Plumber cost to unclog a sink

Most plumbers charge about $100 to $350 to clear a single clogged sink, according to national cost guides. Kitchen sinks tend to land at the lower end and bathroom sinks, tubs and showers a little higher. The figure climbs once the blockage turns out to sit well past the sink, down in the line. This page shows what a plumber is charging for, where the cheap and expensive jobs split, and when the clog is a bigger story told through a small symptom. For the full picture of how blockages are cleared, read the drain cleaning and clogs guide on this site.

How much does a plumber charge to unclog a sink?

Published national figures put a kitchen sink clog at roughly $100 to $225 and a bathroom sink, shower or tub clog at roughly $150 to $225. One cost guide gives $150 to $350 as the general range for clearing a drain. Use these numbers for orientation only. Whoever comes out names the actual price once the drain has been inspected.

These are national averages. Urban areas typically cost more than rural ones, and Los Angeles County is urban, so plan for the upper half of any range you read.

What is the plumber actually charging for?

A drain clearing bill is a mix of a visit charge, labor time and, sometimes, equipment. The visit or service call fee runs $100 to $350 in published guides and often covers travel, a small amount of materials and the first hour. Labor then runs from about $45 to $200 an hour depending on who comes, with master plumbers at the top end.

Some plumbers quote a flat rate for a simple sink clog inside the first hour. Others bill the visit fee plus time. Both are normal. What matters is that you hear the structure before work starts: a flat price for this clog, or a minimum plus hourly time after that.

Equipment is the third piece. A hand tool or small drain machine is usually folded into the visit price. A camera inspection is different. Sewer line camera inspections run $275 to $1,175 in one guide, and a plumber will normally mention it only if the clog keeps returning.

Why do some sink clogs cost more than others?

A sink clog costs more when it sits past the trap, when the fixture needs to be taken apart to reach it, or when the visit falls after hours. A clog inside the P-trap under the cabinet is the cheap version. A blockage thirty feet down the line or in the main drain is a different job priced differently.

Four things push the price up:

• Depth of the clog. Hair and soap at the stopper cost less than grease that has hardened in the branch line.
• Access. A sink with a clear cabinet is easy. A pedestal sink, a sink in a tiled wall, or a kitchen drain that runs through a slab takes longer.
• Timing. Emergency and after-hours calls can cost noticeably more. One guide notes emergency visits for other plumbing work reach $350 an hour.
• A garbage disposal. If the disposal is part of the problem, the plumber has to free or detach it before the drain line is reached.

Why is my kitchen sink clog more expensive than the bathroom?

It usually is not. On paper, kitchen clogs tend to run a bit cheaper, since the trap sits within easy reach. What makes kitchen clogs return is grease, food scraps and soap residue that coat the pipe wall. When they do come back the next visit often becomes a line-clearing job, which costs more than the first call.

Postwar tract homes across the San Fernando Valley, built in the 1940s through the 1960s, commonly have older cast iron or clay drain lines. Rough interior walls in those pipes catch debris faster than newer plastic. That is why a sink in an older ranch house can clog twice in a year while a newer condo sink does not. Ask the plumber whether the clog was in the fixture trap or in the branch line, because the answer predicts whether it will come back.

Is it worth trying to clear the sink yourself first?

Yes, for the first twenty minutes. A plunger and a look in the trap fix a large share of ordinary sink clogs, and you pay nothing. Quit once the basin stays full even after you have pulled and cleaned the trap, or once a second fixture in the house drains slowly. That points to a line blockage, not a sink clog.

Do not pour one chemical drain cleaner after another into a standing sink. Mixing products is dangerous, and the next person working on the drain may be splashed by what you left in the water. If you used a drain cleaner, tell the plumber which one and when. Our guide to unclogging a kitchen sink plus the bathroom equivalent, how to unclog a bathroom sink, take you through the steps in a safe sequence.

When does unclogging a sink turn into a bigger job?

It turns into a bigger job when the same clog returns within weeks, when water backs up in a second fixture, or when the plumber's tool brings up roots or flakes of pipe. At that point the line needs a camera look, and sometimes a hydro jetting pass. Hydro jetting costs roughly $350 to $600, with $475 as the average, and our hydro jetting cost guide explains what it covers.

If roots or a collapsed section are found, expect an add-on. Tree root removal adds about $100 to $600 in one guide, and a broken section of pipe is a repair priced separately, often by the foot. A good plumber stops and shows you the camera footage before moving to that stage. If you are not shown the problem, ask to see it.

What should you ask before the plumber starts?

Get the price written down. Learn whether it is a flat rate or billed by the hour, and what shifts if the clog turn out to be somewhere unexpected. Confirm whether a camera look comes with it. Before work begins, enter the contractor's California license number on the state's License Check page, which takes about a minute.

A written quote is available from the quote page, and the Lankershim Plumbing home page is a good starting point when the problem is unclear. A local plumber visits, inspects the drain and states a figure up front. For a leaking trap rather than a clog, our leaking pipe under the sink guide covers that separately, and the wider topic of what a plumber's hour costs has its own article.

Questions people ask

How much time does a sink unclogging visit take?

Door to draining sink, a basic clog generally needs between half an hour and an hour. Taking apart and cleaning the trap is quick. A clog further down the branch line, or one that needs a camera, may run two hours. When you book, mention any other slow drain, since it changes the time to allow.

What do I ask before booking a sink clog job?

Learn if the rate is a fixed amount or billed hourly, if a visit fee gets added, whether a camera inspection is included, and what the plan is when the clog comes back. Then get the contractor's California license number and run it through the state's online tool. A plumber who answers all of this clearly before arriving is usually one who will explain the work afterward.

Do I have to be home while the sink gets cleared?

Have an adult on hand when the plumber arrives, to point out the sink and the main shutoff, and again at the end to test the drain and approve the work. Standing over the whole job is unnecessary. Empty the cabinet beneath the sink ahead of time so the trap is reachable without shifting stored items.

Is a bathroom sink clog priced differently from a kitchen one?

Published averages say a bit more, though the difference is small. Bathroom sinks clog from hair and soap in a narrow trap, and the stopper mechanism can take time to remove. Grease and food clog kitchen sinks, which often have a disposal attached too. Which job costs more depends on what the plumber finds, not on the room.

Is a drain cleaner cheaper than a plumber?

A bottle costs less than a visit, but it does not reach a hair clog well and can leave caustic liquid standing in the basin. A clog sitting in the trap is better handled by taking the trap off and cleaning it, which costs nothing and works more reliably. If it is deeper, a plumber's machine clears it more completely than a chemical and does not risk older pipe.