What kitchen drain cleaning costs in Los Angeles

Clearing a clogged kitchen sink in Los Angeles costs about $100 to $300. Most published figures cluster around $150 to $250, and a kitchen drain with a heavy grease buildup is quoted at $150 to $250 or a little more. The highest published price we found for cable work on a kitchen sink was $425.

For what causes a kitchen clog and how a plumber clears it, see our page on kitchen and bathroom sink drains. Below, the focus is cost: what sits inside each price, when a visit is not worth booking and when the clog is telling you something bigger.

How much does it cost to unclog a sink?

A kitchen sink costs $100 to $300 to unclog in Los Angeles, and a bathroom sink usually sits at the lower end of that. Angi's Los Angeles figure for kitchen sink drain cleaning is $150 to $300, and plumbers in the city charge $100 to $200 per hour. National guides average $100 to $220, which shows the Los Angeles premium.

A kitchen drain costs more than a bathroom sink for a reason. Bathroom sinks clog on hair and soap close to the trap. A kitchen line carries cooking fat, food and soap, which harden inside the pipe and form a ring that a cable only partly removes. That extra work is what the extra $50 or so pays for.

What dissolves gunk in a sink drain?

Hot water and dish soap soften fresh grease, and enzyme cleaners digest some organic buildup slowly. Strong chemical drain cleaners can burn through a partial clog but they do not remove the cause, and they can sit in a blocked trap where you or a plumber must then work. Mechanical removal, a cable or a jet, is what clears the gunk.

You can try a plunger or a bucket-and-trap clean first, and that costs nothing. For a ring of old grease that keeps returning, only removal from the pipe wall solves it. Our page on non-toxic drain cleaning lists gentler options, and the best chemical for a sewer line explains why we do not lean on them.

Why does a kitchen sink drain slowly and gurgle or bubble?

Slow drainage with bubbling or gurgling means air is being pushed through a partial blockage. The clog may be in the trap, in the branch line behind the sink, or further along where the kitchen joins another drain. If the dishwasher also backs up, the blockage is past where both connect.

When only the kitchen sink does it, the blockage is usually grease on the branch line. When the kitchen and a bathroom drain slowly together, or the lowest drain in the house backs up, think main line rather than sink. That is a different, larger cost, covered in our main sewer line clog cost guide. If the clog clears but returns in a few weeks, the cable only opened a channel.

Does a garbage disposal change the cost?

Often. A disposal adds a place for food to jam and a second trap path. A plumber may clear the disposal first, and if the unit is jammed or leaking, the cost is for the unit, not the drain. Replacement costs $200 to $550 on published national figures. If the sink is still blocked after snaking, the disposal is a suspect.

Ask the plumber to show where the clog was. A line clogged beyond the disposal is a drain job, and a stuck disposal is a repair. They are priced differently, and you should only pay for the one that was the problem. A kitchen sink with a disposal is also a good candidate for a camera pass if the clog returns, because the blockage may be a few feet past the unit.

Is hydro jetting worth it for a kitchen drain?

Sometimes. Jetting a kitchen line costs about $300 to $450 in Los Angeles and cleans the pipe wall, which is what a grease ring needs. It is worth considering when a cable has been used more than once and the clog returned. For a first clog, a cable at $100 to $300 is the logical start.

If you are in an older home with cast iron or clay under the kitchen, hard water scale and old grease may be in the pipe together, and that makes jetting more useful. A camera first confirms the pipe can take it. See what hydro jetting costs for the wider range.

How do you keep a kitchen drain price fair?

Ask for a total before the work starts, and ask what is included: the cable, the trap, a test run of water and any visit fee. Very low advertised prices sometimes gain charges for access or extra length. A fair quote for a plain kitchen clog should land inside the ranges above.

You see a written price before anything is booked. Use the price request form and tell us if the dishwasher or disposal connects to the same sink, and whether other drains are slow too. The home page lists our other drain services.

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Questions people ask

How much does it cost to unclog a kitchen sink drain in Los Angeles?

About $100 to $300, with most published prices near $150 to $250. Grease buildup and a garbage disposal can push it higher. A quote at the top of the range, around $425, is on the high side for a plain sink. Ask what the price includes.

Why does my kitchen sink drain slowly and bubble?

Air is being pushed through a partial clog. The block may be grease in the branch line behind the sink. If other fixtures are also slow, or the lowest drain in the house backs up, the blockage may be in the main line. Stop running water into it and have it looked at.

Can I use chemical drain cleaner in a kitchen sink?

You can, but we would not rely on it. Chemicals can clear a thin partial clog and miss a grease ring, and they leave caustic liquid in the trap for the next person who works on it. A plunger, a trap clean or a cable is safer for the pipe and for the plumber.

Is it cheaper to snake a kitchen sink or to jet it?

Snaking is cheaper at $100 to $300. Jetting is $300 to $450. Snake first for a one-off clog. Jet when the clog keeps coming back, because it removes the grease ring from the pipe wall. A camera shows which you need.

Does a kitchen sink clog mean my sewer line is blocked?

Not usually. If only the kitchen sink is slow, the clog is probably in its own branch. If the kitchen, a bathroom and the lowest drain all back up, the main line is the likelier cause. See our sewer drain cleaning cost guide for that tier.