Clogged Drain Cleaning in Texas

What clogs a drain changes across Texas. Older neighborhoods have cast iron and clay sewer lines under big trees, newer subdivisions mostly see grease and wipes in PVC pipe, and many rural homes depend on a septic tank. Find your city or the closest one below. On each city page you will find a rough cost range, notes on local soil and trees, and one number for a local plumber.

Many homes in Texas sit on slabs, and in much of the state the soil underneath is expansive clay that swells in wet weather and shrinks in drought. That movement can crack the drain lines under the floor, and in older houses those lines are often cast iron. Water is hard in much of the state, so scale builds up inside the pipe. Live oak and pecan roots go after moisture during long dry spells, and when the rain finally comes it can come all at once. Near the coast, hurricanes and flooding add to the list.

• Expansive clay that moves slabs and the pipe under them
• Cast iron drain lines under older homes
• Hard water in much of the state
• Live oak and pecan roots during droughts
• Hurricanes near the coast and flash floods inland

Ask whether the plumber offers a camera or hydrostatic test if they suspect a broken drain line under the slab.

• Kitchen sink. Cooking grease and oil that cool and harden on the pipe wall, plus food scraps, coffee grounds and soap scum that stick to it. A garbage disposal sends more solids down, not fewer.
• Bathroom sink. Hair mixed with soap, toothpaste and shaving residue, caught on the pop-up stopper or in the trap. Small items dropped down the drain add to it.
• Tub or shower. Hair is the main cause, bound together with soap scum and conditioner. Older tubs with a trip lever drain collect it in the overflow and the drum trap.
• Toilet. Too much paper at once, wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, cotton swabs, dental floss and toys. Low-flow toilets from before about 2005 clog more often.
• Floor or laundry drain. Lint from the washing machine, sand and grit, soap, and in basements the silt that washes in. A dry trap lets sewer gas up as well.
• Main sewer line. Tree roots coming in at joints in clay and cast iron pipe, grease built up from years of kitchen use, wipes, and pipe that has sagged or cracked.
• Outdoor or yard drain. Leaves, dirt, sand and roots in yard drains, area drains, driveway trench drains and the pipes that carry downspout water away.