Drain Cleaning Vancouver: Clear the Clog and Clean the Pipe
Drain cleaning in Vancouver should do two things: clear the blockage, and clean the pipe so the clog doesn’t come straight back. Straight Up Mechanical provides drain cleaning across Vancouver and Greater Vancouver, from stubborn kitchen sink clogs to backed-up main lines in apartments, parkades and commercial buildings. We use professional snaking, camera inspections, hydro jetting and pipe descaling, and we choose the method based on what’s actually in your pipe.
In this guide
- Snaking vs. hydro jetting vs. camera inspection: how we choose
- What drain cleaning costs in Vancouver
- Why drains keep clogging (and the strangest things we’ve pulled out)
- Older Vancouver homes: when a drain can’t be cleaned
- Our drain cleaning process
- Residential, commercial and strata drain cleaning
- Drain cleaning FAQs
Snaking vs. Hydro Jetting vs. Camera Inspection: How We Choose
Every drain company owns a snake. The difference is knowing which tool the job needs. Here’s how we decide:
- Toilets and bathroom drains clogged with toilet paper, wet wipes or feminine hygiene products: snaking. A snake breaks through a physical blockage and gets water moving again.
- Kitchen lines are almost always grease. We often snake first, just to open the line and drain the standing water. Then we clean the pipe walls with pipe descaling or hydro jetting. Snaking alone pokes a hole through the grease, and the line narrows again within weeks.
- Camera inspection tells us where the problem is. We send the camera down until it reaches the blockage. If it’s 30 feet down the line, we know to work the snake at 30 feet instead of guessing. After cleaning, we send the camera down again to confirm the line is clear.
Do we always camera first? It depends on access and how bad the clog is. Sometimes there’s no way to get a camera in. But if there’s access (a cleanout, or a toilet we’re already pulling on a backed-up commercial washroom), we use the camera. It makes the job faster and takes the guesswork out.
For heavy grease, long runs and commercial kitchen lines, see our dedicated hydro jetting in Vancouver page.
What Drain Cleaning Costs in Vancouver
Most drain cleaning calls land between $500 and $1,000, for homes and businesses alike. What pushes a job to the top of that range, or past it:
- No preventive maintenance. Buildup grows along the pipe where you can’t see it, until the line is completely blocked. Then you’re paying for hours of work to get through it. A commercial line cleaned once a year is often an hour with a quick hydro jet. The same line left for years can take a crew most of a day.
- What’s been going down the drain. Wet wipes, feminine hygiene products and grease make every clog harder to clear.
- Tree roots and distance. On one recent job, tree roots had grown into a sewer line and feminine hygiene products had caught in them. It took four and a half hours to clear, working 80 feet down the line.
- Access. If the only way in is to pull a toilet or find a buried cleanout, that adds time.
We’ll give you an estimate when you call, based on what you tell us is happening.
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
- Before-and-after camera footage and clear, written recommendations
Whether you’re in Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Delta, Richmond, Maple Ridge, Langley or White Rock, our team can get your drains flowing again.
Types of Drains We Clean
- Kitchen sink drains. This is the drain we’re called to clear most often, 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 and exterior drainage (drain tile), where access and conditions allow
- Commercial washroom and staff-area drains
- Strata and multi-unit drain lines
Recent in Drain Cleaning Projects
September 28, 2026
Drain Cleaning in Vancouver
Toilet backing up into the bathtub? Here's the fix.When this toilet in a house in North Vancouver was flushed, instead of draining normally it backed up into the bathtub instead — a sign of a clog further down the line.Our tech accessed the line through a clean-out and snaked it, clearing the blockage and getting the drain flowing properly again.If flushing one fixture causes water to show up in another, don't ignore it — it usually means a clog is building up somewhere in the shared line.
September 27, 2026
Drain Cleaning in Richmond
Preventive drain maintenance keeps this Richmond condo flowing smoothlyAs part of ongoing preventive maintenance for this Richmond condo building, our techs cleaned out the drainage lines to minimize clogs before they become a problem.We used a hydro jetter — basically a pressure washer built for drains — to clear built-up debris, organic matter, and grease that had accumulated along the internal pipe walls.Regular jetting like this is one of the best ways to avoid backups before they start.
