If a drain has stopped completely, stop adding water to it and call. Our 24/7 dispatch handles drain emergencies at night and on weekends, and the fix usually starts with a cable or a small jetter. While you wait, keep the toilet unflushed if several fixtures are slow, because one blocked main line can push water up through the lowest drain.
Sink, tub or main line: which clog do you have?
A single slow fixture usually means a clog in its own branch line. Several slow fixtures, or a toilet that bubbles when the washer drains, points to the main line. Knowing which one you have changes the tool, the time and the price.
| Symptom | Likely location | Typical first step |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen sink drains slowly, then stops | Branch line, often grease and food | Cable the trap arm and branch |
| Tub or shower pools at your feet | Hair and soap in the drain body | Cable from the tub or overflow |
| Toilet and tub both gurgle | Main drain | Access the cleanout and run a larger cable |
| Basement floor drain backs up | Main line or building drain | Camera look, then cable or hydro jetting |
| Drain clears then clogs again in weeks | Root or scale buildup | Camera inspection before more cabling |
Snaking, jetting or a camera: what the tools do
A drain snake or cable is a rotating steel cable that breaks through a blockage and pulls some of it back. It is the right tool for most household clogs and it is the fastest way to restore flow.
Hydro jetting uses water at high pressure to scour the pipe wall, so it is better for grease, scale and root hair that a cable punches through but leaves behind. A camera on a flexible rod shows whether the clog is waste or a broken pipe. If the camera finds a collapsed section, the next call is sewer line repair, not another round of cabling.
Why drains clog in older South Shore houses
Hingham has houses that date back to the seventeen hundreds around the Square, and many have cast iron or clay lines that have been patched over the decades. Rough pipe walls catch grease and paper faster than smooth plastic does. Where an old line meets a newer PVC section, a small lip can start a clog.
Tree roots find joints in clay and cast iron. Hingham sits next to Wompatuck State Park and has many large mature trees on its lots, and the root question shows up on the main line more often than people expect. A camera is the way to see it.
Public sewer or septic: it changes what we check
Parts of Hingham, including streets served by the Weir River, South Street and Bel Air pump stations, connect to public sewer. Other homes in Hingham and Norwell use septic systems. If you are on septic, a drain that is slow in every fixture can mean a full tank or a failed leach field, not only a clog.
That is why we ask whether you are on town sewer or septic when you call. On septic, we clear the line but we also tell you when the problem is downstream of anything a cable can reach. For tank pumping you would need a septic hauler, which we do not provide.
What not to put down your drains
- Grease and cooking oil, which cool and coat the pipe wall
- Wipes labeled flushable, which do not break up like paper
- Coffee grounds and eggshells in a garbage disposal
- Hair, without a drain strainer on tubs and showers
Chemical drain openers can sit in a standing blockage and damage old pipe. If one has already gone in, tell the plumber, who will wear gloves and eye protection when opening the trap.
What drain cleaning costs
A fair price starts from the location of the clog, not a flat rate that ignores the house.
What moves the price
- Which lineA single fixture branch is quicker than a main line cleanout.
- AccessCleanouts in the basement save time, while pulling a toilet to reach the line adds time.
- Tool neededA hand cable, a machine cable and a jetter run at different rates.
- Camera workSeeing the pipe adds a step but can prevent paying for the wrong repair.
- Time of dayAfter-hours calls are priced for after-hours staffing.
Insurance generally does not pay to clear a routine clog. A sewer backup that damages floors may be covered only if you carry a water backup endorsement, so ask your agent.
Want the number for your house? Call (339) 216-9771 and describe what you see.
In Cohasset, Weymouth, Norwell and Hull we run the same process. ZIP codes 02043, 02025, 02188 through 02191, 02061 and 02045 are all part of our daily dispatch area. If a clog is active, call the 24/7 line.
According to the Massachusetts plumbers and gas fitters consumer fact sheet, clearing a blocked drain is a minor repair that does not need a permit, while replacing or relocating pipe and valves does.
Questions homeowners ask
A simple sink or tub clog is often cleared in under an hour. A main line with roots can take longer and may need a second tool.
Yes. Dispatch is open 24/7, including weekends and holidays, and a drain that has stopped completely or is backing up is treated as urgent. Call and the next plumber is sent.
A properly sized cable or jetter does not damage sound pipe. On old cast iron or clay, the plumber chooses a gentler tool and checks the line with a camera.
Repeat clogs usually point to grease, scale, roots or a sag in the line. A camera inspection finds the cause so you stop paying for the same cabling.
Routine clogs generally are not. Backup damage may be covered with a water backup endorsement, so check your policy.
No. We clear drain lines and refer septic tank pumping to a licensed hauler. If your whole house is slow, tell us you are on septic so we check accordingly.