Here's the honest version nobody's upselling: these are different tools for different problems, and the right answer depends on which problem you actually have.
| Snaking (cable) | Hydro jetting | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Punches through the blockage | Scours the entire pipe wall |
| Best for | One-off clogs, single fixtures | Recurring clogs, grease, roots, mains |
| 2026 cost | $150 – $350 | $350 – $800 |
| How long it lasts | Until the walls re-clog — months on greasy lines | Years — the pipe is actually clean |
| Verification | "It drains now" | Camera shows clean wall |
The one-question test: is this the first time this drain has clogged? First time → snake it and move on. Second time (or whole-house slow, or grease, or roots) → the pipe wall is the problem, and the pipe wall is jetting's job.
Costs in detail: drain cleaning and hydro jetting. Or describe the symptoms in a free quote request and let our provider for your metro call it.
Tell us what the drain is doing — same-day response for active backups.
Often. First-time clog at one fixture, hair in a tub, something a kid flushed — a cable clears it in half an hour for a third of the price, and jetting would be overkill. The cheap option is the right option for one-off blockages.
Recurring clogs, grease lines, root intrusion, and any 'whole house is slow' situation. If the pipe WALL is the problem, only water pressure cleans the pipe wall — cables physically can't.
Not when the line is scoped first and pressure is matched to its condition — which is exactly why camera-first is the standard. Genuinely broken pipe needs repair, not pressure, and the camera catches that before the nozzle goes in.
Snaking: $150–$350 per drain ($250–$600 for mains). Jetting: $350–$800 residential, camera included. Full breakdowns in our cost guides for each.
Hydro jetting costs $350–$800 for most residential sewer lines in 2026 — commercial grease lines and heavy root work run $600–$1,500+.
Read the guide →Professional drain cleaning costs $150–$350 per drain in 2026; main sewer lines $250–$600.
Read the guide →Gurgling drains, recurring backups every 6–18 months, and lush green stripes in the yard — the signs of root intrusion, what clearing vs.
Read the guide →