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Unclogging a Pipe or a Toilet Cost

How Much Does Unclogging a Pipe or a Toilet Cost?
 
average cost Range: $90-$325
 



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Rates for unclogging pipes vary in every part of the country, state and city, according to a representative of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of California. Plumbers charge either by the job, or the hour. Either way, in most cases, plumbers will want to see the project before quoting a rate.
 
Typical costs:
Additional costs:
  • If the pipe is accessed by moving the toilet, some companies will charge extra to cover possible breakage, others add only the cost of a new wax ring.
Discounts:
Shopping for unclogging a pipe or a toilet:
Article updated March 2007
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Recent Posts
Amount: $175.00 I've paid $175-$225 for the same thing
Posted by: First Time Homeowner in San Jose, CA.Purchased: September, 2005
Firm or Company: Drain Doctor and Roto RooterDifficulty of Access: through toilet
We've needed to call in the plumber to clear out toilet/drain twice. The first time, we were quoted $200 to lift the toilet, clear the sewage line with an industrial 2" snake, and re-seal the toilet. We also had a $25 coupon from the Yellow Pages. The next time (about a year later), a different company quoted us $235 for the same service. After I complained that the other company had charged only $175 (with coupon), they lowered the price to $210. The price still seemed too high, but what am I going to do? Our toilets were clogged and we couldn't shower or use any of our bathrooms, so I paid him the $210. It's hard to get competing quotes because they claim they have to drive out and look at the problem to give you a quote, so if I say no to one company, I have to wait another hour for the next one, and the same company will put multiple listings under different names in the phone book, so it's hard to find a competitor.
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Amount: $420.83 Snake a Pipe and Fix Toilet Flap in Fort Lauderdale
Posted by: amtdev.com in FORT LAUDERDALE, FL.Purchased: August, 2007
Firm or Company: Roto RooterDifficulty of Access: shower drain & toilet tank
Other Work: fix flap
The drain in the shower was severely clogged because of a combination of regular use and grout water being poured into it by tile installers 2 years previously.

The plumber snaked the drain to clear blockage.

Additionally, he performed a "minor rebuild" on 1 toilet.

The technician was courteous, professional and appears to have corrected the problems we were having. Also, he offered to fix an issue with our dishwasher for "free" but was unsuccessful because the aforementioned tile company tiled it in under a counter top so it wasn't possible to slide it out to get at the hoses connected to the back.

We feel that $420.83 is definitely at the high end of what you'd expect to pay for this work. However, when you consider how convenient the service was, that the problems appear to be fixed successfully and that the work has a 6 month guarantee, we grudgingly accept the price.
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Amount: $112.00 Fixed leaky toilet (bad seal)
Posted by: Ed in San Jose, CA.Purchased: August, 2007
Firm or Company: Water Quality PlumbingDifficulty of Access:
Our toilet was leaking -- there was brown water oozing from around the rim of our toilet. I think the last plumber (from a national chain) didn't seal the toilet properly. So this time we called a local plumber, Water Quality Plumbing (in San Jose, CA). They did a pretty good job of carefully replacing the wax seal and fixing one of the nuts and screws. Now the toilet doesn't leak. It took them less than 30 minutes, but their minimum charge is 1 hour ($105/hr + $7 in parts), so they said they'd credit the remaining 30 minutes if we later hire them for a larger project.
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Amount: $125.00 Watch what they're doing!
Posted by: AJ in Campbell, CA.Purchased: May, 2008
Firm or Company: Drain DoctorDifficulty of Access: easy
Our kitchen sink was clogged and water was coming back up into both sinks after putting some vegetables through the garbage disposal. We suspected the p trap was clogged and saw that a pipe was leaking, and since it was midnight, we called someone in rather than buying the parts the next day at Home Depot. So first the plumber guy wanted me to scoop all the water out of the sinks for him (what are we paying him for?) Then, he wanted $135 to replace the p trap ($95 labor + $40 parts), which seemed too high because the parts are only $20, and he'd only settle as low as $125. But he was convinced we'd need to also snake the pipes for an additional $70. After he removed the p trap, he showed me nothing was in the u shaped pipe, so he insisted the blockage was further along the pipes and he'd have to snake it. I looked with a flashlight, and I saw a pulpy pile of vegetables right at the opening of the pipe, so I put on a glove and pulled it out, and, feeling around the pipe with my finger, I could tell the pipe was all clear after that. He said I was "lucky" we didn't need to snake the pipe this time -- I guess I was lucky that I actually bothered to see if it would be necessary.
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