In short
HomeAdvisor’s drain-cleaning guide, updated June 19, 2026, lists a normal range of $147–$352 and an average of about $246. A toilet, a kitchen sink, a tub, and a main sewer line are different rows on that page. The page also says $147–$345 in one section, so it is not a single number. These are national figures, not a Sabino Creek price. Checked October 19, 2026.
Name the fixture
A clog is local until it is not. Hair and soap in a shower, grease and food in a kitchen sink, and anything that is not toilet paper in a toilet stay in that fixture’s trap or branch. When the kitchen is slow and the hall bath is fine, you are usually still on this page. When the lowest drain in the house fills while an upstairs fixture is used, the blockage is downstream of both, and the job has moved to sewer line repair.
| Drain | HomeAdvisor average cost | What usually collects there |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet | $110–$275 | HomeAdvisor names non-flushable items and excess paper. |
| Kitchen sink | $110–$215 | Food and grease. |
| Bathtub or shower | $225 | Hair and soap. |
| Main sewer line | $100–$800 | A main-line stop, which may need more than a small snake. |
The price column is HomeAdvisor’s unclog-a-drain guide, updated June 19, 2026. The “what collects” column is that page’s description, shortened. Severity moves the bill: a light stop takes less time than a main that needs heavier equipment. HomeAdvisor says after-hours, weekend, and holiday visits often cost more, without a separate dollar amount on the drain page. The burst-pipe guide lists an emergency call-out of $100–$300. That fee is cited on the emergency plumber guide, not added here as if every slow sink were an emergency.
How a contractor clears it
HomeAdvisor describes a snake or auger as the usual first tool, hydro jetting as high-pressure water for stubborn main-line buildup, and professional chemical treatments as different from store products. It does not publish a separate hydro-jetting price, so we will not invent one. It says jetting costs more than a basic cable. A camera, when the clog keeps returning, is also described as extra and is not in the basic cleaning price. The sewer guide lists a video inspection at $100–$500. Use that figure only when someone is actually scoping a line, and read it on the sewer page where the source is quoted in full.
Store chemicals are the step that causes the next repair. HomeAdvisor says they can damage pipes if they are used the wrong way. A plunger on a single toilet is a reasonable first try. A plunger on a tub that is filling with what came up from the sewer is not. Stop, keep people out of that water, and use the emergency guide.
Monsoon is a sewer story, not a grease story
Grease does not arrive with a storm. ContractorBear’s March 2026 article says Tucson’s monsoon, July through September, brings flash flooding that overwhelms municipal sewers and damages exterior cleanouts and foundation drainage. That is a backup from outside the house, which belongs on the sewer page. Dust on an air conditioner is a third problem, covered on monsoon dust. Tell the form which one you have: a sink that has been slowing for weeks, or a floor drain that erupted during a storm.
What a do-it-yourself tool costs, according to HomeAdvisor
That guide lists a manual snake from about $5, an electric drain cleaner around $100, an auger rental around $100 a day, and professional-grade augers from $250 to $3,250. Those are tool prices, not a reason to open a main cleanout if you do not know what you are looking at. HomeAdvisor’s reason to call is the multi-fixture pattern: gurgling, or water appearing in one fixture when another is used.
What to put on the form
Choose Drain or sewer. Name the room, say whether any other fixture is slow, and say whether the trouble started after a storm. “This week” is the honest urgency for a single slow sink. “System down now” fits an overflow that is still happening. Neither one promises a contractor the same day. We do not cable drains.
Source
HomeAdvisor, “How Much Does It Cost to Unclog a Drain,” updated June 19, 2026: homeadvisor.com/cost/plumbing/unclog-drain-cost.