How To Find A Trustworthy Drain Cleaning Service Near You

When your drains are blocked or backing up, you usually don’t have a lot of time to spend researching plumbing companies you need a quick fix.

You need somebody who is actually qualified to fix the problem without turning a simple drain clog into a huge bill or even a bigger water bill.

The problem is figuring out which drain cleaning company is actually worth calling.

Some companies are honest and upfront about their pricing. While others advertise cheap drain cleaning specials and then start charging you once they get to the house for having to take equipment downstairs having to open up drains that aren’t supposed to be part of the plumbing process.

So what’s the difference in? How can you tell?

Start with the basics check company reviews. Make sure that the plumbers are verified with licensing that are required to be a plumber, ask exactly what the service includes, and find out what could cause the price to increase.

Here is a simple way to do that without getting overwhelmed.

First you need to figure out what kind of drain problem you actually have.

Before you start calling plumbers, figure out what is actually happening.

Is it:

• A slow bathroom leak with the sink
• A clogged shower
• A kitchen sink that won’t drain
• Does the toilet keep backing up?
• Do you have basement water or does your basement flood or overflow?
• Several drains backing up at the same time?

This actually matters because a simple sink or shower clog could be a different problem from a problem with the home main sewer line or main drain.

If you have several fixtures that are backing up at the same time, you could have a blockage further down the drain line.

And if sewage or dirty water is coming back into the house there is something going on that you should not ignore.

Knowing what to deal with will also make it much easier to explain to the plumber when you are calling.

What to do to find a plumber or a drain company?

Start by searching local drain companies rather than automatically calling the first company that you see.

Look for companies that have the following:

• A real phone number helps
• A website that has actual service information
• Recent customer review reviews
• Clear information about what they provide as a plumbing service
• See if they are local to your area within a 5 mile radius because you don’t know how severe the plumbing issue is
• Straightforward pricing information

Now the last one a lot of plumbers will not put that kind of information you need to call so it is best to have a breakdown or kind of an understanding of how plumbers charge their fees

There is sometimes a service call these service calls can go all the way from $89 to about $150 when you’re coming out to a house.

But there is a flip side to this a lot of plumbers are now offering packages for services such as drain cleaning preventative services for water damage water heaters sinks dishwashers. These upfront monthly packages could cover unlimited service calls for the month or you could get like maybe four service calls a month for $100 bucks. 

A handyman services are putting together packages that they will come out and do the preventative plumbing work for 100 bucks a month or $125 a month. It all depends on the plumber. All depends on the handyman.

Going forward, you don’t need to find a company that has thousands of reviews

A good local company with a small number of recent legitimate views can be a better choice than a huge company with hundreds of complaints buried underneath a bunch of high star ratings.

The goal is to find a company that actually does business the honest plumbing way and communicates clearly.

Check the reviews before you call

Don’t just look at the reviews or their star ratings actually read the reviews. What you’re actually looking for is a pattern.

Here’s an example of what we’re talking about if a customer says:

• The price changed after the technician arrived
• The technician pressured them into doing additional work
• The company didn’t show
• The final bill was much higher than what I anticipated
• The drain clogged as soon as they left

These are reviews that are worth looking at and paying attention to.

On the other hand, good signs include customers mentioned the technician explain the problem, showed up unexpected, gave multiple options to get the work done, cleaned up after they got done doing their work didn’t leave the bathroom or the kitchen a mess, and they explained what was going on with the billing after the service was done.

One bad review doesn’t mean a company is bad. But look at the repeated complaints about the same thing.

You should always check the plumber’s license

Yes, if the company is going to do more than simply clear drain. Licensing is a requirement and they all are different depending on the location and the type of plumbing work that needs to be performed.

A drain cleaning company should be able to tell you what the licensing and credentials applied to the work that they are doing

As a homeowner you could ask:

Are you properly licensed for the plumbing work? You’re doing in my area.

If the company gives you a license number, you can check if the appropriate state or local licensing authority to make sure that the plumber is verified. Don’t ever let the plumber make you afraid to ask you are the homeowner paying for a plumbing service.

Ask what the drain cleaning price actually includes

This is probably the most important question to ask. If the company advertises $99 drain cleaning don’t just assume that that means that you’re going to pay exactly $99.

As a homeowner, you could ask what exactly is included in the price

Then ask, are you going to have other chargers I should know about before the technician starts.

