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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Sewer Cleanout Service in Seattle

The cleanout is the front door to your sewer line. We find it, open it safely, clear the line from it and camera through it, and if your house does not have one, we use the next best access and tell you which before we price it.

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

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

Drum drain machine set beside an open side sewer cleanout in a concrete walkway along a Seattle house
Field photo · Machine set at a side-yard cleanout

The short answer

A sewer cleanout is a capped access fitting on the pipe that carries wastewater from your house to the city sewer. It lets a drain technician clear and camera the whole line from outside without pulling a toilet. We clear lines through the cleanout for $200–$600 flat, or $500–$700 jetted.

$200–$600

Line cleared from the cleanout

$300–$400

Camera through the cleanout

$0 trip fee

Same rate evenings & weekends

5.0

Google rating from 100+ reviews

What sewer cleanout service covers, and what it costs

Most calls start with the same question: where is it, and is it safe to open? We answer both before any cable goes in.

We locate the cleanout, open it the safe way, clear the line toward the city main with a cable or the jetter, then run water and camera it so you see what caused the blockage and where.

No cleanout, buried cleanout or a cap that will not budge? We clear through a pulled toilet or another access and say which one before we price it. That is the same approach as our main sewer line cleaning.

Our flat price

$200–$600

cleared; jetting $500–$700

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

Camera
$300–$400 on its own, footage yours
Access
Outdoor or basement cleanout, or a pulled toilet
Line
The side sewer, from the house to the public main
Hours
Phones 8 AM to 8 PM daily; online booking any hour

Not our workInstalling or replacing cleanouts; that needs a permit

WA contractor #DRAINDA756MA · Owner-operated from Ballard

Where to look for your cleanout

Four places cover most Seattle houses. Start with the first one and work down.

BasementOutside wallNear the lineMainSide sewer, owned to the main1234
Drain line Where it fails
  1. 1

    Outside, near the foundation

    Usually on the street side, as a capped pipe a few inches above grade or a cover in a bed or walkway. Seattle’s side sewer rule calls for one adjacent to the building foundation.

  2. 2

    In the basement

    A threaded cap low on the main drain, or a plug in the floor near where the pipe leaves the house.

  3. 3

    Out along the line

    On longer runs, a second cleanout or a test tee closer to the property line or sidewalk.

  4. 4

    No cleanout at all

    Common in older houses. A toilet comes off its flange and becomes the access point.

Seattle’s side sewer cards often show the pipe route and fittings. Look your address up in the side sewer card viewer.

How to find your sewer cleanout in five minutes

Most Seattle cleanouts are found with a walk around the house and one look at the City’s records.

  1. Find the street side of the house

    The side sewer runs from the house toward the sewer main under the street, so the cleanout is almost always on that side.

  2. Walk the foundation line

    Look for a capped pipe a few inches above the soil, or a small round or square cover in a bed, lawn or walkway within a few feet of the wall.

  3. Check below the lowest bathroom

    In a basement or crawlspace, follow the largest drain pipe toward the outside wall. A threaded cap or a plug in the floor near that wall is the indoor cleanout.

  4. Pull your side sewer card

    Look up the address in the City’s side sewer card viewer. Where a card exists, it often sketches the pipe route from the house to the main.

  5. Leave the cap on

    If the line is backed up, a loosened cap can let sewage out under pressure. Once you know where it is, call and we take it from there.

What a cleanout cover looks like

Cast covers stamped CLEANOUT, square boxes in a walkway, or a plain capped pipe. Grass and mulch hide most of them.

Cast iron sewer cleanout cover stamped CLEANOUT set in a grassy lawn
Round cover in the lawn
Square cast metal cover marked SEWER CLEANOUT set in pavement
Square box in a walkway
Round cast iron cleanout cover stamped CLEANOUT in a gravel bed
Cover in a gravel bed
Round drain cleanout cover surrounded by tall grass and weeds
Grown over and forgotten

Leave it closedIf you are not sure a cover is your sewer cleanout, leave it closed and call. A cap on a full line can let go under pressure.

