Drain cleaning prices in Denver are not one number. Published guide ranges conflict with each other, and the price depends on where the clog is, what is causing it, and how easy the line is to reach. This guide gives the published ranges with their sources, so you can judge a quote, and explains what drives the price. None of these figures are 5280 Denver Plumbing's prices.
What published guides say
ServiceAgent's estimates, based on Google data as of 2026-05-12, put drain cleaning by snake at $150-$450 and hydro-jetting at $400-$900. Other guides put a service call at $89-$165 and hourly rates at $55-$250. These are guide figures, not quotes, and they cover different scopes: a single fixture clog and a main line packed with roots are different jobs with different prices.
For comparison, published ranges for related work are also wide. A sewer camera inspection is published at $150-$500 by multiple guides, with Angi Denver giving $151-$1,359 and an average of $748, a range that includes specialty cameras. Hydro jetting a residential main line is published at $385-$660 by TradesProHub, with most paying about $522, while a root-cutting and jetting job including a camera is published at $650-$1,400. The spread is the point: ask what the quote covers before comparing numbers.
What actually drives the price
Where the clog is
A p-trap under a bathroom sink is a short job. A main line 60 feet out under a concrete driveway is a longer job with a bigger machine. The further from the cleanout, the more the job costs.
What is causing it
Grease and hair clear differently from roots and scale. In Denver's older neighbourhoods, Capitol Hill, Park Hill, Baker, Congress Park and Washington Park, cast-iron and clay lines with mature trees overhead mean roots and scale are common. Roots need cutting and often jetting, not just snaking.
How easy the line is to reach
A cleanout at ground level keeps the job simple. No cleanout, a buried cleanout, or a line under a driveway or patio adds time and cost.
Whether a camera is included
A camera inspection shows what the clog actually is: roots, a belly, a collapsed section, or just buildup. We recommend it any time the same line clogs twice in a year, because the second clog is almost never the same problem as the first. See sewer camera inspection.
Snaking vs. hydro jetting
Snaking punches a hole through a blockage. Hydro jetting scours the pipe wall at 3,000-4,000 PSI and removes grease, scale and roots. Jetting costs more and is the right answer for recurring clogs, but a camera check must come first: jetting a cracked or collapsed pipe makes it worse. See hydro jetting and drain cleaning.
| Method | Published guide range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Snaking | $150-$450 (ServiceAgent) | A simple clog — punches a hole through the blockage |
| Hydro jetting | $400-$900 (ServiceAgent) | Recurring clogs, grease, roots and cast-iron scale — scours the pipe wall |
| Camera inspection | $150-$500 (multiple guides) | Finding what the clog actually is before a fix is quoted |
What to watch out for
Be wary of a quote that does not say what it covers: which line, which method, whether a camera is included, and what happens if the clog is not a simple clog. A low quote for a snake that leaves roots in place is not cheaper than a higher quote that clears the line. And do not pour chemical drain cleaner down a line you expect a plumber to work on: it does not dissolve roots or scale, and it is a hazard for whoever opens the trap.
When to call a professional
Call if more than one fixture is slow or backing up, if water comes up through the lowest drain in the house, if the same drain clogs again within weeks, or if you smell sewage. Those are main-line signs, not fixture signs. Call (720) 599-7253 and describe what is happening.