What to know whether the price includes:

• The Service call
• Labor
• Equipment
• One drain or multiple drains
• Mainline cleaning
• Difficult access
• After hour service
• Camera inspection

A low advertise price isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You just need to know what you’re actually getting.

What happens if the clog won’t clear?

This is another question that homeowners should ask before the technician arrives.

When you are on the phone with them, ask what happens if the initial drain cleaning doesn’t clear the clog?

The company may need to have different equipment or may recommend additional diagnostic work. That’s not necessarily a red flag sometimes clogs can be complicated when they first appear it is important to know the things of what’s going to happen next so you are prepared.

You may want to also ask if it does go down further than drain cleaning. Will you tell me before you do the additional work if there’s additional work that needs to happen?

This simple question can help prevent a lot of problems and a heavy bill.

Does the drain cleaning include a camera inspection?

Usually, you shouldn’t assume it does drain cleaning and pipe inspections are two different things, especially to a plumber.

A drain snake or an auger is usually to reach a blockage and clear it. A camera sewer inspection is usually to look inside the pipe.

A camera can help find problems such as:

• tree roots
• Heavy buildup
• Any broken pipes
• Separated pipe sections
• If you have reoccurring blockages
• Other problems further down the line

You probably don’t need a camera inspection every time your bathroom sink clogged. But if the drain keeps clogging overtime, it does make sense to find out what the issues are if a technician recommends that you have a camera inspection done, ask if they have found what makes them recommend it and how much it will cost.

What equipment does a drain cleaner use?

You don’t have to be a plumbing expert to ask what they are using. For a basic clog of technician may use a hand auger or a powered drain machine.

For heavier, buildup or clogs or certain type of large drain lines, they may recommend a Hydro jetting. 

Hydro jetting is using high-pressure water to clean the inside of an appropriate pipe.

A camera can also be used to see what is happening inside the drain line. The right equipment depends on the problem. A good drain cleaner should be able to explain why they are recommending this particular method instead of saying you need this.

Don’t automatically choose the cheapest quote from a plumber

If you’re dealing with a simple shower or sink clog, you probably don’t need to call six different companies. Getting 2 to 3 quotes should give you a good idea of what the service would cost.

For a larger job such as:

• sewer line cleaning
• Hydro jetting
• Camera inspection
• Excavation
• Pipe replacement

Getting multiple quotes or estimates makes more sense but you don’t compare the price alone compare what you actually get.

A $150 quote that includes everything may be better than a $99 quote that turns out into being $250 after additional fees.

What are the biggest red flags?

There are a few things that should make you slow down before hiring a plumber.

The company won’t explain the price

They don’t have to give you the exact price for a problem that they haven’t seen, but they should be able to explain the basic pricing and what the service call includes.

they immediately recommend a major repair

If somebody comes out to clear the drain and immediately tells you that there needs to be $1000 in plumbing work. Start asking these questions.

• What did they find?
• where is the problem?
• What happens if you only clear the drain?
• Why does it need to be repaired?

You don’t need to agree to expensive or simply because the technician recommends it.

They pressure you into making a decision

Some plumbing problems, our emergencies. A sewer backup for example shouldn’t fit for several days. But you should still be given an explanation of what’s going on and what went wrong and what you are paying for.

The advertise price suddenly changes

you are in your rights to ask why. Sometimes they have a legitimate reason. Maybe the original price only covered one drain and it actually is a main line blockage. The difference from adding unexplained charges without telling you beforehand.

They won’t give you a clear answer about additional work

If you were told, we’ll figure out the price once we get there ask what situation could increase the price. You don’t need every possible price ahead of time. You just need to know what you’re getting into.

What you should ask the technician before he starts working these questions are best to ask before you authorize any work to be done.

• what do you think it’s causing the clog?
• What exactly are you going to do to clear it?
• What is included in the price?
• Are there any additional charges that I need to know about?
• What happens if the clog doesn’t go away after you’ve done the service?
• Will you tell me before about the price of additional work?
• Does the price include a camera inspection if needed?

You don’t need to ask them all like you’re conducting an interview. Just get clear answers before the work begins.

What if the technician says that you need more work done

Don’t panic just ask them to show and explain what they have found

For example, you can say: 

• Can you show me where the problem is?
• Then follow it up with what happens if I don’t do the additional work today?
• You could also ask what is the total price?

If it’s a major repair, getting another estimate is reasonable.

if sewage is actively backing up in the house, however, don’t ignore the problem just because you’re trying to save a few dollars.

