, not something you're told.
The call for two or more fixtures backing up at once
Root cutting and grease removal in the same visit
Camera-verified result on every main line, no exceptions
A sewer scope is the cheapest insurance in Seattle real estate: an HD camera run through the side sewer that finds cracks, bellies, offsets and roots — and locates them by depth and position from the surface. Buyers use it to negotiate. Owners use it to make sure a $15,000 dig quote is describing a real problem.
Standard for pre-purchase inspections on older Seattle homes
Problems located and marked before any excavation is scoped
The recording is yours — use it to check anyone's bid, including ours
Seattle's pre-1970 housing stock runs on cast iron, and cast iron rusts from the inside out — the pipe slowly chokes on its own scale until every drain in the house is sluggish at once. A rotating chain knocker grinds that scale back to bare wall, often buying years before replacement, with no excavation and no permit.
For whole-house slowness with no single clog to find
Scoped honestly: too little wall left, and we'll tell you to save the money
Documented before-and-after footage of the restored pipe
Why call a drain company instead of a general plumber?
A general plumber carries a small cable machine because drains are one of forty things on the truck. A drain company carries full-size cable machines, a 4,000 PSI jetter, chain descaling heads and an HD camera rig — because drains are the only thing on the truck. For anything past a simple clog, that equipment gap is the difference between fixed and re-billed.
It usually shows up in the invoice too: drain specialists clear lines in one visit that generalists quote as excavation. We wrote out the full comparison — equipment, pricing and when you genuinely do need a plumber instead — in why hiring a drain cleaner, not just a plumber, can save you thousands.
Drain Cleaning Near You, Across King & Snohomish County
Searching "drain cleaning near me" or "hydro jetting near me" from the Eastside or North End reaches the same crew and the same flat prices. Every city below has its own local service page:
The questions we answer on the phone every day, in writing.
How much does drain cleaning cost in Seattle?
Drain cleaning in Seattle typically costs $200 to $600. Where a job lands in that range depends on how far down the line the blockage sits, how hard the cleanout is to access, and how severe the clog is. The Drain Authority quotes the exact flat price before the cable goes in, and there is no trip fee.
How much does it cost to clean a main sewer line?
Main sewer line cleaning in Seattle typically runs $200 to $600 by mechanical cable. If the line needs hydro jetting — usually for heavy roots or hardened grease — expect $500 to $700. Every main-line job includes a camera pass afterward to confirm the pipe is actually clear.
Is hydro jetting worth the extra cost over snaking?
Snaking cuts a hole through the clog; hydro jetting cleans the pipe wall-to-wall at 4,000 PSI. If a clog keeps returning every few months, snaking again is spending the same money twice — jetting at $500 to $700 removes the grease and roots the cable leaves behind. We'll tell you honestly which one your line needs.
Why do some companies advertise $99 drain cleaning?
Because $99 gets a technician into your basement, where the price changes. The teaser rate typically covers one attempt through an accessible cleanout with a small cable, then the upsell starts. We published a full breakdown of how the $99 drain cleaning scam works in Seattle — and we quote real flat prices instead.
Do you charge a trip fee or an hourly rate?
Neither. Coming out and looking costs you nothing, and every job is quoted as one flat price before work begins. The price you approve is the price you pay — same-day and weekend appointments included.
Who pays when a side sewer backs up in Seattle?
In Seattle, the property owner owns the entire side sewer — all the way to the connection at the city main, including the stretch under the street. Seattle Public Utilities only maintains the public main. That's why we camera the line before anyone talks about digging: the footage shows exactly where the problem sits and whose side it's on.
Backed up right now?
Phones are answered 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week. Same-day slots fill quickly — calling gets you the earliest window.
What drain service costs in Seattle, who owns the side sewer, why backups spike in the rainy season, and how to check any contractor before they touch your pipes — the answers we give on the phone every day, in writing.
How much does drain cleaning cost in Seattle?
Drain cleaning in Seattle typically costs $200 to $600, depending on how far down the line the blockage sits, how accessible the cleanout is, and how severe the clog is. The Drain Authority quotes an exact flat price before the cable goes in — no trip fee, no hourly meter. Full details on our Seattle drain cleaning page.
How much does main sewer line cleaning cost?
Main sewer line cleaning in Seattle typically runs $200 to $600 by mechanical cable, or $500 to $700 when the line needs hydro jetting for heavy roots or hardened grease. Every main line cleaning ends with a camera pass so you can watch that the pipe is actually clear.
What is hydro jetting, and when is it worth it?
Hydro jetting cleans a drain line with 4,000 PSI water, scouring grease, sludge and root hair off the pipe wall itself instead of just cutting a hole through the clog. It costs $500 to $700 in Seattle and is worth it when the same clog keeps returning — one hydro jetting pass typically replaces years of repeat snaking.
How do I know if my main sewer line is clogged?
The tell is multiple fixtures acting up at once: the tub gurgles when the toilet flushes, the basement floor drain backs up when the washer empties, or the lowest drain in the house overflows. One slow fixture means a branch-line clog; several at once means the main line. A sewer camera inspection ($300–$400) confirms it and locates the problem before anyone quotes a repair.
Who is responsible for the side sewer in Seattle?
The property owner. In Seattle you own the entire side sewer — from your house to the connection at the city main, including the stretch under the street. Seattle Public Utilities maintains only the public main. If sewage is actively backing up, call SPU at (206) 386-1800 alongside your plumber to confirm which side of the connection the problem is on.
Do I need a permit to clean or repair a side sewer?
Cleaning, cabling, hydro jetting and camera inspections need no permit — that's routine maintenance. Repairing, replacing or altering a side sewer requires a permit from the City of Seattle; the rules are on the seattle.gov side sewers page. That's one reason cast iron descaling is attractive: it restores flow with no excavation and no permit.
Why do Seattle sewers back up more in the rainy season?
Large parts of Seattle run on combined sewers, where wastewater and stormwater share the same pipes — King County's wastewater system treats both. When the first real November rain hits, a line that was already half-choked with grease or roots loses its remaining capacity and surcharges. If your backups are seasonal, the line was losing capacity all year — that's a jetting candidate, not bad luck.
Is the "$99 drain cleaning" offer real?
The $99 gets a technician into your basement; the real price appears once he's there. The teaser typically covers one short cable attempt through an easy cleanout, and everything real is an upsell. We documented the playbook in the $99 drain cleaning scam in Seattle — and publish real flat ranges instead: snaking $200–$600, jetting $500–$700.
How do I verify a drain contractor's license in Washington?
Look them up on the Washington State L&I contractor verification tool — it shows license status, bond and insurance for any registered contractor. The Drain Authority is licensed, bonded and insured as WA #DRAINDA756MA; you're welcome to check it before we arrive.
