Drain Cleaning Los Angeles: $147 to $352 + $300 Rebate

Drain rows are national; no publisher lists a drain cleaning price for Los Angeles alone. Angi's LA row covers small repairs in general.

Do this now: drains backing up in Los Angeles

1. If more than one drain is backing up, stop running water anywhere in the house. HomeGuide says several drains at once usually points to the main line.
2. Do not pour chemical drain cleaner into standing water. MedlinePlus says drain openers can burn skin and eyes; if it splashes, flush with water for at least 15 minutes and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
3. Try a plunger on one slow sink, tub or toilet first.
4. Sewage coming up a tub or floor drain? Keep people and pets away from it.
5. Sewage overflowing from a manhole or the street is a City problem: call LA Sanitation's 24-hour Customer Care at 1-800-773-2489.

Is it urgent? When an LA drain clog cannot wait

A clog is urgent when sewage is backing up or more than one drain has stopped, and HomeGuide says after-hours drain work often costs 2 to 3 times standard pricing. One slow sink can wait for business hours; Angi's Los Angeles guide puts a service call at $100 to $250 by day. For sewage, flooding or a gas smell, see emergency plumber in Los Angeles.

• Call now: sewage in a tub, shower or floor drain, or the only toilet in the house is blocked.
• Same day: several drains slow or gurgling at once.
• Can wait: one slow sink or tub after a plunger has failed.

Roots and grease: why Los Angeles drains clog

Roots and grease cause most sewer backups in Los Angeles: LA Sanitation attributes over 50% of backups to roots and to fats, oils and grease. Grease poured down a kitchen sink hardens in the pipe, and roots find their way into old joints in the lateral. LA Sanitation also says property owners must hire a licensed plumber to clear roots from private lines, so this is not a job the City does for you.

Kitchen sinks are the grease drain. Angi prices a kitchen sink clog at $110 to $215 nationally; a clog that reaches the main line costs more, $175 to $800 in HomeGuide's guide. If roots keep coming back, a camera inspection tells you whether the pipe is cracked; sewer line repair in Los Angeles covers what fixing it costs.

Snake or hydro jetting: which LA drains need which

Snaking is the cheaper first try: HomeGuide puts a simple sink, tub or toilet clog at $100 to $275, and HomeAdvisor lists drain snaking at $95 to $500. Hydro jetting scours the pipe with high-pressure water and averages $1,000 in HomeGuide's guide; it is the usual answer for grease buildup along a line rather than one plug. Ask which method the company plans to use and why before it starts. The national drain cleaning cost guide breaks down each drain.

Your lateral or the City main? Who clears what in LA

In Los Angeles the homeowner owns the whole sewer lateral, from the house to the middle of the street, LA Sanitation says. A clog anywhere in that pipe is yours to clear and pay for. The City's job is the public sewer main; report overflows from manholes or problems in the street to LA Sanitation at 1-800-773-2489, any time.

The City helps with one cost. LA Sanitation's rebate pays up to $300 toward a camera inspection of your lateral by a licensed, bonded sewer contractor, for owners who pay the City sewer service charge. Ask the drain company whether it can video the line, keep the recording, and apply through MyLA311 within six months.

City of Los Angeles rules, programs and contacts from official city, utility, state, Census and NOAA pages. Other LA County cities set their own permit rules.

What to ask an LA drain cleaning company

1. What is the service call fee, and does it include the first clog?
2. Will you snake it first, and when would you recommend jetting or a camera?
3. Can you record the camera video so I can apply for the LA Sanitation rebate?
4. What is your CSLB license number? Jobs of $1,000 or more need one.
5. Is there an after-hours charge, and how much?

More plumbing help in Los Angeles

All plumbing in the city: plumber in Los Angeles. Water heater trouble: water heater repair in Los Angeles. Sewage on the floor needs cleanup as well; see sewage cleanup. Other cities: drain cleaning in San Diego and drain cleaning in Phoenix. Prices for every trade: home repair costs. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).