Owner-operated drain & sewer service in Ballard, Seattle

Seattle Drain Cleaning, Hydro Jetting & Sewer Line Service

Drain cleaning, hydro jetting and sewer camera work across Seattle and the Eastside, from an owner-operated crew. One flat price before we start, and camera proof of every main line we clear.

Phones answered 8 AM – 8 PM, seven days · Online booking open 24/7

$200–$600

Drain cleaning, flat price before work starts

HD camera

Before & after footage of every main line

$0 trip fee

Same rate evenings & weekends

Clogged drain or sewer backup? Find the pipe that’s failing

Where the water backs up tells you which pipe is blocked and which service clears it. Point at the symptom you’re seeing: the drawing lights the pipe, and the readout shows the usual fix and what it costs in Seattle.

Toilet backing up or overflowing

Only the toilet? A rooter cable usually opens it the same visit.

Rooter service

Sewer backup: several drains at once

Tub fills when the washer drains, or the floor drain rises. Stop running water and call.

Main sewer line cleaning

Recurring clogs from roots or grease

A cable buys a few months; hydro jetting restores the full pipe.

Hydro jetting

Buying an older Seattle home? Get a sewer scope

You inherit the whole side sewer to the city main. Scope it before you close.

Sewer camera inspection

Restaurant or apartment drain lines backing up

Grease lines, floor drains and stacks jetted on a schedule, not mid-service.

Commercial drain cleaning

Not sure which one it is? Describe it on the phone, or answer a few questions in the free drain diagnostic.

Seattle house, in section

Drain lines Problem run

Cross-section of a Seattle house showing branch drains, the main stack and the side sewer running under the sidewalk and street to the city main Kitchen sink Tub Toilet Washer Floor drain Cleanout Side sewer: the owner's pipe Your side sewer Property line City main Roots at a joint
The property owner maintains the side sewer from the house to the city main, including under the sidewalk and street.

Branch line clogOne fixture line

Usual cause
Hair, soap scum or kitchen grease
The fix
Cable the line, then flow-test it
Seattle price
$200–$600
On site
Usually under an hour

Toilet branch clogToilet to the stack

Usual cause
A blockage in the toilet or its branch
The fix
Rooter cable, same visit
Seattle price
$200–$600
On site
Same-day, flat rate

Main sewer line backupBuilding drain and side sewer

Usual cause
Roots, grease or scale in the main
The fix
Main line cleaning, confirmed on camera ($500–$700 if it needs jetting)
Seattle price
$200–$600
On site
45 min – 3 hrs

Recurring buildupSide sewer wall

Usual cause
Grease, scale or root hair on the pipe wall
The fix
Camera first, then 4,000 PSI jetting
Seattle price
$500–$700
On site
Camera before and after

Pre-purchase sewer scopeCleanout to the city main

Usual cause
Unknown clay, cast iron, roots or bellies
The fix
HD sewer camera inspection
Seattle price
$300–$400
On site
Footage is yours to keep

Commercial line maintenanceKitchen lines and stacks

Usual cause
Grease building up in kitchen lines
The fix
Hydro jetting on a maintenance schedule
Seattle price
Flat quote
On site
Per line or on a schedule

Seattle drain cleaning and sewer services, priced up front

Most Seattle drain cleaning runs $200–$600; hydro jetting a line runs $500–$700. You approve one flat price before any work begins: no trip fee, no hourly meter, no evening or weekend surcharge.

Root mass pulled from a drain beside a cleaning cable

Drain cleaning

Clears a blocked kitchen, bath, laundry or floor drain through its full length, then flow-tests it before we leave.

One slow or clogged fixture

Most booked

$200–$600

Flat quote up front

Rooter machine cabling a drain line beside a Seattle home

Rooter service

A mechanical cable cuts the blockage open and restores flow the same day you call.

A toilet or drain that has to work today

$200–$600

Same-day, flat rate

Technician working a cable into an outdoor sewer cleanout

Main sewer line cleaning

Clears the side sewer that carries every fixture out to the public main, and confirms the result on camera.

Two or more fixtures backing up together

$200–$600

$500–$700 if jetting is needed

Hydro jetting nozzle spraying inside a scale-lined cast iron sewer pipe in Seattle

Hydro jetting

4,000 PSI water scours grease, scale and root hair off the pipe wall. We camera the line first, so old clay and cast iron are never jetted blind.

Recurring clogs, grease and tree roots

$500–$700

Camera before & after

Sewer camera monitor and reel used for a Seattle sewer inspection

Sewer camera inspection

An HD camera runs the side sewer (a sewer scope) to find cracks, bellies, offsets and roots, and marks where each one sits.

Home purchases, or before anyone quotes a dig

$300–$400

Footage is yours to keep

Scaled cast iron pipe beside a descaled section restored to full diameter

Cast iron pipe descaling

A rotating chain knocker strips scale and rust from inside old cast iron. No excavation, no torn-up yard.

