Hydro Jetting vs Drain Snaking: Which One Does Your Drain Need?

Two tools built for different problems

The cable machine

A drain snake, or auger, is a coiled steel cable that spins as it is fed into the pipe. Small hand augers handle sink and tub traps. Larger machines with cutting heads go down a cleanout into the main line. The cable bores through the stoppage and water starts moving again. What it leaves behind is the coating on the pipe walls, which is why a snaked kitchen line can slow down again within months.

The water jetter

A jetter pushes water at high pressure through a hose fitted with a nozzle. Jets aimed backward drive the hose forward, and jets around the head scour the whole circumference of the pipe. As the operator draws the hose back, the loosened grease and debris rinse downstream. The result is closer to a pipe cleaning than a clog removal, which is why plumbers reach for it on lines that keep coming back.

How do they compare?

Which one fits your situation?

• One bathroom sink or tub draining slowly: clean the trap or run a hand auger. Neither job calls for a jetter.
• A toilet that will not clear: a closet auger first. If several fixtures are slow, the problem is farther down the line.
• Kitchen line that clogs every few months: this is classic grease buildup, and jetting is usually the better spend.
• Basement floor drain backing up when the washer drains: suspect the main. A cable machine can reopen it, and a camera afterward tells you why it clogged.
• Roots in the lateral: both tools cut roots, but neither seals the joint they came through.
• Apartments, restaurants and shops: heavy grease lines are routine jetting work, and many owners put them on a schedule through a commercial plumbing service.

For one-off household clogs, start with standard drain cleaning in Denver. For the repeat offenders, read more about how jetting is done on Denver lines.

What does each cost?

Cost guides updated in 2026 report these national figures:

• Professional drain snaking: $145 to $300 (Bob Vila).
• Snaking a main sewer line: $100 to $400 (Angi).
• Hydro jetting: about $475 on average, with most visits between $350 and $600, minor jobs as low as $100 and severe blockages up to $2,000 (Angi and HomeAdvisor).
• Sewer camera inspection: $275 to $1,800 (Angi and HomeAdvisor).
• Plumber labor: $45 to $200 an hour (Angi).

Price climbs with line length, pipe diameter, how hard the cleanout is to reach, how packed the buildup is, and whether the visit is an emergency. A jetting visit costs more up front, but if it buys a year or two without a backup, it can cost less than paying for a snake several times. Ask for the price in writing, including whether a camera pass is part of it.

When should the camera go in first?

About 55.5% of Denver homes were built before 1980, with a median year built of 1975. Many of those houses still drain through cast iron inside and clay or other older pipe in the yard. High-pressure water is hard on pipe that is already cracked, offset or partly collapsed. HomeAdvisor notes that technicians may lower the pressure or switch methods on deteriorated pipe, and that reputable companies often run a video inspection of the sewer before jetting. A camera pass after cleaning is also the clearest proof the job worked.

If the video shows broken or sagging pipe, more cleaning will not fix it. That is the point to read up on replacing a sewer line, including trenchless methods.

Is the clog in your pipe or the city's?

A backup in your basement usually starts in the private line, but not always. In most metro cities the property owner is responsible for the sewer lateral between the house and the public main, and some utilities say so in plain terms:

• Arvada's owners handle their own sewer service line, and the city does not clean or televise residential laterals. Owners there often book a plumber in Arvada for the whole job.
• Westminster says owners maintain the lateral to the main, including the tap, and should call a plumber for backups in the private line.
• South Adams County Water and Sanitation District asks customers with a backup to call, so it can help determine whether the blockage is in its main or the private line. That covers much of the Commerce City drain cleaning area.

In Denver, Wastewater Management maintains more than 1,500 miles of sanitary sewer and Metro Water Recovery treats the flow regionally. If neighbors are backing up at the same time you are, or water is coming out of a manhole, call the city or district before paying for private work.

What happens during a professional visit?

Knowing the usual sequence makes it easier to spot a visit that skips steps.

1. Questions first. Which fixtures are slow, when it started, whether it has happened before, and whether anything unusual went down the drain.
2. Finding access. The plumber looks for a cleanout, often in the basement, a utility room or outside near the foundation. Without one, a toilet may have to be pulled to reach the main.
3. Opening the line. On a hard stoppage, many plumbers run a cable first to get water moving, then decide whether jetting is warranted.
4. Looking inside. On older pipe or a repeat problem, a camera pass shows what caused the clog and whether the pipe is safe to jet.
5. Cleaning and confirming. After jetting, a second camera pass or a sustained flow test shows the line is open wall to wall.

At the end you should know what the blockage was, roughly where it sat, and whether anything about the pipe needs watching. If the plumber found a root intrusion or an offset joint, ask for the footage and the distance from the cleanout so a later repair quote can be checked against it.

Can you do it yourself?

A hand auger is a reasonable homeowner tool. Bob Vila lists sturdier metal-coil models at around $25. Use it on traps and short fixture runs, feed slowly, and stop if the cable kinks or binds. Renting a large drum machine for the main is a different job: the cable can whip, and a stuck head deep in a lateral turns a clog into a dig. HomeAdvisor puts portable jetters at $1,500 to $2,000, which is more than most homeowners will spend on years of professional visits.

How do you keep the line clear afterward?

1. Scrape pans and plates into the trash. Grease that cools in your pipe also hardens in public sewers downstream.
2. Flush only toilet paper. Wipes labeled flushable still snag in old joints.
3. Use strainers in tubs and showers.
4. Know where your cleanout is, so a plumber can get in without pulling a toilet.
5. If the line has a history, ask about maintenance jetting. HomeAdvisor suggests every 18 to 24 months for most homes, more often where trees or repeat blockages are a factor.

Plumbers in Lakewood and Aurora see the same patterns, and the same advice applies. If you are deciding whether a slow drain can wait until morning, our guide on when to call after hours can help.