Drain cleaning, from the sink to the street

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One slow sink is a different job than a backed-up main line, and they price differently. The pro who calls figures out which one you're dealing with before quoting anything, and brings the equipment sized for it.

How does the pricing shake out?

• A single fixture (one sink, tub, or toilet): the cheapest version of the call
• Main line clearing: more, because the blockage sits farther out and takes bigger machines
• A camera look afterward: priced separately, and worth it when the same drain keeps clogging

What changes the number most is access. A clog at an open cleanout is simple; the same clog behind a finished wall or under a slab is not. Describe where the problem is and the plumber can usually tell you which job it is before they're out the door.

When the clog keeps coming back

The older parts of the county, Seattle's pre-war neighborhoods and the post-war streets in Shoreline, Burien, and the south end, are full of clay and concrete laterals with decades of root growth in the joints. Snaking buys time; it doesn't repair the pipe. Two backups on the same line in a year means the next spend should be a camera, not another clearing.

When is it urgent?

• Sewage coming up through a tub or floor drain: stop the water, mark it urgent
• One fixture running slow: normal appointment territory
• Several fixtures backing up together: that's the main line, treat it as urgent