How Much Does It Cost To Clear A Blocked Drain In 2022

“Sydney Blocked Drain Now from $77” Wow that’s a great value, right?
The truth is If it looks too good to be true, it probably is and let’s face it how many people actually think a plumber will not only clear your drain for $77 but also pay you $110 if they’re not on time.
The best thing to do when hiring a Sydney plumber to unblock your drain is to ask for upfront and transparent pricing.

I’m a plumber’s wife and the above example is so confusing- so let me get this straight & break this down its $77 for a blocked drain but they are giving you $52 off -so let’s call it $25 and if they aren’t on site, they will give you $110 – I mean what a steal! I feel like calling them myself, I could get a drain unblocked and make money! Day made!

Spoiler alert; Unfortunately, every day people get conned by it all the time and in reality, it’s generally the elderly and people who don’t have the funds to pay for a plumber and believe someone will actually do as they say as it’s advertised so they have to do it.

The truth is these ads are targeting the weak and disadvantaged and these plumbers do whatever they can to get their foot in the door and sign you up before they even get started. They know that once a customer signs the dotted line there isn’t much they can do.

These plumbers are not concerned with customer loyalty or repeat business- they see the elderly like big dollar signs. They simply want to get the job, make money, and move on to the next victim.

Now you’re thinking; “Hold on, you’re a plumber why are you telling me all this?” Well, unfortunately, most plumbers out there are genuine and have only the best intentions but it’s a small minority that portrays the industry as crooks out to rip everyone off and the truth be told it actually affects us & our businesses.

Let’s Break Down The Costs.

• Minimum Award Wage For Plumbing Tradesmen $35/H
• Average Google AdWords Cost $110 Per Click
• General running costs- car, tolls, fuel, insurances etc. average at $72 p/h

So you’re roughly looking at $200/H to run a small business – and you’re seeing adverts for $77?

With pay-per-click advertising for plumbers, even the best landing page, with good copy and compelling ad headlines, will attract a conversion rate of between 10-17% – that’s 10-17 phone calls for every 100 clicks.

Cost To Clear Blocked Drains in 2021

It’s difficult to put a fixed value on clearing blocked drains in Sydney because so many things affect the price. To be perfectly frank any plumber who provides a price without seeing the job is almost making up the price. No one can see underground without first putting a camera down the drain or sewer to see what’s causing the problem nor can they possibly know why your specific drain has been blocked without visually seeing it and being onsite.

That’s why we offer a $0 Call Out. There is no pressure on you to go ahead and there is even less pressure for us to make up a price either verbally or online to try enticing you to book in the job. In all seriousness a blocked drain is so vague, it can range from a general clogged drain from excessive toilet paper to a more advanced blocked sewer pipe underground.

For most Sydney plumbers the preferred method to clear a blocked drain with hand tools would be a drain snake. It’s important to ask your plumber “how much does it cost for a plumber to snake a drain” with The general price guide ranging for any Sydney plumber between $150-$200 to repair a simple clogged drain.

If the blockage is something more extensive for example your main sewer line you may want to check “how much does it cost to unblock a sewage drain” and do the plumbers, you call to have the equipment to perform the task. At proximity plumbing, all our vehicles come with high pressure jetting equipment and we charge the industry average of between $300-$500 for anything more extensive and requiring high-pressure jet blasting.

Most plumbers stock high pressure jetting but only a few what’s called in the industry as Hydro jet Drain Cleaning equipment which is virtually the same amount of pressure but with an increased flow rate designed for larger drain sizes. The Hydro jet Drain Cleaning cost can be between $450-$600 as the setup and running costs associated are much more significant.

How Do You Know If It Is a Simple Or Difficult Blockage?

To determine if the blocked drain in your Sydney house is simple or difficult and then fix it accordingly it is best to engage a plumber that has a CCTV drain camera. This is because they can quickly insert the camera into your pipes and actually see what is causing the problem and then locate exactly where the problem is. Without this equipment, a plumber can only guess what the cause is and ‘hope’ to be able to fix the real cause of the problem.

A plumber that has a CCTV drain camera will have a higher hourly rate than a plumber without the specialised equipment because the equipment is expensive to buy and maintain. Although the hourly rate may be more when using a plumber with a drain camera, the benefits are that they will be able to see exactly what is causing the problem, locate exactly where the problem is occurring and therefore fix the problem quicker.

Is The DIY Option Worth A Try?

For most homeowners, they’ll usually always opt for the cheaper, “DIY” option. You’ll often see them in Bunnings or the local supermarket, filling their trolleys with Drain-O and other drain cleaning products.

Needless to say, the majority of these products are simply gimmicks and will do nothing but waste your money. In fact, many of these over the shelf type drain cleaners are acid-based which can cause corrosion to metal components within your drain system, leading to additional problems later on.

As a general rule, homeowners can attempt DIY repairs on blocked drains if it doesn’t require interference with the main plumbing infrastructure. If the blockage is located deep inside the pipes or the pipes/plumbing infrastructure is damaged, this is a job for a licensed professional.

How We Justify Our Prices

We are proud of our pricing. I learned a long time ago that it is by far better to offer a more premium, quality service and explain our prices every once in a while, than to skimp and live with a reputation for poor quality forever, to become a qualified plumber it takes 6 years to earn your qualifications & license- doctors and lawyers don’t even have to practice this long!

The fact is that prices are based on our costs. Out of every dollar we charge, we must pay for:

• Our technician’s salary
• Worker’s compensation
• Social security
• Medical benefits
• Uniforms
• Ongoing training
• The time it takes to drive to your house.
• Tools
• Trucks
• Finance charges on the inventory we carry.
• Fuel for the trucks
• Insurance for our trucks
• Business Insurance
• State licensing
• Telephone line charges
• Our telephone system
• Overhead and benefits for office personnel
• Our computers
• Our software
• Someone to enter information into the computers.
• Accounting
• Tax services
• Legal services
• An after-hours answering service.
• Advertising
• Marketing
• Membership in professional and trade organization
• Taxes

Long Term Solutions.

Blockages caused by tree roots are another matter altogether. Jet blasting machines are strong enough to clear out tree roots in underground pipes. However, the roots will eventually grow back over time, normally within six to 12 months. This is because tree roots are attracted to the minerals and moisture in pipes and can enter even the smallest hairline cracks. The options are to arrange annual jet-blasting to clear the roots, or to have the cracked section of pipe excavated and replaced.