What Seattle’s rules say about cleanouts

The City sets where cleanouts go on new side sewers. It does not require you to add one to an old line.

Round metal cover stamped DRAIN S&WB CLEANOUT in a sidewalk
A drain cleanout cover set flush in a sidewalk.

Permit to replace one

$280 sanitary repair permit, per SPU

  1. One beside the foundation

    Seattle’s side sewer design rule calls for a cleanout adjacent to the building foundation on the upstream reach of the last wye in the side sewer.

    Seattle Director’s Rule 4-2011

  2. One every turn or 100 feet

    The same rule calls for a cleanout for each total change of 90 degrees in grade or alignment, or every 100 feet of pipe.

    Seattle Director’s Rule 4-2011

  3. Two-way cleanouts count

    The Seattle Plumbing Code allows an approved two-way cleanout near where the building drain meets the building sewer, or outside at the low end of the building drain and extended to grade.

    2021 Seattle Plumbing Code, 707

  4. Replacing one takes a permit

    SPU requires a side sewer repair permit any time a pipe or an external fixture such as a cleanout needs repair or replacement; a sanitary repair permit generally costs $280.

    SPU, Side Sewer Permits

A cleanout is the one part of a sewer line a homeowner can actually see. Know where yours is before the night you need it, and the whole job gets simpler, cleaner and cheaper.

The Drain Authority, Ballard

Through a cleanout or through a toilet?

Both work. The cleanout is faster, cleaner and reaches more of the line.

Compare Through a pulled toilet Our visitThrough the cleanout
Setup Through a pulled toiletToilet off its flange, wax ring replaced after Through the cleanoutCap off, cable in
Mess inside Through a pulled toiletWork happens in the bathroom Through the cleanoutWork happens outside or at the cleanout
Reach Through a pulled toiletThrough the building drain first Through the cleanoutStraight into the side sewer
Camera Through a pulled toiletPossible, with more bends to push through Through the cleanoutCleanest view toward the main
Seattle price Through a pulled toilet$200–$600 flat Through the cleanout$200–$600 flat

Through the cleanout, on camera

The cleanout is where the camera goes in. This is what it shows, and what we do when there is no cleanout to use.

Sewer camera monitor frame showing tree roots in the pipe 87.5 feet from the access point
FoundRoots in the line at 87.5 feet
Technician at an open kitchen sink cabinet running a sewer camera into the drain line
AccessNo cleanout here, so the camera goes in at the kitchen sink

Distance on every defect

The camera counts footage from the cleanout, so roots, offsets and bellies are located, not guessed.

Footage is yours

You get the recording to keep, or to send to a repair contractor or an inspector.

No cleanout, still a camera

From a pulled toilet or a fixture, we can still run the camera and show you the line.

How much does sewer cleanout service cost in Seattle?

Flat prices for clearing the line and filming it, from whatever access your house has.

Our flat price

$200–$600

Side sewer cleared from the cleanout

  • Cleanout located and opened safely
  • Line cleared toward the main
  • Flow test
  • Camera pass on main lines

Clearing a sewer line through the cleanout costs $200 to $600 in Seattle with The Drain Authority, or $500 to $700 when it needs hydro jetting. A camera inspection on its own is $300 to $400. All flat, no trip fee, approved before work starts.

$0$200$400$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400Our price, line cleared from the cleanout$200$600Our price, camera inspection$300$400Our price, hydro jetted$500$700Angi 2026 Seattle main line clog$350$1,270avg $806
$0$400$800$1,200Our price, line cleared from the cleanout$200$600Our price, camera inspection$300$400Our price, hydro jetted$500$700Angi 2026 Seattle main line clog$350$1,270avg $806
Our flat price Angi 2026 Seattle range
Seattle average
Angi’s 2026 Seattle data puts clearing a main sewer line clog at $350–$1,270 for most homeowners, averaging $806. Angi: Seattle main line clog cost
Never added
A trip fee, an hourly meter, or an evening or weekend surcharge
No cleanout
We use a pulled toilet or another access and tell you which before we price it
Not included
Installing or replacing a cleanout; that is permitted side sewer work

How a cleanout call works

Find it, open it safely, clear it, prove it.

