The cost of drain clearing in San Antonio ranges from $189 to $500+.
We know—that’s a fairly broad range.
If you want a more solid idea of how much your drain-clearing job will cost, you’ll need to consider the following factors:
- The type of equipment needed to clear the clog
- The location of the clog
- Video camera inspections
- Service call fee
- The quality of the plumber you hire
Let’s go into each of these factors in more detail.
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Factor #1: The Type of Equipment Needed to Clear the Clog
Plumbers have a variety of tools at their disposal to clear clogs. Below are three of the most common tools:
- An auger (a long plumbing snake)
- Drain-clearing cable machine
- Drain jetting machine
The most expensive tool in that list is the drain jetting machine because the equipment itself is expensive and using the machine requires more labor on the part of the plumber.
That said, drain jetting isn’t required for all drain-clearing jobs. The severity of the clog will dictate what equipment is needed to clear your drain.
For a relatively mild clog, the plumber will likely use an auger (a long plumbing snake) or a drain-clearing cable machine to reach and clear the clog. Both of these tools are relatively inexpensive compared to a drain jetting machine.
A sewer jetting machine (also called a hydro-jetter) is used for severe clogs. Jetting machines use high-pressure water blasts to clear clogs, especially those caused by heavy grease buildup.
Factor #2: The Location of the Clog
You have 2 types of drain lines in your home: a main sewer line and secondary lines.
Secondary lines attach to plumbing fixtures such as a bathtub, sink, or toilet and drain waste into the main sewer line, which carries it to the city sewer lines or septic system.
Usually, it’s more expensive to clear the main drain line than secondary lines because the plumber has to go deeper to clear the line.
You can tell if you have a main line clog if you use one plumbing fixture and water backs up into another (for example, you flush the toilet and water backs up out of the tub drain).
Factor #3: Video Camera Inspections
Most often, a plumber will need to use a video camera to inspect the drain and find the exact location of the clog.
The cost of a camera inspection can vary, depending on the plumbing contractor you hire, but it ranges anywhere from $100 to $300. Some companies automatically bundle the price of a camera inspection into their drain-clearing cost.
While a camera inspection might be an additional upfront cost, it will save the plumber time and effort when it comes time to clear the clog, which means you’ll save money in the long run.
Factor #4: Service Call Fee
Most plumbers charge a service call fee, which is the cost of travel and time to visit your home. The service call fee usually ranges anywhere from $50 to $100.
Note: We charge a flat-rate service call fee of $60 to get one of our plumbers on site.
Factor #5: The Quality of the Plumber You Hire
When you look at different plumbing companies for drain-clearing services, you want to make sure you hire a high-quality plumber.
Why?
A high-quality, experienced plumber will do the job correctly the first time, saving you the inconvenience of being stuck with clogged pipes or having to hire another plumber to clear your pipes again.
Below are some ways to verify if a contractor does high-quality work:
- Make sure they have a valid plumbing license. One easy way to do this is to visit the company’s Better Business Bureau online profile. If the company is accredited by the BBB, they’ll be licensed and insured.
- Ask if they offer warranties or guarantees on their work. The best plumbers will stand behind their work and fix a problem (at no cost to you) if they have to do the same job twice.
- Look at their customer reviews. Check sites like Google and Facebook to see if customers are satisfied with the company’s services.
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Visit our drain clearing page for more information about what to expect when you hire us.