Drain Cleaning in Vancouver & Greater Vancouver
Clogged or slow drain? Straight Up Mechanical provides expert drain cleaning in Vancouver and across Greater Vancouver, from stubborn kitchen sink clogs to backed-up main lines in apartments, parkades, and commercial buildings. Our technicians use professional snaking, camera inspections, hydro jetting and pipe descaling to clear the blockage and clean your drains properly, not just temporarily.
Fast, Professional Drain Cleaning Near You
When a drain backs up, you don’t just need a quick fix—you need the problem properly diagnosed and cleaned so it doesn’t come right back.
Straight Up Mechanical offers:
- Same-day and emergency drain cleaning (subject to availability)
- Service for homes, strata buildings, apartments and commercial properties
- Technicians equipped with professional snakes, inspection cameras, pipe descaling tools and hydro jetting equipment
- Honest recommendations and clear, written reports with photos where appropriate
Whether you’re in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Delta, Richmond, Maple Ridge, Langley, or White Rock, our team can help get your drains flowing again.
Types of Drains We Clean
We handle almost every type of residential and light-commercial drain, including:
- Kitchen sink drains – the most common drain we’re called to clear, especially in homes and apartments.
- Bathroom sinks, tubs and shower drains
- Toilets and floor drains
- Main building drains and stacks – such as apartment lines tying into the parkade.
- Perimeter or exterior drainage (where access and conditions allow)
- Commercial washroom and staff-area drains
- Strata / multi-unit drain lines
If you’re not sure what type of drain you have, tell us what’s backing up (kitchen, bathroom, laundry, outside) and we’ll diagnose from there.
Our Process
We follow a step-by-step process so you get a proper fix, not guesswork
1. Initial Assessment
When you call about a clogged or slow drain, we ask:
- Where is the problem (kitchen, bathroom, basement, parkade)?
- Is it just one fixture or multiple fixtures backing up?
- How long has it been happening?
- Have you tried plungers or drain cleaners?
This helps us determine whether it’s likely a local clog or a main line issue.
2. Snaking the Drain
In most cases, we start with a professional drain snake to:
- Break through the blockage
- Get standing water flowing again
- Make it possible to see what’s actually going on if we use a camera
This is especially important on grease-clogged kitchen lines—you can’t see much with a camera until the water level comes down and the worst of the clog is cleared.
3. Camera Inspection (As Needed)
If the drain keeps backing up or we suspect a bigger issue, we follow up with a camera inspection to:
- See what’s on the pipe walls (grease, scale, roots, foreign objects)
- Measure how far down the line the problem is
Pinpoint the location from above using a locator, so you don’t have to dig up the entire yard or slab if a pipe is broken
4. Advanced Cleaning: Hydro Jetting & Pipe Descaling
Based on what we find, we may recommend:
- Hydro jetting – using high-pressure water to scrub and flush the inside of the line, ideal for:
- Long runs of grease buildup
- Heavy debris in main lines
- Commercial / multi-unit buildings
- Long runs of grease buildup
- Pipe descaling tools – mechanical tools that physically remove hardened buildup on pipe walls, very effective on kitchen drains with years of grease.
- Root removal – where tree roots have infiltrated your drain or sewer lines.
We typically “start low and go high”—beginning with the least aggressive method (snaking), then escalating to camera, descaling and jetting as needed.
5. Verification & Report
After cleaning, we can:
- Re-camera the line (where appropriate) to confirm it’s clear
- Provide before and after photos or video snippets
Give you a written record with any recommendations for repairs or future maintenance
Residential
For homeowners in Vancouver and Greater Vancouver, we offer packages that go beyond just punching a hole through the clog.
One popular option for kitchen sinks:
- Step 1: Snake the line to drain the water and clear the immediate blockage
- Step 2: Pipe descaling on the same line to clean the pipe walls and help prevent another clog in a few weeks
This “combo” approach is ideal for kitchens where years of grease, food particles and soap scum have narrowed the pipe, similar to plaque in human arteries.
Commercial & Strata
We regularly help strata councils, property managers and businesses across Greater Vancouver with:
- Backed-up apartment stacks and parkade drains
- Commercial washrooms with multiple fixtures backing up at once
- Perimeter drains and larger lines where access allows
Typical commercial process:
- Camera the line to locate the blockage and depth
- Snake or jet to clear the blockage
- Camera again to confirm the line is properly cleaned and flowing
There are often multiple steps, but that’s how we avoid repeat emergencies and surprise shutdowns.
