What it costs to unclog a sewer line, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Blockage cleared through a cleanout you can reach | Large drum machine with a cutting head. | From $649 |
| The same job outside 9 to 5, Monday to Friday | Same work, at the after-hours rate. | From $1,298 |
| No cleanout | A toilet is lifted for access and reset on a new seal afterwards. | Quoted before we lift it |
| Roots in the line | Cut through so the line flows. They grow back, so a camera shows how bad the pipe is. | + $249 for the camera |
| A line full of grease or sludge | Hydro jetting, which scours the pipe wall clean. | Jetting is quoted on site |
| The cable will not pass | The pipe has likely collapsed. Camera to locate it, then a repair quote in writing. | Repair is quoted separately |
| The blockage is past your property line | We tell you, and you call your city. That section is usually theirs. | You pay for the clearing visit only |
| 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
| Access | A cleanout you can reach makes this far quicker. Without one, a toilet may have to be lifted. |
|---|---|
| What's in the line | Wipes and grease clear. Tree roots can be cut, but they grow back unless the pipe is repaired. |
| Condition of the pipe | A sagging, cracked or collapsed line will block again. A camera inspection shows which it is. |
| 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
| Tree roots | Roots find the joints in older clay and concrete pipe and grow inside it. They catch paper and wipes until nothing passes. |
|---|---|
| Wipes, grease and paper | Years of build-up, usually at a rough joint or a low spot in the line. |
| A sag in the pipe | Where the ground has settled, the pipe dips and holds water. Solids settle there and the line blocks again and again. |
| A cracked, shifted or collapsed pipe | Joints slip out of line, old pipe cracks, and a section can collapse. Clearing helps for a while, or not at all. |
| A blockage on the city's side | The pipe beyond your property line is usually the municipality's. Sometimes the problem is theirs to fix, not yours. |
On the job
Time to call if
- Sewage is coming up through a floor drain or the lowest fixture in the house
- Every drain in the house is slow
- Flushing a toilet makes another drain gurgle or rise
- It has happened more than once this year
Call 1-800-604-0631, any hour.
What the plumber does
- Find the cleanout, which is the capped access point on the main line. If there is none, a toilet is lifted to get in.
- Check the water level in the line to judge how far away the blockage is.
- Run a large drum machine with a cutting head down the line and through the blockage.
- Bring the cutter back and look at what is on it. Roots, wipes and grease each tell a different story.
- Run water from several fixtures at once to prove the line carries a full load.
- Tell you what we found, whether it is likely to return, and whether the blockage was on your side of the property line.
What the $649 covers
- Coming to you and finding the best way into the line
- Clearing the main line through an existing cleanout
- A cutting head sized to the pipe
- A flow test from several fixtures
- A straight answer on what was in the line and what it means
- Lifting a toilet where there is no cleanout
- Installing a cleanout
- Hydro jetting
- A camera inspection, unless you add one
- Repairing or replacing damaged pipe
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 sewer line 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
- Nothing but toilet paper down the toilet. Wipes are the main thing we pull out of sewer lines.
- Keep grease out of every drain in the house.
- Find your cleanout now, before you need it, and keep it clear of storage and landscaping.
- If roots were found, book a cleaning every year or two. It costs far less than an after-hours backup.
- Buying an older house? Have the sewer line inspected by camera before you remove subjects.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to unclog a main sewer line in Metro Vancouver?
With Unclog.it it starts from $649 during regular hours (9 to 5, Monday to Friday) and from $1,298 outside them. That covers clearing the line through a cleanout with a large drum machine. It costs more than a single drain because the machine is bigger, the cable is longer and the job takes longer.
How do I know it is the main line and not just one drain?
More than one fixture is affected. Flushing makes water rise in the tub or shower, the basement floor drain backs up, or every drain in the house is slow at once. A single slow drain with everything else normal is not the main line.
Is a blocked sewer line an emergency?
Yes, once sewage is coming up. Stop using water everywhere in the house: every flush, shower and load of laundry comes out at the lowest drain. Keep people and pets away from it and call.
Am I responsible, or is the city?
You are responsible for the pipe from the house to your property line. Beyond that it is usually the municipality's. When we clear a line we can tell roughly how far away the blockage was, and if it is on the city's side we say so and you call them.
Will the roots come back?
Yes. Cutting them restores flow, and they regrow through the same joint, usually within a year or two. Regular cleaning manages it. The permanent fix is repairing or replacing that section of pipe.
Sewer line repairWhat is a cleanout, and where is mine?
A capped pipe that gives direct access to the main line. Look for a round cap, 3 or 4 inches across, in the basement floor near the front wall, in the crawl space, or outside near the foundation. Some older homes have none.
Does home insurance cover a sewer backup?
Only if your policy includes sewer backup cover, which is often an optional extra. Check now, not after the basement floods. If you do claim, photos and the plumber's findings help.
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.
