When Hydro Jetting Is the Right Solution

A drain snake (also called an auger) is a flexible cable with a cutting head that's fed into the drain. It physically breaks through or retrieves the clog — cutting through roots, punching through grease blockages, or pulling out debris. Snaking is fast, effective for clearing acute clogs, and relatively inexpensive. The limitation: it clears a path through the clog but doesn't clean the pipe walls. Grease, scale, and root fragments remain on the pipe walls and quickly accumulate into the next clog.

Hydro jetting uses water pressurized to 3,000–4,000 PSI delivered through a specialized nozzle that sprays in multiple directions simultaneously. The forward jet breaks up blockages; the rear-facing jets propel the nozzle through the pipe while blasting the pipe walls clean. Hydro jetting removes grease buildup, scale deposits, root fragments, and biofilm from the entire pipe circumference — not just a path through the middle. The result is a pipe that's as close to original diameter as possible.

Hydro jetting is the appropriate solution when:

Snaking is appropriate for:

Clay tile and severely deteriorated cast iron pipes may not be good candidates for hydro jetting — the high pressure can worsen existing cracks or joint failures. A camera inspection before hydro jetting is recommended for older sewer lines.

Drain snaking typically costs $150–300 for a standard drain. Hydro jetting typically costs $300–600 for a main sewer line. If you're snaking the same drain three times a year, hydro jetting once pays for itself in the first year — and the results last significantly longer.