Drain Cleaning Nashville: $125 to $350 + Camera Inspection

Nashville rows from ConsumerAffairs; national rows are labeled.

Do this now: a clogged or backed-up drain

1. Stop running water and flushing anywhere in the house.
2. Try a plunger on a single sink or toilet. If several fixtures back up at once, stop and call: it is the main line.
3. Skip chemical drain openers. MedlinePlus lists them as a poisoning hazard, and a plumber may have to open that line by hand.
4. Sewage on the floor: keep children and pets away and see sewage cleanup before you mop.
5. Note which fixtures backed up and in what order; it helps the plumber find the clog.

Is it urgent? One slow drain or a main line backup

A single slow drain can wait for business hours at $125 to $350, but sewage in a tub or floor drain, or several fixtures backing up at once, is a main line problem that needs help today. Main lines cost more to clear: HomeGuide's national range is $175 to $800. If the line keeps clogging, a camera inspection ($200 to $400 in Nashville, per ConsumerAffairs) shows whether roots or a broken pipe are the cause. Sewage indoors is Category 3 water; see sewage cleanup.

Roots, clay laterals and older Nashville homes

Nashville has a large stock of older houses: 140,542 of 344,794 housing units (40.8%) were built before 1980, the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey shows. ConsumerAffairs says older clay sewer laterals in Nashville are prone to root intrusion, and that pre-1980 homes in East Nashville and Germantown often have cast iron pipes. A clog that comes back every few months in a house like that is usually in the lateral, not the sink.

When the problem is past your yard: Metro Water Services

Call Metro Water Services at 615-862-4600, or hubNashville at 311, if you see sewage coming from a manhole or the street. For the line from your house, call a plumber first. MWS treats it as a private sewer line, and its Sewer Service Line Assistance program helps only after a plumber cannot resolve the problem, a 2-foot section has been cut and removed, and the owner signs a release agreement. Repair costs and methods: sewer line repair.

Snake or hydro jetting?

A cable snake clears most sink, tub and toilet clogs; hydro jetting scours the whole pipe and costs more, about $1,000 on average in HomeGuide's national data. Jetting makes sense for grease or roots that keep coming back, after a camera shows the pipe is sound. Compare methods on drain cleaning.

Local rules, programs and conditions for Nashville, from official city, county, state, utility, Census and NOAA pages unless marked.

More Nashville plumbing guides

All plumbing work: plumber in Nashville. Night or weekend backups: emergency plumber in Nashville. Hot water problems: water heater repair in Nashville. Other cities: drain cleaning in Charlotte and drain cleaning in Indianapolis. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).