Drain Cleaning in Markham
Slow kitchen sink, a basement floor drain gurgling, or every fixture backing up at once: we do drain cleaning across Markham the same day, from $195 for a single fixture. Before you pay for a second visit, we tell you whether it was a clog or a pipe problem, and on main lines we can run a camera so you see what the cable hit.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Single fixture: $195 to $375. Main line through the cleanout: $325 to $650. Hydro jetting when a cable will not do it: $450 to $1,200. Same-day in Markham most days; 24/7 for backups. Price confirmed before we start.
placeholder imageWhich drain is it?
One fixture slow, everything else fine. The clog is in that fixture's branch: grease in a kitchen line, hair in a tub, a toy or too much paper in a toilet. A cable clears it in under an hour.
Several fixtures slow, or the basement floor drain gurgles or backs up. The problem is in the main line between the house and the street. That needs a larger machine through the main cleanout, and it is the drain we see most in Markham basements.
It comes back every few months. Something is catching debris: roots through a joint, a sag in the pipe, or a broken section. Cleaning again treats the symptom. A camera inspection of the sewer line shows the cause, and you keep the video.
| Situation | What is included | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Sink, tub, shower or toilet | One fixture, cleared and tested | $195 to $375 |
| Main drain line | Cable through the cleanout; pulling a toilet costs more | $325 to $650 |
| Camera inspection | Recorded video and notes; less when added to a cleaning | $250 to $450 |
| Hydro jetting | Grease, scale and root fines flushed out | $450 to $1,200 |
Daytime prices before HST. After-hours call-out CONFIRM: e.g. $249 after-hours call-out (evenings, overnight, weekends, holidays). Last checked: CONFIRM: month and year the prices were last checked, e.g. October 2026.
How we clear Markham drains
We start with the least invasive fix. A hand or drum cable for fixtures. A sectional machine with cutting heads for main lines and roots. Hydro jetting for grease and scale that a cable only pokes a hole through, common in kitchen lines in houses from the 1980s and 1990s that have never been jetted. When the line is clear, we run water and watch it go, and on main lines we offer the camera before we pack up.
placeholder imageWhy Markham main lines block
In the older parts of the city, Markham Village, Unionville, Thornhill and the first streets of Milliken, the sewer laterals are decades old and tree roots find the joints. In newer subdivisions it is mostly what goes down the drain: wipes labelled flushable, cooking grease, and construction debris left in lines from a basement renovation. If a basement suite was added, the extra fixtures on the same line make blockages more frequent.
Stop the next one
Keep grease out of the kitchen sink; let it cool and bin it. Put nothing but toilet paper in toilets. Fit hair catchers in showers. If your floor drain has backed up with sewage once, read about backwater valves: the City of Markham pays back up to $1,750 for an indoor one.
Common questions
Should I try a chemical drain cleaner first?
We would rather you did not. They rarely clear a real blockage, they sit in the trap, and they are hard on older pipes and on the plumber who opens the line next. A plunger on a sink or toilet is fine to try.
Why does my basement floor drain gurgle when the washer drains?
Usually a partial blockage in the main line downstream of the floor drain. Water from the washer cannot get past it fast enough and pushes air back up. Left alone, it tends to become a backup. That is a main line cleaning, not a floor drain job.
How often should a main line be cleaned?
Only when it needs it, unless the camera shows roots. Lines with roots usually need cutting every 12 to 24 months until the pipe is relined or replaced.
Do you work on floor drains in basement apartments?
Yes. Under Markham's second-suite rules each unit needs its own water shut-off, and in flood-prone areas a backwater valve per unit. If we are clearing a shared line, we can tell you whether your setup meets that.
Is the camera inspection worth it?
If it is the second backup in a year, yes. It is also the first step if you want the City of Markham's rebate for a backwater valve or lateral repair, because the City asks for a CCTV inspection of the lateral.