Water damage and sewer damage can become more expensive than dealing with the plumbing problem.

Drain cleaning checklist for a company

Here’s the checklist for you, Won calling local companies.

Before you call

• identify the drain that needs to work
• Determine whether it’s one or multiple fixtures that is affected
• Check recent customer reviews
• Check if the company has legitimate contact information
• Check the licensing and credibility of the plumbers

Before scheduling

• ask what the service call includes
• Ask what equipment will be used
• Ask whether additional workers recommended or if the plumber will give you recommendations of more work that needs to be done to your plumbing system
• Get the price before approval for additional work
• Make sure you understand what you’re paying for

Now as a homeowner, here’s a simple phone script you can use

If you don’t know what to say when you call, you could use something like this:

Hi, I have a clog, sink, shower, drain and I’m looking for drain cleaning service. The problem started today, may be a few weeks ago, maybe it keeps happening. Can you tell me what your service includes and what I’m expected to pay?

Then go on and ask:

• Does this include labor and equipment?
• are there any additional fees?
• What happens when the clog isn’t cleared?
• Will you tell me the price of the additional work that needs to happen for the problem to go away?

That’s really all that you need. You don’t need to know the difference between all the drain cleaning machines or any drain cleaning jargon. Just explain what your drains are doing and make sure that you understand as a homeowner what you are paying for.

when should you call a drain cleaning professional

You can try the basic DIY solutions to take care of any simple clog.

But call professional, if: 

• The drain is completely blocked
• The clog keeps coming back
• Several drains are blocking up
• The basement drain is overflowing
• You have two that is coming back into your house
• You are hearing gurgling sounds from several fixtures
• A drain snake isn’t solving the problem
• You’re suspect a main sewer line blockage

The more fixtures that are affected, the more likely of a problem is somewhere beyond the individual drain.

Finally, yes, or no hiring checklist

Here are some questions that need to be answered by the drain cleaning company you hire before even thinking of hiring them.

Did I check the companies recent reviews?

Yes or no

Did I verify the licensing of the plumbing company and do they have the appropriate license for the Work?

Yes or no

Did I find out what exactly includes in the pricing that is advertise?

Yes or no

Did I ask about the additional charges for additional work?

Yes or no

Do I know what happens if the first attempt doesn’t take care of the clog?

Yes or no

Well, the company get my approval for additional work?

Yes or no

Do I understand the total price before the plumber starts working?

Yes or no

Several no answers?

Slow down and get more clarification before giving the company to go ahead. You don’t need to become a plumbing expert to hire a good drain cleaner. You just need to know what questions to ask.

A trustworthy company should be able to tell you what’s wrong, what they recommend, and why they recommend it, and what’s going to be the final cost. If they can’t explain these four things clearly for you to understand you should keep looking for a plumber.

Need help with a drain clog

If your drain is slow, completely clogged, or backing up, getting the problem booked at can help determine whether you need a basic drain cleaning or something that is more involved

Homeowners questions about hiring a drain cleaner

How do I know if the drain cleaner is trustworthy?

Look at the reviews, check their license for the required work that you need done, see if they will give you upfront pricing, and make sure the company explained any additional work before they start charging you

Should I choose the cheap cheapest strain cleaning service in my area?

Not necessarily. Look at the pricing and what the work that is included. A slightly higher price may include more labor or equipment, while a cheap advertise price may have restrictions and additional fees.

How many drain cleaning company should I call?

For a simple drain clog 1 to 2 maybe even three companies should give you enough information to compare prices and service. For major sewer or pipe work get multiple estimates this is standard for most homeowners.

Should I get a camera inspection?

Not every homeowner needs a camera inspection and every clogged drain needs a camera inspection also. A camera inspection can make sense. If the clog keeps coming back, several drains are affected, or the technician suspects a problem further down the pipe. This is a good way though to find out if your sewer lines or housing plumbing lines need to be Hydro jetted.

What should I do if a drain cleaner recommends a more expensive repair?

Ask what they have found, why are the problem is, why the repair is necessary, and what is happening if you don’t do it. For major repairs getting a second quote is reasonable.

What is the biggest mistake homeowners make when hiring a drain cleaner? 

Only looking at the advertised price. The better question is: 

What exactly does the price include and what could make the final bill higher? Getting the answer before the work starts can save you a lot of headaches later.