Drains & sewer

Drain cleaning in Aurora, CO

A clogged drain starts as water that lingers in the sink and ends with a tub you can't use. We clear the blockage at its source, show you what caused it, and suggest simple habits to keep it from coming back.

Call (720) 894-1012 See typical prices

SERVICE PLATE

Service: Drain Cleaning
Typical range: $145 to $265
Area: Aurora and the east metro
Hours: Answered 24/7
Phone: (720) 894-1012

Brands we work on every week

RheemA.O. SmithBradford WhiteRinnaiNavienNoritzMoenDeltaKohlerAmerican StandardTOTOInSinkEratorZoellerWatts

Short answer

Most household clogs sit in the trap or the first few feet of the branch line, and a properly sized drain machine clears them in one visit. Kitchen lines usually fill with grease and food, bathroom lines with hair and soap. If several fixtures drain slowly at once, the problem is likely in the main sewer line instead.

Warning signs

How can you tell a simple clog from a bigger drain problem?

One sink drains slowly

A single slow fixture almost always means a local clog in its trap or branch line. Hair, soap scum, toothpaste and grease build up gradually until water barely moves.

Gurgling after a fixture empties

Bubbling sounds from a sink or tub mean air is being pulled through a partial blockage or a poorly vented line. It often shows up weeks before a full stop.

Water rising in the shower while you rinse

Standing water around your feet points to hair and soap packed into the shower trap. Strainers help, but a packed line needs mechanical cleaning to open fully.

Laundry water spilling from the standpipe

Washing machines dump water quickly. When the standpipe overflows during the drain cycle, lint and detergent residue have narrowed the line below it.

A floor drain that smells or holds water

A dry trap lets sewer gas into the basement, while standing water signals a clog. Both deserve a look, since the floor drain often handles water heater and furnace runoff.

Two fixtures in one bathroom slow together

When a sink and tub close to each other both drain poorly, the shared branch line is restricted. That's still a branch clog, not necessarily a main line issue.

Step by step

Here is what a drain cleaning visit looks like

01
We ask about the history
How long it's been slow, which fixtures are affected and what you've tried already. That tells us whether we're chasing a local clog or something deeper.
02
We protect your space
Drop cloths go down around the fixture and work area. We bring buckets and towels so dirty water stays off your floors and out of your cabinets.
03
We clear the line
We pull the trap if that's where the clog sits, or run a cable sized for the pipe until the drain flows freely again from end to end.
04
We test with real water
We run the fixture at full flow for several minutes, then check other drains on the same branch to make sure nothing else is restricted.
05
We tell you what we found
You hear what the clog was made of and how to keep it away. If the pipe itself looks like the problem, we explain your options and prices.

Why store-bought drain openers make some clogs worse

Chemical drain openers produce heat and caustic reactions that can soften older plastic traps and pit metal drain pipe, especially the galvanized and cast iron lines common in older houses. They also tend to burn a small channel through a clog instead of removing it, so the drain runs for a week and then slows again.

If you've already poured a chemical down the drain, tell us before we start. That standing water can splash and burn skin or eyes when a trap is opened or a cable is run. For a stopped fixture, a plunger and some patience are the safest first step, followed by a call if the drain still won't move.

Gloved hand feeding a thin drain cable into a bathroom tub drain in a Colorado home, white tile surround, drop cloth on the floor

Matching the tool to the drain saves time and pipe

Bathroom sinks and tub drains get a small hand cable or a drum machine with a thin cable that bends through tight traps. Kitchen and laundry lines take a larger cable with a cutting head that scrapes grease and lint off the pipe wall. Basement floor drains often need a heavier machine, since they run farther and pick up more debris.

We often pull the trap first, because many sink clogs are sitting right there and come out by hand. When the cable has to go farther, we feed it through a cleanout or the trap arm instead of forcing it through overflow openings. That keeps us from scratching fixtures or punching through fragile old pipe inside your walls.

Simple habits that keep kitchen and bath drains open

In the kitchen, wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing them and run plenty of cold water with the disposal. Fats travel as liquid and harden farther down the line, which is why kitchen clogs often sit in the wall or under the floor rather than under the sink. Coffee grounds and eggshells add grit that sticks to that grease.

