What it costs to unclog a bathtub, by situation
Prices are for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, during regular hours (9 to 5, Monday to Friday) unless the row says otherwise. Outside those hours, every price is double.
| The situation | What it takes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hair and soap in the trap | Cleared with an electric drain machine through the overflow. | From $329 |
| The same job outside 9 to 5, Monday to Friday | Same work, at the after-hours rate. | From $658 |
| A drum trap or seized fittings in an older home | Slower, more careful work to open and clear without breaking old brass. | Quoted before we continue |
| A broken stopper or linkage | New stopper or drain assembly fitted. | Quoted before we replace anything |
| The tub fills when the toilet is flushed | This is the main line. Cleared from a cleanout with a large drum machine. | From $649 |
| You want to see what caused it | Camera inspection of the line, with the video sent to you. | + $249 |
| Another slow drain in the house | A second drain cleared on the same visit. | + $149 |
| Drain cleaner has been poured in | Protective gear, and the water vacuumed out and contained before work starts. | + $50 if you tell us |
| The drain will not clear within 2 hours | Something is wrong with the pipe itself. You get a written estimate for what it needs. | The fee still applies |
“From” is the price when the job goes the way it usually does, and it covers up to 2 hours on site. If it turns out to need more, you get the new price before the extra work starts, and you can say no.
What changes the price
| The stopper | Some tub stoppers have a linkage inside the overflow that has to come out first. |
|---|---|
| How far down it is | Past the trap, the tub usually shares a line with the sink and toilet. |
| Age of the drain | Old brass or galvanized tub drains can be fragile and slow to work on. |
| Drain cleaner in the line | If drain cleaner has been poured in, the plumber needs protective gear and has to remove the water safely first. That adds $50 if you tell us, $100 if we find it on site without being told. Always tell us. |
| Time of day | Regular hours are 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. Outside those hours, every price is double. |
One drain, or the main line?
It is the question that decides the price. A single drain is a small job. The main line is a bigger one, and it gets worse with every tap you run.
Your answer appears here.
A guide, not a diagnosis. The plumber checks before starting work.
What causes it
| Hair and soap | Hair catches on the stopper and in the trap. Soap scum binds it into a plug that water can barely pass. |
|---|---|
| The stopper itself | Lever-style tub stoppers have a linkage inside the overflow pipe. Hair wraps around it where you cannot see or reach. |
| Bath oils and bath bombs | Oils, butters and glitter coat the pipe the way grease does in a kitchen, and catch hair as it passes. |
| Small objects | Razor caps, bottle lids and bath toys sit in the trap and start the clog. |
| An old drum trap | Older homes often have a drum trap under the tub: a small canister, not a U-bend. They fill with sludge and are slow to clear. |
On the job
Try this first
- Lift out the stopper and pull any hair you can reach with a plastic drain strip.
- Cover the overflow with a wet cloth and plunge the drain. Without the cloth you're only moving air.
Stop and call a plumber if
- The tub fills when the toilet is flushed or the sink is drained
- Water stands in the tub for hours
- You see water staining on the ceiling below
Call 1-800-604-0631, any hour.
What the plumber does
- Run the sink and flush the toilet to see whether the tub is the only fixture affected.
- Remove the overflow plate and lift out the stopper linkage.
- Feed the drain machine in through the overflow, not the drain. That is the route that takes the cable through the trap.
- Pull the hair back out with the cable, so it is removed and not pushed further down.
- Refit and adjust the stopper, then fill the tub and release it to test the drain under a full load.
What the $329 covers
- Coming to you and working out where the blockage is
- Removing the overflow plate and stopper linkage
- Clearing the trap and line with an electric drain machine
- Refitting and adjusting the stopper
- A full-tub test
- Replacing the stopper, drain or overflow assembly
- Opening a ceiling or wall to reach the pipe
- Clearing the main line
- A camera inspection, unless you add one
The price covers up to 2 hours on site, and we prove the drain works before we leave. If it will not clear in that time, the fee still applies and you get a written estimate. There is no guarantee against a new clog. Unclog a bathtub is booked through Unclog.it and done by a Pure Mechanical Group plumber.
Why is that other quote $99?
You will see drain specials advertised for $99 or less. Before you compare one with the price on this page, ask what it covers.
| What is included? | Many specials cover a set length of cable through an existing cleanout, on one drain, and nothing else. |
|---|---|
| What if it does not clear? | This is where the price changes. Ask what the next step costs before anyone arrives. |
| What does it cost tonight? | An advertised price is a daytime price. Ask for the evening and weekend rate. |
| Is the price in writing? | A price you were told on the phone and a price on the invoice should be the same number. |
It is hard to send a licensed plumber, a stocked truck and a drain machine to your door for $99 and cover the cost on the clearing alone. Often the visit pays for itself on what is sold once someone is inside. Our price is higher because it is the price of clearing the drain. You know it before we come, and anything beyond it is quoted before it is done.
Stop it happening again
- Put a hair catcher over the drain. It is the cheapest plumbing product you will ever buy.
- Lift out the stopper once a month and clean it.
- Go easy on bath oils and bath bombs, and follow them with hot water.
- Brush long hair before a bath or shower, not during.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to unclog a bathtub in Metro Vancouver?
With Unclog.it it starts from $329 during regular hours (9 to 5, Monday to Friday) and from $658 outside them. That covers a hair and soap clog in the tub's trap, cleared with an electric drain machine through the overflow.
I pulled out the hair and it is still slow. Why?
What you can reach from the drain opening is the top of the clog. The rest is around the stopper linkage and in the trap below the tub, which a plastic strip cannot reach. Soap scale lining the pipe also slows a tub that looks clear.
Why does the plumber go in through the overflow?
The tub's drain opening leads into a sharp bend that a cable will not turn. The overflow pipe drops straight down to the trap, so the cable goes through the clog and not around it.
Why does my tub fill up when I flush the toilet?
The toilet and tub share a drain, and something is blocking it downstream of both. The water takes the lowest way out, which is the tub. That is a main line problem, and plunging the tub will not fix it.
Unclog a sewer lineThere is a stain on the ceiling under the bathroom. Is that the clog?
It can be. A tub that drains slowly sits full for longer, and a worn overflow gasket or drain seal leaks while it does. Clearing the drain will not fix the leak, so mention the stain when you book.
Leak investigationCan you clear it with water still standing in the tub?
Yes. The plumber works through the overflow, above the water line. Do not bail it into the toilet if the toilet is slow as well.
What if the drain will not clear?
The price covers up to 2 hours on site. If the drain will not clear in that time, it almost always means the pipe itself is damaged or something is lodged that a machine cannot move. The fee still applies, because the plumber, the truck and the equipment were there doing the work, and you get a written estimate for what it needs next.
Is there a guarantee if it clogs again?
No. We run water and prove the drain is working before we leave, and you see it for yourself. After that we cannot control what goes down it. If it blocks again, call us and we will come back and take a look. If there is a new blockage to clear, that is a new job at the full price.
