Whole house draining slow, or sewage coming up in the tub? We clear your main sewer lateral the same day — cutting through roots, grease and sludge by cable or hydro jetting — then camera-verify the line is clear, at an upfront price.
Your main sewer line (the lateral) is the single big pipe that carries waste from your whole house to the city sewer main. When it clogs, it backs up everything at once — not just one fixture. Cleaning it means clearing roots, grease and sludge out of that lateral so the whole house drains freely again.
If only one sink, tub, or toilet is slow, that's a branch drain — see drain cleaning instead.
We match the method to the blockage — and confirm the result on camera before we leave.
A motorized cable with cutting heads punches through soft clogs and slices minor roots — the fast, lower-cost first pass.
High-pressure water scours grease, heavy roots and scale off the full pipe wall for a longer-lasting clean. Hydro jetting
We scope the line before and after to find the cause and confirm it's clear — not just flowing. Camera inspection
A soft clog or minor roots → cabling clears it fast and cheap. Grease, scale, or heavy roots, or a line that keeps re-clogging → hydro jetting removes the buildup the cable leaves behind and lasts far longer. We camera the line first so you're not paying for more than you need.
We locate the cleanout and camera the line to find the blockage and its cause.
Cable or hydro jet through roots, grease and sludge to reopen the full lateral.
We re-scope to confirm the line is clear — and flag any damage we see.
If the pipe is cracked or root-prone, we show you and quote a lasting fix.
| Cabling / rooter (with cleanout access) | $250 – $500 |
| Hydro jetting the main line | $500 – $900 |
| Add a cleanout (if none exists) | $500 – $2,000 |
Estimates for guidance; price depends on clog severity, cleanout access, and roots vs. grease. You get an upfront flat rate, with no overtime fees for nights or weekends.
Inner Portland is full of older clay and cast-iron laterals (and some mid-century Orangeburg), and the city's dense tree canopy sends roots into every cracked joint. Add a long, wet winter and groundwater infiltration, and roots plus grease are the top causes of main-line backups here.
If roots keep coming back, the pipe needs more than cleaning — see sewer line repair.
Same-day main-line cleaning across Portland — cable or hydro jet, camera-verified clear, upfront pricing with no overtime fees.
From the first call to a clean finish, our licensed Portland plumbers handle sewer line cleaning with upfront, flat-rate pricing and no overtime fees — day, night, weekends and holidays.
Call (971) 386-1515Whole house backing up? Call — we answer 24/7.
Most main-line cleanings run about $250–$800. Cabling/rodding is the lower-cost option; hydro jetting costs more but lasts longer. Final price depends on clog severity, cleanout access, and roots vs. grease. You get an upfront flat price first.
Several fixtures backing up at once, a gurgling toilet when you run the sink or washer, sewage in a tub or floor drain, whole-house slow drains, and sewer odor or wet spots in the yard.
Every 18–24 months as maintenance, and yearly for older Portland homes or properties with lots of trees. If you've had a backup before, scheduled cleaning prevents the next one.
Main-line cleaning clears the lateral from your house to the city main; drain cleaning handles interior fixture drains; and sewer repair fixes damaged pipe. We do all three.
Cabling cuts soft clogs and minor roots and is the lower-cost first pass; hydro jetting scours grease, heavy roots and scale off the full pipe wall and lasts longer. We recommend based on what the camera shows.
Yes — root-cutting blades on a cable or a hydro jetter clear intruding roots. If roots keep returning, the pipe likely has cracked joints that need repair or lining, which we camera-confirm.
A cleanout lets us run the cable, jetter and camera directly, which is fastest. Without one we can often access through a roof vent or pulled toilet, though it may cost a bit more. We can also install a cleanout.
Most cleanings take one to a few hours depending on the blockage and pipe condition. We camera the line afterward to confirm it's clear before we leave.
Yes — same-day and 24/7 emergency sewer cleaning across the metro. If sewage is backing up into your home, call right away and we'll dispatch a plumber.
Yes — a camera inspection confirms the line is fully clear and reveals any cracks, roots, or bellies that caused the clog.