Old cast iron that runs slow with no single clog

From $800

Bid after the camera pass

Drain machine staged on a driveway beside an open sewer cleanout at a Bellevue, WA home

Commercial drain cleaning

Grease lines, floor drains and stacks for restaurants, apartment buildings and retail, run on a maintenance schedule.

Kitchens and multi-unit buildings

Flat quote

Per line or on a schedule

Why ranges instead of a $99 special? A $99 offer usually covers a cable through an easy ground-level cleanout and little else. Here is how the $99 drain cleaning offer works in Seattle and the full Seattle drain cleaning cost guide.

Schedule a service online

Sewer camera inspection: proof before and after we clear the line

We run an HD camera through the main line before we jet and again after we clear it. You see what caused the backup, how far out it sits, and that it is gone. The footage is yours to keep.

Sewer camera view of a root mass filling a Seattle side sewer at 87.5 feet
BeforeRoot mass filling the line at 87.5 ft
The same Seattle side sewer at 87.5 feet after root removal, clear to full diameter
AfterSame spot, clear to full diameter

Camera before the jetter

Pressure will not hurt a sound pipe, but it can open a cracked clay joint or rotted cast iron. We look first, then choose the cable, the jetter or descaling.

Every defect located

Footage records the distance to each root intrusion, belly or offset joint, so any repair is scoped to the right spot instead of the whole yard.

The recording is yours

Keep it for a home sale, an insurance conversation or a second opinion. A clean line is the proof the job is done.

Root ball pulled from a Seattle sewer line beside a RIDGID drain machine after cabling the lateral
Root ball cabled out of a Seattle lateral
Gloved hand holding hardened scale and grease chunks removed from a sewer line during a Renton, WA cleaning
Scale and grease from a Renton sewer line
Roots pulled out of a basement floor drain during a Seattle rooter service call
Roots out of a basement floor drain
Sewer camera reel and monitor set up at an open side yard cleanout for a Seattle sewer inspection
Camera set up at a side-yard cleanout
Shane Caldwell, owner of The Drain Authority, in his van with the hydro jetter and hose reel
Shane Caldwell Shane Caldwell Owner, The Drain Authority · Ballard

A Seattle drain cleaning company run by its owner

When you call The Drain Authority, Shane Caldwell picks up. He runs the company from Ballard, and drains and sewer lines are the only work it does.

That focus means the truck that pulls up already carries the jetter, cables and camera the job needs, so there is no second visit to come back with the right equipment. General plumbers fit drain calls in between water heaters and fixture installs; a dedicated drain cleaner diagnoses and clears the line in one visit. More in why hiring a drain cleaner, not just a plumber, saves Seattle homeowners money.

Phone
Answered by the owner
Hours
8 AM – 8 PM, seven days
Pricing
Flat quote first, $0 trip fee
After hours
Same rate evenings & weekends
On the truck
4,000 PSI jetter, HD camera, cable machines
Registration
WA #DRAINDA756MA, bonded & insured · verify

What to expect when you book drain cleaning in Seattle

Most Seattle drain cleaning visits take 45 minutes to 3 hours from arrival to clean-up. A single clogged sink is usually under an hour; a root-blocked main line can take three.

  1. 3–5 min

    The phone call

    Which fixtures are affected, whether anything gurgles, where your cleanout is. That usually tells us branch line or main before a truck moves.

  2. Same day

    Your arrival window

    A window, not a whole day. Morning calls generally go out the same afternoon; late-day calls get the first slot next morning.

  3. ~10 min

    Access & a flat price

    Floors are covered before equipment comes inside. You approve one flat price before any work begins.

  4. 45 min – 3 hrs

    Clearing the line

    We work from the access point nearest the blockage, not from the fixture: the choice that keeps a two-hour job from becoming four.

  5. ~15 min

    Verify & clean up

    You get the camera footage, what we found and a note on anything worth watching. The work area goes back the way we found it.

Book drain cleaning online in about two minutes

Not an emergency? Book it yourself, any hour: pick the job, choose an open slot and add your address. Booking runs through our Housecall Pro scheduler, the same calendar the truck works from, and you still approve a flat price on site before work starts.

Seattle side sewers: who owns the line and why it clogs

Old clay pipe, big street trees and a long wet season shape how drains fail here. Four things about Seattle plumbing change what a backup costs, and who pays to fix it.

Look up your side sewer card

The city’s Side Sewer Card Viewer shows the original permit drawing for your address, often with a cleanout nobody knew was there.

Open the card viewer

You own the side sewer all the way to the main

The property owner maintains the line from the house to the public sewer, including the stretch under the street. Seattle Public Utilities maintains only the main.

Much of it is old clay and cast iron

Older neighborhoods run on pipe laid long before garbage disposals, with joints that roots and grease find first.

Roots follow the water into every joint

Cut roots regrow in 12 to 24 months, so lines with known roots are worth jetting before the rains. More in tree root drain clogs.

Many older homes share a side sewer

Two or more houses can tie into one line before the main. A shared-run blockage surfaces in whichever basement sits lowest.

Drain and sewer service areas

Trucks run from Ballard across Seattle, the Eastside, north King County and south Snohomish County.