Why Drains Keep Clogging (Even After You Clear Them)
If you’re constantly reaching for a plunger or store-bought drain cleaner, there’s usually an underlying reason:
- Wrong things going down the drain
- “Flushable” wipes (they’re not really flushable)
- Paper towels
- Feminine hygiene products
- Large amounts of grease and food scraps
- “Flushable” wipes (they’re not really flushable)
- Grease and scale on pipe walls
Over time, grease sticks to the sides of the pipe and builds up layer by layer—just like cholesterol in arteries—until even small bits of food or hair cause a complete clog. - Poorly graded piping
If the pipe slope is wrong, wastewater doesn’t flow properly and solids settle, causing recurring blockages. - Tree roots or damaged pipes
Roots seek out water and can invade older drain and sewer lines, or the line may have cracked or collapsed.
Our camera inspections and locators help uncover these issues so you’re not stuck in a cycle of temporary fixes.
How Long Does Drain Cleaning Take?
The honest answer: it depends on the type of drain and the severity of the problem, but we can give ballparks based on real-world experience:
- Typical clog clearing (residential drain):
- Usually 1–4 hours on site
- If it takes longer than that, it’s often a bigger underlying problem
- Usually 1–4 hours on site
- Hydro jetting / full-system cleaning:
- For larger systems (e.g., perimeter drainage or bigger properties), hydro jetting can take most or all of the day
- For larger systems (e.g., perimeter drainage or bigger properties), hydro jetting can take most or all of the day
When you call, we’ll ask a few questions and give you an expectation based on your specific situation.
Drain Cleaning Service Area – Greater Vancouver
We provide drain cleaning in Vancouver and across the Lower Mainland / Greater Vancouver area, including:
- Drain Cleaning Surrey
- Drain Cleaning Coquitlam
- Drain Cleaning Abbotsford
- View all Service Locations
- Nearby surrounding neighbourhoods and communities
If you’re just outside this list, ask us—we may still be able to help or recommend a trusted partner.
Why Choose Straight Up Mechanical for Drain Cleaning?
- Experienced local team that understands how Vancouver’s older homes, mixed plumbing materials, and wet climate affect drains.
- Process-driven approach: snake, camera, descaling or jetting as needed, with verification—not just “poke and hope”.
- Combo packages that actually clean pipe walls, not only punch through clogs.
- Transparent communication: we explain what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what we find.
- Documentation: before/after visuals and written recommendations for future repairs and maintenance.
If your drain problem is something we can’t consistently win for you (for example, a niche service you don’t want to focus on), we won’t push it—we’ll focus on the services and solutions that give you the best results.
Drain Cleaning FAQs
Do I really need a plumber, or can I just use store-bought drain cleaner?
Chemical drain cleaners can sometimes punch a small hole through a clog, but they:
- Don’t clean the pipe walls
- Can damage older pipes
- Often lead to the clog returning quickly
Professional snaking, camera inspection and proper cleaning treat both the symptom and the cause.
Why does my drain keep clogging even after I clear it?
Most often:
- The same problematic items keep going down the drain (wipes, paper towels, grease, hygiene products)
- There’s significant buildup on the pipe walls
- The pipe slope or grading is wrong
- There’s a break in the line or tree roots have intruded
A camera inspection is usually the fastest way to get to the real answer.
What’s the difference between “drain cleaning” and “sewer cleaning”?
In day-to-day use, the terms are often used interchangeably. In many cases:
- Drain cleaning refers to clearing and cleaning branch lines from fixtures (sinks, tubs, floor drains).
- Sewer cleaning often refers to the main building sewer line that everything ties into.
From a service perspective, the tools and methods are very similar; we focus on where the problem is rather than just the label.
How do you decide between snaking, hydro jetting and pipe descaling?
We generally:
- Start with snaking to restore flow.
- Use a camera if the problem is persistent or severe.
- Decide if:
- A jetter is needed (long runs, big deposits).
- A descaling tool is better (heavy, stubborn buildup in smaller lines).
- A jetter is needed (long runs, big deposits).
- For severe root intrusion or broken pipes, we’ll recommend the appropriate repair.
How do I schedule drain cleaning in Vancouver?
Call Straight Up Mechanical or fill out the form on this page. Tell us:
- Where you’re located (Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, etc.)
- What’s happening (slow drain, complete backup, multiple fixtures)
- How long it’s been going on
We’ll recommend the best next step, give you an estimate, and schedule a time to get your drains flowing again.
