What it costs to unclog a shower, 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 drain opening. | From $329 |
| The same job outside 9 to 5, Monday to Friday | Same work, at the after-hours rate. | From $658 |
| A cover that is sealed or tiled in, or a linear drain | More time to open it without damaging the tile. | Quoted before we continue |
| Hardened grout or debris in the trap | Broken up and removed. Sometimes the trap has to be reached from below. | Quoted before we continue |
| Other drains gurgle or back up too | 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 drain cover | Some covers lift out. Others are screwed or sealed in and take longer to remove without damage. |
|---|---|
| How far down it is | A clog in the trap is quick. Further down, the shower shares a line with other fixtures. |
| Build-up | Years of soap scale narrow the pipe and may call for more than one pass. |
| 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 | The same plug as a bathtub, in a smaller trap. It builds up just under the drain cover. |
|---|---|
| Soap scale | Bar soap leaves a hard film on the pipe that narrows it a little more each year. |
| Renovation debris | Grout, thinset and tile dust washed down during a bathroom renovation set hard in the trap. |
| Small objects | Razor covers, bottle caps and the foil seals from shampoo bottles. |
| A drain that is too small | A tub drain is narrower than a shower drain should be. A tub converted to a shower without changing the drain will always be slow. |
Try this first
- Lift the drain cover and pull out the hair with a plastic drain strip.
- Flush with hot tap water for a minute to see whether it now drains.
Stop and call a plumber if
- Water pools over your feet within a minute or two
- The drain gurgles when another fixture is used
- There is a smell from the drain that cleaning doesn't remove
Call 1-800-604-0631, any hour.
What the plumber does
- Run other fixtures to see whether the shower is the only drain affected.
- Remove the drain cover and pull out what can be reached by hand.
- Run a hand-held drain machine through the opening and around the trap, and draw the hair back out.
- Flush the line, then run the shower for several minutes to prove it keeps up.
- Refit the cover, and tell you if the drain size or the slope is the real problem.
What the $329 covers
- Coming to you and working out where the blockage is
- Removing and refitting a standard drain cover
- Clearing the trap and line with an electric drain machine
- A running test for several minutes
- Removing tile or opening a ceiling to reach the trap
- Changing an undersized drain
- 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 shower 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
- Use a hair catcher and empty it after each shower.
- Lift the cover every few weeks and clear what has collected.
- After any tiling or grouting, never rinse buckets or tools in the shower.
- Run a shower you rarely use for a minute each month, so the trap stays full and blocks sewer smell.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to unclog a shower 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 trap under the shower, cleared with an electric drain machine.
Why does my shower drain smell?
Usually a film of soap, skin and hair inside the trap, which clearing the drain removes. In a shower that is rarely used, the water in the trap evaporates and sewer air comes through; running the water for a minute fixes that. A smell that returns quickly may be a venting problem.
The water pools around my feet but drains eventually. Do I need a plumber?
That is a partial clog, and it only goes one way. Try a plastic hair strip first. If the water is still over your feet within a minute or two, the clog is in the trap, beyond where the strip reaches.
My shower is new and already drains slowly. Why?
Two common reasons: grout and tile debris washed into the trap during the build, or a tub that was converted to a shower on its original, smaller drain. The first can be cleared. The second needs the drain changed.
Shower installationCan I plunge a shower drain?
Yes, if no drain cleaner has been used. Take off the cover, run enough water to cover the plunger cup and give it a dozen firm strokes. If nothing changes, stop; forcing it harder does not help.
Why does the shower gurgle when the toilet is flushed?
Air is being pulled or pushed through the shower trap because the shared drain or its vent is partly blocked. On its own it is an early warning. With slow drains elsewhere, it points to the main line.
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.