All service areas

Seattle drain cleaning reviews

5.0

Google rating from 100+ reviews

Posted on Google Google
Michael Kassim profile picture
Michael Kassim
2026-10-17
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I had the pleasure of working with Shane. I called and he was here quickly. He assessed the situation of my clogged downspout and drain and was able to get it unclogged! We had a great experience with Shane. He is kind, honest and a hard worker. We would highly recommend!
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Julie In WA profile picture
Julie In WA
2026-10-16
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Hired Shane for a sewer scope. He was friendly, professional and I appreciated his honesty. Thankfully everything checked out great, but if it hadn't I know he wouldn't have tried to upset me anything I didn't need. Thanks!
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Cyd Smith profile picture
Cyd Smith
2026-10-07
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Shane was great! Charged me less than his original estimate, came on the same day, cleaned out the drain, and gave me lots of good information. I highly recommend him.
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Nathan Estes profile picture
Nathan Estes
2026-10-02
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Super prompt and efficient. Highly recommend!
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Nancy & Marc Rerucha Borges profile picture
Nancy & Marc Rerucha Borges
2026-09-29
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Shane was straightforward, honest, and didn't try to sell us services we didn't need. He was able to quickly and efficiently clear a root clogged side sewer line that another company wasn't able to get, and left the line hydro jet clean! We had gotten serveral bids, and found his prices to be fair, transparent, upfront, and limited to just what we needed. We HIGHLY recommend his services, and would certainly use him again! It left us feeling good about the whole experience, which is saying a lot when it comes to backing up sewage.
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Colleen O'Rork profile picture
Colleen O'Rork
2026-09-27
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Prompt,, honest, clean. Definitely call Shane for the drain!!@
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Dafna Bitton profile picture
Dafna Bitton
2026-09-26
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Omg, Shane was a life saver. We suddenly had a clogged kitchen sink on a Friday night. I messaged him that night and he said he could come after his noon appointment the next day. He got to our place before 1pm (which was amazing, I figured he'd be running behind schedule) and got the job done within an hour. He was very transparent about what he was doing, had good equipment, and was pleasant to talk to. He was also up front about pricing ahead of time, which was incredibly reasonable. I'm so glad we found Shane, and we'll definitely be using him again!!
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Kim Kaiser profile picture
Kim Kaiser
2026-09-16
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Same day response and resolution! Highly recommend.
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Mike Foster profile picture
Mike Foster
2026-09-16
Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Excellent workmanship. Extensive experience and knowledge.

Seattle drain cleaning and sewer line FAQ

Straight answers on cost, timing and who is responsible for what. More in the full Seattle drain & sewer FAQ.

Still have a question?

Shane answers the phone himself, 8 AM – 8 PM, seven days a week.

How much does drain cleaning cost in Seattle?

Most drain cleaning in Seattle runs $200–$600, and hydro jetting a line runs $500–$700. Where yours lands depends on access, how far out the blockage sits and what is causing it. You approve one flat price before work starts, with no trip fee and no hourly meter.

How much does a sewer scope cost in Seattle?

A sewer camera inspection, often called a sewer scope, runs $300–$400 in Seattle. The HD camera runs the side sewer out to the city main and records the distance to each root intrusion, belly, offset joint or crack, and the footage is yours to keep for the sale or a second opinion.

Should I call a plumber or a drain cleaning company?

For a clog, a sewer backup or a slow main line, call a drain cleaning company. A drain specialist arrives with the hydro jetter, root cutters and sewer camera already on the truck, so the line is diagnosed and cleared in one visit instead of two.

How do I know if it’s the main sewer line?

When two or more fixtures back up at the same time, the blockage is in the main sewer line, not a branch. Typical signs are a tub that fills while the washer drains, a basement floor drain that rises when you flush, or toilets that gurgle after a storm.

Snaking or hydro jetting: which does my pipe need?

Snaking punches a path through one blockage; hydro jetting scours the whole pipe wall back to full diameter. A cable is the right, cheaper call for a single soft clog in a sound pipe. Hardened grease, mineral scale and root hair need jetting, after a camera pass confirms the pipe can take it.

Who is responsible for the sewer line in Seattle?

In Seattle, the property owner is responsible for the whole side sewer, from the house to the connection at the public main, including the section under the sidewalk and street. Seattle Public Utilities maintains only the main itself.

Do you offer same-day or emergency drain cleaning?

Phones are answered and trucks run 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week, with same-day service when the schedule allows. Online booking takes requests around the clock, and a Saturday evening slot costs the same as a Tuesday morning one.

Not sure what’s clogged? Send a Seattle drain specialist a photo.

Describe what is happening and attach photos through the contact form. You will get a straight answer on what it likely is and what to do next, before anyone books a truck.

  • Which fixtures are slow or backing up
  • Whether anything gurgles or smells
  • Where your cleanout is, if you know
  • A photo of any standing water

The Drain Authority

5608 17th Ave NW, Suite 2025
Seattle, WA 98107
Hours
Daily, 8 AM – 8 PM
Booking
Online, 24/7