How Much Does It Cost To Unclog A Toilet?

Any toilet, no matter how we use it, sooner or later can become clogged.

The cause of clogging may be improper installation or disposal of various foreign objects or just neglect of the drainage system and lack of preventive maintenance. Most of the time, the reason the water is barely leaking is our negligence.

From a technical point of view, unclogging the toilet involves removing obstacles that hinder the normal flow of water. This can be done by different methods, depending on the degree of obstruction and the type of toilet. Reducing the rate of water leakage in the toilet indicates clogging.

Depending on the place of the clog and the nature of the problem, a good and effective method of unclogging the toilet should be chosen. Plumbing companies use mechanical, chemical, and hydrodynamic methods, as well as their own combinations of tools and skills to help unclog a toilet. If necessary, the company’s specialists will dismantle and disassemble the elements of the sewage system to eliminate the blockage of the toilet and prevent the appearance of others in the future.

How much does it cost to unclog a toilet?

The cost of unclogging a toilet can start from $50 and go up to $1,000 and more. The average cost stands between $200 and $700, while most people paid a plumber about $350 for unclogging services. For a simple toilet unclogging service expect to pay between $95 and $210, with an average of $160. The cost may vary based on the type of clog, its location, and the methods used by your plumber.

Here are the costs you will pay depending on the method used by a plumber to unclog a toilet:

Drain snake – For unclogging the toilet with a simple snake, a drain cleaner will charge between $150-$200.
Toilet auger – If the plumber may need an auger expect to pay around $300-$350.
Snake with a camera – In case the plumber needs a camera to see the blockage and the drainage, it will cost an average of $250 to $550. However, this service may cost from $100 to $800, depending on the pipe length inspected, and has a separate charge besides the unclogging cost.
Hydro jetting pipes – This is a water jetting method and an alternative to using a snake. It is also an eco-friendly method because it does not use any chemicals to clear the drain. Expect to pay from $350 to $600, while complex cases may cost up to $1,000.
Removing the toilet to clear a clog will cost around $400-$500.
Clearing waste pipe costs about $600-$700.

Costs depending on the location of the clog:

Toilet air vents – $200 to $300
Toilet bowl and toilet trap – $200 to $250
Toilet and sink – $300 to $400
Toilet drain – $250 to $400
Toilet drain line – $400 to $700
Main sewer line – $600 to $1,000

Factors that may affect the final cost:

The final cost of unclogging a toilet depends on:

Whether you hire a plumbing company, an independent plumber, or you DIY;
Your geographical location; this type of service will cost much more in an urban or metropolitan area than in a rural area;
The amount of time it took to unclog the toilet, as there are many professional plumbers who charge per hour;
The type of clog, its location, and its severity;
The equipment, materials, and methods used to unclog the toilet;
The emergency of the case: if it’s in the evening, weekend, holiday or it has an immediate response.

Additional costs

There are cases when the plumber attaches a camera to the snake to inspect the pipes. The camera inspection service is usually charged as an additional cost, while some companies include it in their final cost.

You might also like our articles on the cost of toilet flushing, toilet wax ring replacement, or toilet installation.

If your sewer pipe is damaged and may need replacement it can cost you from $1,000 to $25,000. This process means pulling out the old ones and installing new ones, for which you can pay from $50 to $450 per linear foot, including materials.

The main causes of toilet clogging

Most often clogs are formed for the following reasons:

By throwing food waste in the toilet;
By throwing various insoluble objects into the sewer pipe;
By throwing the sand and litter produced by the cat into the drainage;
Improper installation of a toilet bowl;
Accumulation of salt deposits on the inner surface of the sewer pipe.

The cause of the problem can also be:

Local, when the drain from the bath and sink in the same bathroom works correctly but the toilet needs to be undone.
On the drain column of the building, in which case you will notice that both the sink and the bathtub from the same bathroom have problems draining water. In this case, unclogging the toilet requires intervention on the column and access to the lower floors or the basement as the case may be.
In the canal, when you are a homeowner, it is possible that the source of the clogged toilet is at the city sewage system or in the septic tank, as the case may be. In this situation, you will need to call a plumbing company, for sure.

DIY Option for Unclogging a Toilet

There is also the DIY option if you know a little about plumbing, and it will cost you less, around $10 to $75.

You may need the following:

flange, funnel cup, or ball plunger – from $10 to $30
wax ring – from $2 to $10
rent a snake – from $20 to $30
buying a snake – around $55

Final words

It is hard to know which toilet unclogging solutions are most effective. Depending on the cause of the blockage, there are several different options available to you. The best advice we can give you is to call a plumber or plumbing company, and next time take better care of your pipping and toilet. Only prevention will spare you from these expensive bills.