Roto-Rooter Cost: $160 to $450 a Visit vs Plumbers (2026)

Roto-Rooter does not post a national price list and says pricing varies by location. The Roto-Rooter rows come from one third-party cost site; the rest are market prices for the same jobs from any company.

Do this now: drain clogged or backing up

Whoever you call, stop the water and keep chemicals out of a drain a plumber is about to work on.

1. Stop running water into the clogged fixture. If a toilet is filling, lift the float or press the flapper down and close the valve behind it (Roto-Rooter).
2. Several drains backing up? HomeGuide says that is a common sign of a main line stoppage. Stop using water anywhere in the house.
3. Skip the drain opener. MedlinePlus says drain openers contain lye or acids that can burn skin and eyes, with eye burns that may cause permanent vision loss. Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222.
4. Strong rotten egg smell? The Virginia Department of Health says to go outside and call the fire department.
5. Water on floors or walls? Take photos before you clean up (FEMA), then call your insurer. The Texas Department of Insurance says most policies cover sudden water damage but not gradual leaks. Do not sign your claim over to a contractor; Florida bans assignment of benefits on policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.

Is it an emergency? When a clog cannot wait

A clog is an emergency when sewage is coming up into a tub, shower or floor drain, several drains are backing up at once, or the only toilet is unusable; HomeGuide lists sewage backups and a fully clogged toilet in a one-bathroom house as plumbing emergencies. One slow sink can wait for a weekday.

• After-hours cost at most companies: Angi says emergency plumbers charge 1.5 to 3 times their standard rate, and HomeGuide puts after-hours drain or toilet snaking at $300 to $800.
• Roto-Rooter's policy: Roto-Rooter says it adds no extra charges for plumbing or drain service on nights, weekends and holidays, and that pricing varies by location. Ask any company to confirm on the phone.
• Insurance: the Florida Department of Financial Services says homeowners policies do not typically cover water backing up from a sewer or drain unless you added a water backup endorsement. Check your policy before cleanup starts.

If sewage reached floors or carpet, see sewage cleanup, and for a main line problem see sewer line repair.

How much does Roto-Rooter charge for drain cleaning?

Roto-Rooter drain cleaning runs $225 to $600 in ThePricer's August 2026 guide, which separates simpler branch-line clogs from main sewer work. Roto-Rooter itself does not post prices; it says it gives no-cost onsite estimates with upfront pricing and that pricing structure may vary by location. For comparison, Angi's 2026 average drain cleaning bill from any company is $246, and most homeowners pay $147 to $352.

Because the only Roto-Rooter figures available come from a third-party site rather than Roto-Rooter or a large survey, treat them as a rough guide. The reliable move is to get the price for your drain on the phone, from Roto-Rooter and from at least one other company.

Roto-Rooter vs a local plumber: drain snaking cost by drain

Snaking one household drain costs $100 to $275 at most companies in HomeGuide's 2026 guide, and a main sewer line costs $175 to $800. These are the market prices to compare any quote against:

Prices for clearing the clog with labor, from any company. Blank means that publisher did not list it.

A general plumber also charges a service call fee of $100 to $250 that usually covers the first hour (HomeAdvisor, 2026). Ask whether a quote includes it. More plumber rates are on how much a plumber costs.

What does Roto-Rooter do?

Roto-Rooter does plumbing, drain cleaning and water cleanup; Chemed Corporation, its parent company, calls it the nation's leading provider of those services. Roto-Rooter says it has more than 100 company-owned branch and independent contractor territories and about 400 independent franchise operations, serving about 90% of the US population and parts of Canada. Chemed says it operates two wholly owned subsidiaries, VITAS Healthcare and Roto-Rooter, and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Because many locations are franchises, the company that comes to your house may be independently owned, and Roto-Rooter says services, hours, pricing and guarantees may vary by location.

What is a roto rooter? The machine behind the name

A roto rooter is a motorized sewer and drain cleaning machine that feeds a turning steel cable into the pipe. Samuel Blanc built the first one in the Des Moines, Iowa area in the 1930s from a washing machine motor, a child's wagon wheels and steel cable, and his wife Lettie named it the Roto-Rooter, according to Wikipedia's history of the company, which also says Chemed bought the business from the Blanc family in 1980. Plumbers today call the same kind of tool a drain snake or auger.

Hydro jetting and camera inspection cost

Hydro jetting costs $600 to $1,400 in HomeGuide's 2026 guide, with a $1,000 national average, and a sewer camera inspection costs $125 to $500, averaging $280. ThePricer puts a Roto-Rooter camera inspection at $295 to $350. HomeGuide says pipes over 40 years old or in poor condition may not be good candidates for jetting, so ask for a camera look first on an old line.

Can I rent a drain snake instead?

You can rent a drain snake for $30 to $80 a day, and a toilet auger costs $10 to $50 to buy, according to HomeGuide. A rental makes sense for one slow drain you can reach. It does not fix a main line stoppage, and Roto-Rooter warns that a drain snake used the wrong way will scratch a toilet's porcelain. If several drains are backing up, or sewage is involved, call a plumber.

How to compare drain cleaning quotes

1. Ask what is included: the service call fee, the first hour, and a camera check if the clog comes back.
2. Ask for a flat price for your drain. HomeAdvisor says flat rates for unclogging a drain run $100 to $400.
3. Ask about nights and weekends. Some companies add 1.5 to 3 times the rate (Angi); Roto-Rooter says it does not.
4. Ask for the license number and proof of insurance, and check the license with your state board; see the plumbing license table.

City drain cleaning guides include drain cleaning in Houston, Phoenix and Denver. Home Repair Dispatch is not affiliated with Roto-Rooter, and our plumber line is not Roto-Rooter's. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job. How calls work.