In bathrooms, a simple mesh strainer in each shower and tub catches most of the hair that causes clogs. For laundry lines, a lint trap on the washer discharge hose makes a big difference. Running water down a rarely used basement sink or floor drain every few weeks also keeps the traps full and the odors down.

Aurora notes

Drain problems we find in different Aurora neighborhoods

Homes from the 1940s and 1950s in Original Aurora near Colfax often have galvanized steel and cast iron drain pipe inside the walls. Over decades, the inside of that pipe roughens and narrows with rust scale, so grease and hair catch easily and clogs return faster. Cleaning helps, but in some of these homes a short section of old branch line is worth replacing. We'll tell you when a recurring clog points to tired pipe rather than habits.

Newer homes in the far southeast and northeast parts of Aurora usually have PVC or ABS drains, which are smoother and clog less often. Those homes still get stopped kitchen lines and slow showers, especially in busy households. Many Aurora houses also have a basement laundry and floor drain, where lint and runoff from the water heater and furnace collect over time. A yearly check on those lower drains costs little and prevents a wet utility room.

Pricing

How much does drain cleaning cost in Aurora?

TYPICAL AURORA PRICE RANGES

Bathroom sink or tub drain clearing	$145 to $265
Kitchen sink branch line cleaning	$185 to $345
Shower drain clearing with trap service	$155 to $285
Basement floor drain cleaning	$195 to $385
Laundry standpipe and branch line cleaning	$175 to $325

These figures are typical for Aurora homes, not a quote. The real price depends on where the clog is and what we find once we open the line.

Access pointA trap under an open sink is quick to reach. A line that must be reached through a roof vent or behind an access panel takes more time.
Distance to the clogGrease packed thirty feet down a kitchen line takes longer to cut through than hair sitting in a tub trap a few inches below the drain.
Pipe conditionFragile old galvanized or cast iron pipe calls for a slower, gentler approach, and sometimes a short section of new pipe.
Time of callAfter-hours visits carry a higher rate. A slow drain that still works can usually wait for a regular weekday visit at the standard rate.

Compare more jobs in our plumbing price guide.

Questions

Drain Cleaning questions from Aurora homeowners

Why does my kitchen sink keep clogging every few months?

Repeat kitchen clogs usually mean grease has coated the inside of the branch line, often in the wall or under the floor. Clearing just the trap won't fix that. We run a cutting head through the full line, and if buildup returns quickly, hydro jetting or a short pipe replacement may be the better long term answer.

Is it safe to plunge a drain after using a chemical cleaner?

It isn't a good idea. Plunging can splash caustic water onto your skin and into your eyes. Let the fixture sit, ventilate the room and tell us exactly what product you used when you call. We take extra precautions opening the trap and flush the line thoroughly once it's clear.

Can a clogged shower drain be cleared without removing tile?

Almost always. Shower drains are reached through the strainer at the floor, and a small cable fits through the trap below it. Tile only comes up when the drain body itself is broken or the pipe under the floor has collapsed, which is uncommon with a typical clog.

What causes a basement floor drain to back up when the washer runs?

Usually lint and detergent residue have narrowed the shared line under the floor, so the washer's fast discharge has nowhere to go. In some homes it's the first sign of a main sewer blockage instead. We check both, since the fix and the urgency are different for each one.

How often should drains be cleaned in a busy household?

Most homes don't need routine drain cleaning at all. If one fixture clogs more than once or twice a year, though, a scheduled cleaning every year or so usually costs less than emergency visits. We can suggest a schedule after we see what's building up in your pipes.

Related work

Other plumbing jobs that often go with this one

A heavy sectional sewer cleaning machine beside an open outdoor sewer cleanout in a Colorado front yard, autumn grass

Coverage

Where we do drain cleaning around Aurora

These neighborhoods and nearby cities cover most of the households we serve. Not listed? Call and ask.

See every area we serve

Need help with drain cleaning?

Call any time, day or night. A real person answers and tells you what happens next.

Call (720) 894-1012

Drain cleaning in Aurora, CO

How can you tell a simple clog from a bigger drain problem?

One sink drains slowly

Gurgling after a fixture empties

Water rising in the shower while you rinse

Laundry water spilling from the standpipe

A floor drain that smells or holds water

Two fixtures in one bathroom slow together

Here is what a drain cleaning visit looks like

We ask about the history

We protect your space

We clear the line

We test with real water

We tell you what we found