September 21, 2026
Drain Cleaning in Richmond
Verifying separate sanitary and storm systems for a new Richmond city sewer tie-inOn a recent new construction project, the City required the General Contractor to confirm that the sanitary and storm systems were properly separated before signing off on a new sanitary tie-in — a real concern in older areas where those systems were sometimes combined.Straight Up was brought in to identify, locate, and inspect the condition of the existing infrastructure. Our techs ran a drain inspection camera equipped with a sonde, sending out a frequency that our locator could pick up from the surface to trace the lines precisely.Confirmed that the catch basins tie into the storm system, and that the city's sanitary sewer runs completely separate from storm — exactly what the City needed to see before approving the tie-in.A good example of the kind of verification work that keeps new construction compliant with the city and avoids cross-connection issues down the road.
September 15, 2026
Drain Cleaning in Abbotsford
Sewer backup solved in Abbotsford Had a call today where a clogged sewer line was backing up into a house through the water heater drain pan. Our tech pulled the toilet and snaked the line to clear it. Ran a camera down after to check the pipe and found the culprit: a vape had gotten flushed and lodged in there, with balled up toilet paper packed in behind it further down. Cleared it all out and ran the camera through the rest of the line to make sure it was fully clear. Good reminder: toilets aren't for anything but toilet paper. Vapes, wipes, anything else can cause a backup like this. Need a drain inspected or cleared? Give us a call.
September 15, 2026
Drain Cleaning in Surrey
During annual backflow testing on an 8" backflow device at a Surrey townhouse complex, we caught a failed device before it became a bigger problem.Our team coordinated a brief shutdown, inspected the check valve components, and carried out a full cleaning of the double check valve assembly. After reassembly, the device was retested and passed — keeping the city's water safe from contamination.This is exactly why annual backflow testing matters. Small issues caught early mean safe water for everyone.
August 12, 2026
Drain Cleaning in Vancouver
We recently helped a Vancouver homeowner with a sewer backup here's what we found:🚨 The Problem: Sewage backing up into the home 🔍 The Cause: Tree roots had grown into the sewer line 🛠️ The Fix: Cleared the clog, camera-inspected the line to confirm it was flowing clean, and used a pipe locator to pinpoint the exact spot and depth where roots were getting inNext Steps: Depending on the severity of root intrusion, options range from annual preventive drain cleaning to keep roots under control, to a full line replacement if the pipe has significant damage or repeated intrusion.Signs you might have a sewer line issue: slow drains, gurgling toilets, or sewage odours in the house.📞 Noticing any of these? Call us before it becomes an emergency.
Why Drains Keep Clogging
If you keep reaching for a plunger or a bottle of drain cleaner, there’s usually an underlying reason:
- The wrong things go down the drain. “Flushable” wipes aren’t really flushable. Feminine hygiene products, paper towels, grease and food scraps are the most common causes we see.
- Grease and scale on the pipe walls. Grease builds up in a kitchen line like plaque in an artery. The pipe gets narrower until even small bits of food cause a complete clog.
- Poorly graded piping. If the slope is wrong, solids settle and the clog keeps coming back. A camera inspection will show it. At a factory in Delta, our camera found a belly (a sag) in the drain pipe that explained why the washrooms kept backing up.
- Tree roots or damaged pipe. Roots find their way into older sewer and drain lines through the joints.
And sometimes it’s something that should never have been there. Over the years we’ve pulled out sunglasses, hand soap bottles, a store walkie-talkie, an employee’s name badge, and scissors knocked off a shelf above a toilet. At one Surrey school, our camera found three vape bottles lodged in a washroom line after students tried to flush them. In commercial buildings especially, people drop things down the toilet and don’t tell anyone. The camera finds them.
Older Vancouver Homes: When a Drain Can't Be Cleaned
The biggest difference we see between a 1960s house and a modern one is the drain tile around the house (the perimeter drainage). Newer homes use smooth PVC pipe, which cleans well. Older homes usually have clay tile or Big O perforated pipe, which is a different story:
- It’s rarely maintained, so it’s often packed with sediment.
- Our equipment doesn’t travel properly down perforated pipe.
- Clay tile breaks easily, and tree roots grow in between the joints.
Tree roots can usually be cleared, but not safely in old clay or Big O pipe. The pipe is too fragile and can break, and the roots come back. When the line is so packed with sediment and rocks that equipment can’t get through, or roots are growing into fragile pipe, we’ll tell you plainly: it needs replacing, not cleaning. That applies to an old sanitary line from a house as much as to the perimeter drain. We’ll show you the camera footage so you can see why.