  1. 3–5 min

    The call

    What is backing up, and whether you know where the cleanout is.

  2. Same day

    Arrival window

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

  3. ~10 min

    Find and price

    Cleanout located, access confirmed, one flat price approved.

  4. 30 min–2 hrs

    Clear the line

    Cable or jetter from the cleanout toward the main.

  5. ~20 min

    Camera and footage

    What caused it, how far out, and the recording to keep.

Can’t find your cleanout?

Book online any hour, or call and the owner answers 8 AM to 8 PM. We find the access before we price the job.

Book cleanout service

Sewage backing up now? Call (206) 590-1455

Sewer line prices and what comes next

Flat Seattle prices for the work that starts at the cleanout.

Who owns the pipe behind your cleanout

The cleanout is on your pipe, and so is everything from it to the public main.

At the foundationAt each 90° turnEvery 100 ftup to 100 ftTo the public main
Foundation90° turnEvery 100 ftTo the public main

  • Owned to the main

    SPU: if you own your home, you own your side sewer until it connects to the public sewer pipe. SPU: Your Side Sewer

  • Call PSE before clearing

    SPU advises calling Puget Sound Energy at 1-888-225-5773 before clearing a side sewer blockage. SPU: Side Sewer Backups

  • Public main problems

    For a blockage in the public main or the City’s connection, call SPU at (206) 386-1800, 24 hours a day. SPU: Side Sewer Backups

  • Find your records

    Seattle’s side sewer cards show many properties’ pipe routes. Side sewer card viewer

Sewer line cleaning near you

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

Sewer cleanout FAQ

Finding it, opening it, and what it costs to use it. 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

What is a sewer cleanout?

A capped access fitting on the pipe that carries everything out of the house. Seattle’s side sewer rule describes it as a wye fitting in the side sewer, brought up to an access point so the line can be cleaned and inspected without pulling a toilet.

Where is the sewer cleanout on a Seattle house?

Most often outside, close to the foundation on the side facing the street, as a capped pipe or a small round or square cover in the lawn, a planting bed or a walkway. In houses with basements it is often a capped fitting low on the main drain or in the floor. Older houses sometimes have none.

What if my house has no cleanout?

We can usually still clear and camera the line through a pulled toilet or another fixture. We tell you which access we would use before we price the job, and whether a cleanout would make future cleanings easier.

Do you install sewer cleanouts?

No. Seattle Public Utilities requires a side sewer permit to repair or replace an external fixture such as a cleanout, and that work goes to a side sewer contractor. We can show on camera where one would help.

How much does it cost to clear a sewer line through the cleanout?

Ours is $200–$600 flat to clear the line, or $500–$700 when it needs hydro jetting. A camera inspection on its own is $300–$400. There is no trip fee.

Should I open the cleanout myself during a backup?

Be careful. If the line is full, sewage can come out under pressure when the cap loosens. Seattle Public Utilities also advises calling Puget Sound Energy at 1-888-225-5773 before clearing a side sewer blockage, to avoid damaging a gas line.

How can I find my cleanout on City records?

Seattle keeps side sewer cards, the City’s records of how many properties’ side sewers were installed. Look up your address in the City’s side sewer card viewer; where a card exists, it often sketches the pipe route.

Sources and Seattle references

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

Looking for your cleanout? Start here.

Tell us what is backing up and anything you know about where the line runs, and we will find the access before we price it.

  • What is backing up
  • Basement, crawlspace or slab
  • Where you think the cleanout is
  • Any side sewer card or 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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