A slow drain usually starts with grease, hair, or soap buildup in the trap or the first few feet of pipe. A drain that backs up in more than one fixture points to a problem farther down, often in the main line under the house or yard. Summit Plumbing clears both. We use hand augers for fixture drains, a powered cable machine for branch lines, and a hydro jetter when years of buildup have narrowed a main line. If a drain has clogged more than once in a year, we recommend a camera inspection so you can see what is causing it before you pay to clear it again. Our plumbers cover Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Eagle, and Kuna and carry the equipment for most jobs on the truck, so the first visit is usually the only visit. Call (208) 555-0142 to schedule.
Signs your drain needs more than a plunger
- Water stands in the sink or tub for several minutes
- Gurgling from a toilet when the washer or shower drains
- Sewage smell near a floor drain or basement sink
- Two or more fixtures back up at the same time
- Chemical drain cleaner works for a week, then the clog returns
- Water comes up in the shower when you flush
What a drain cleaning visit includes
- Inspection of the affected fixtures and cleanout locations before any work starts
- Cable or auger cleaning matched to the pipe size and material
- Hydro jetting for main lines with heavy grease, scale, or root growth
- A flow test at every fixture on the line once it is clear
- Camera inspection on repeat clogs, with the video sent to your phone
- Cleanup of the work area and a written record of what we found
How a drain call works
- You call (208) 555-0142 or book online and tell us which fixtures are affected.
- Our plumber arrives, checks the fixtures and cleanouts, and quotes the job before starting.
- We clear the line with the right tool for the pipe and run water to confirm flow.
- If the clog is a repeat or the pipe looks damaged, we camera the line and show you the footage.
- You get a written invoice with what was done and any recommendations for the line.
What drain cleaning costs in Boise
We quote drain cleaning by the job, not the hour, and you approve the price before we start. Fixture drains such as a kitchen sink or tub start from $149. Main line cleaning and hydro jetting are quoted once we know where the cleanout is and what the line is made of. The main cost drivers are where the clog sits, whether there is a usable cleanout, the pipe material, and whether roots or scale are involved. Camera inspections are priced separately and are optional unless the clog has returned. There is no extra charge for evenings or Saturdays on scheduled calls.
Why drains clog in Boise homes
Older houses in the North End, East End, and the Bench often still drain through cast iron or clay pipe that has been in the ground since the 1940s or earlier. Cast iron scales up inside and catches grease. Clay joints let in tree roots, and the big maples and elms along those streets send roots straight into them. Boise's hard water adds mineral scale on top of that. Newer homes in Southeast Boise use PVC, which resists roots but still clogs at the kitchen line from grease and at bathroom lines from hair. Newer subdivisions in Meridian are plumbed the same way. So is most of Kuna. Knowing which pipe you have changes how we clear it and how long the result lasts.
Questions we get about this
Do you charge a fee just to come out?
No. Our plumber looks at the problem and gives you a price before any work starts. If you decide not to go ahead, you do not owe anything for the visit within Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Eagle, and Kuna.
Is hydro jetting safe for old pipes?
Usually, but we camera the line first when the house is older than about 1970. Jetting is safe for sound cast iron and PVC. If the pipe is cracked or badly corroded, we will tell you and use a cable instead.
Can I use liquid drain cleaner instead?
We do not recommend it. Lye and acid products can damage older metal pipe and rarely clear a full blockage. They also make the job harder for the plumber who has to open the line afterward. A plunger or a hand auger is a safer first step.
How do I know if the clog is in my main line?
If more than one fixture is slow, or a toilet gurgles when the tub drains, the blockage is past the branch lines. Water rising in a basement floor drain or the lowest shower is the clearest sign of a main line clog.
Will you clean up after the job?
Yes. We put down floor protection before we bring in equipment, wipe down the work area, and haul away anything we pull from the line. You should not have to do anything after we leave.
Do you offer a warranty on drain cleaning?
Fixture drains carry a 30 day warranty. Main lines cleared through a proper cleanout carry 90 days. If the same line clogs again in that window, we come back and clear it at no charge.