Our Process
We follow a step-by-step process so you get a proper fix, not guesswork
1. Initial Assessment
When you call, we ask where the problem is (kitchen, bathroom, basement, parkade), whether one fixture or several are backing up, how long it’s been happening, and whether you’ve tried plungers or drain cleaners.
2. Snaking the Drain
In most cases we start with a professional drain snake to break through the blockage and get standing water moving.
3. Camera Inspection (As Needed)
Where there’s access, we camera the line to see what’s on the pipe walls (grease, scale, roots, foreign objects) and how far down the problem is. We use a locator to pinpoint it from above, so nobody digs up the whole yard.
4. Advanced Cleaning: Hydro Jetting & Pipe Descaling
Based on what we find, we use pipe descaling for hardened buildup, hydro jetting for long runs of grease and heavy debris, or root removal. We start with the least aggressive method and escalate only as needed.
5. Verification & Report
We camera the line again to confirm it’s clear. You get before-and-after photos or video, and a written record with any recommendations for repairs or maintenance.
Residential Drain Cleaning
For Vancouver homeowners, our most popular option for kitchen sinks is a two-step “combo”:
- Step 1: snake the line to drain the water and clear the immediate blockage.
- Step 2: descale the same line to clean the pipe walls, so it doesn’t clog again in a few weeks.
It’s the difference between opening the pipe and actually cleaning it.
Commercial and Strata Drain Cleaning
We regularly help strata councils, property managers and businesses across Greater Vancouver with backed-up apartment stacks and parkade drains, commercial washrooms with several fixtures backing up at once, and perimeter drains and larger lines.
A typical commercial visit:
- Camera the line to locate the blockage and its depth.
- Snake or jet to clear it.
- Camera again to confirm the line is properly cleaned.
For restaurants and high-volume kitchens, scheduled jetting once or twice a year costs far less than an emergency clear.
Drain Cleaning Service Area – Greater Vancouver
We provide drain cleaning in Vancouver and across the Lower Mainland / Greater Vancouver area, including:
- Drain Cleaning Vancouver
- Drain Cleaning Coquitlam
- Drain Cleaning Surrey
- View all Drain Cleaning 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?
- The right tool for the job. Snake, camera, descaler or jetter, chosen by what’s in your pipe.
- We camera whenever there’s access. Faster jobs, no guesswork, and proof the line is clear.
- Honest recommendations. If a pipe needs replacing rather than cleaning, we’ll tell you and show you why.
- Documentation. Before-and-after footage and written recommendations for future maintenance.
- Local team. We know how Vancouver’s older homes, mixed plumbing materials and wet climate affect drains.
Drain Cleaning FAQs
How much does drain cleaning cost in Vancouver?
Most drain cleaning jobs cost between $500 and $1,000. Severe blockages, tree roots, long runs of pipe and hard-to-reach access points can push that higher. Regular maintenance keeps it lower.
Should I snake or hydro jet my drain?
Snaking clears a clog. Hydro jetting cleans the pipe walls. For toilets and bathroom drains, a snake is usually enough. For grease-lined kitchen and commercial lines, we open the line with a snake, then clean it with descaling or hydro jetting.
Why does my drain keep clogging after I clear it?
Usually the same things keep going down it (wipes, grease, hygiene products), there’s buildup on the pipe walls, the pipe slope is wrong, or roots have got in. A camera inspection is the fastest way to find out which.
Can you clean old clay drain tile?
Sometimes, but old clay and Big O perforated pipe is fragile, often packed with sediment, and prone to root intrusion. If equipment can’t get through, or roots are growing into the joints, replacing the line is usually the only lasting fix.
Are chemical drain cleaners like Drano safe?
In our experience they rarely work as advertised. They tend to partly break down a clog and leave a soft mass in the pipe, and some can be hard on plastic pipe. A plunger is often more effective. If a clog keeps coming back, have a plumber look at it.
How long does drain cleaning take?
A typical residential clog takes one to four hours on site. Larger systems, heavy root intrusion or full perimeter jetting can take most of a day.
Do you clean perimeter and storm drains?
Yes. We inspect perimeter and storm drains with a camera and clean them. For most homes, once a year is a good starting point. A blocked perimeter drain can build up water pressure against your foundation and push water into the basement.
