How Much Does a Drain Cleaning Cost? SE PA Pricing

Based on 22 drain cleaning jobs completed by McCorry Comfort, January 2024–February 2026

Drain cleaning pricing is all over the map depending on what you're dealing with. A slow bathroom sink drain is a $150 job. A backed-up main line in a Philadelphia rowhome can run several thousand. Here's the real data from our job history.

Average across 22 jobs: $754. Median: $240. The wide spread between those two numbers is the story — most calls are simple, but the ones that aren't are significantly more expensive.

Drain Cleaning Cost Summary

Metric	Cost
Average	$754
Median	$240
10th percentile	$150
25th percentile	$150
75th percentile	$700
90th percentile	$2,475
Minimum	$150
Maximum	$4,950

Cost by Location

Location	Jobs	Average	Range
Philadelphia	9	$1,424	$200–$4,950
Wilmington	2	$492	$285–$700
Havertown	1	$1,275	—
Levittown	1	$150	—

Philadelphia's average runs high because rowhome drain systems — many of them original cast iron from the early 1900s — require more work. Root intrusion, collapsed sections, and decades of buildup are common in the older residential stock. The $4,950 job in Philadelphia was a main line with roots and a partial collapse requiring excavation and liner work — well outside a standard cleaning call.

Simple Drain Cleaning: What You're Looking At

The majority of drain calls are simple. A kitchen sink that's slow-draining, a bathroom tub that's backing up, a floor drain that hasn't been cleared in years — these are $150–$350 jobs in most cases.

What drives them into that range:

• Hair and soap buildup in bathroom drains — standard snake or hand auger resolves it
• Grease accumulation in kitchen drains — often clears with a snake or cable, though heavy buildup may need repeated passes
• Debris in floor drains — especially basement floor drains that haven't seen water in years

These calls typically take 30–60 minutes from arrival to finish.

Main Line Drain Cleaning

Main line clearing is a different job. You're accessing the home's primary drain line — typically 3" or 4" cast iron or PVC — that carries waste from all fixtures to the sewer or septic system.

Signs you have a main line problem rather than a fixture drain problem:

• Multiple drains backing up at the same time
• Toilet gurgles when you run the sink or shower
• Sewage smell coming from floor drains
• Water backing up into a lower fixture when an upper one drains

Main line clearing typically runs $300–$700 for a cable clearing. Add $150–$300 for camera inspection, and more if hydro-jetting or root cutting is needed.

Philadelphia-Specific Drain Issues

Philadelphia's older housing stock has drain systems that require specific knowledge. A few common issues we see:

Clay Tile Sewer Lines

Many Philadelphia homes built before 1950 have clay tile main lines. Clay tile is fragile, susceptible to root intrusion (tree roots seek the moisture), and eventually cracks or shifts. A camera inspection will show you the condition of your lateral. If it's root-infested or cracked, you're looking at lining or excavation — not a situation that repeatable snaking will solve.

Cast Iron Drains

Cast iron drain lines inside the house (stack and branch drains) corrode from the inside over decades. As the interior oxidizes, it creates rough surfaces that catch debris and slow drains. Heavy corrosion eventually leads to the pipe walls thinning and failing. A camera shows this.

Shared Drain Lines in Rowhomes

In some older Philadelphia rowhome configurations, adjacent properties share drain lines — sometimes without either owner knowing. A blockage in a shared section can cause backups in both homes simultaneously. This is rare but it happens and changes the repair approach.

When Drain Cleaning Doesn't Fix the Problem

If we snake a drain and it backs up again within a week or two, that's a signal the blockage isn't the whole problem. Common causes:

• Root intrusion that keeps growing back — requires root cutting treatment or lining
• Partial pipe collapse — no amount of cleaning fixes a pipe that's physically deformed
• Incorrect pipe slope — if a drain line was installed or shifted out of level, water doesn't flow properly regardless of how clear the pipe is
• Grease buildup that requires jetting, not cabling — a snake punches through grease but doesn't remove it from the pipe walls

Camera inspection tells us which one we're dealing with. It's worth the $150–$300 add-on when a drain is recurring.

DIY Drain Cleaning: What Works and What Doesn't

Enzyme-based drain cleaners work slowly but are fine for maintenance. Chemical drain cleaners (like Drano) can clear soft clogs but eat at older cast iron and PVC over time. Boiling water occasionally clears grease in kitchen drains temporarily.

A hand auger (cable snake) from a hardware store handles most bathroom clogs adequately. If it doesn't clear it in two or three attempts, or if it's a main line issue, call a professional — further forcing the cable risks pushing the clog deeper or damaging pipe connections.

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Slow Drain or Backup? Call Us.

We'll figure out what's actually happening and clear it — or tell you honestly if it needs more than a cleaning.

McCorry Comfort
📞 (215) 399-2056
🌐 mccorrycomfort.com
Serving Philadelphia, Havertown, Levittown, Wilmington, and surrounding SE PA communities