Drain Cleaning in Pennsylvania
A plumber clears a clogged drain with a drain cable (snake) sized to the pipe, and uses a camera or hydro jetting when a clog keeps coming back. One slow fixture is usually a local clog; several slow fixtures at once point to the main line.
Coverage in Pennsylvania
Covered ZIP codes
1,463
Cities and towns
1,279
Most-covered
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie
What drives drain cleaning calls in Pennsylvania
Basement flooding
When: Tropical-storm remnants and spring rain in the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys. What fails: Water enters through floors and walls, and sump pumps fail. What to do: Test the sump pump, add a backup and keep the discharge away from the foundation.
Old cast-iron and clay drains
When: Freeze-thaw cycles and roots. What fails: Older drains crack and clog. What to do: Camera-inspect before any major drain replacement.
Storm season: Heavy rain floods basements, overloads older sewers and backs up floor drains.
Philadelphia's rowhomes and Pittsburgh's older houses frequently date to the early twentieth century or earlier, with cast-iron and clay drains, galvanized supply and some lead service lines. Pennsylvania has one of the largest numbers of private household wells in the country, spread across rural areas from the Poconos to the Alleghenies.
Hiring for drain cleaning in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license. Philadelphia licenses plumbers through its Department of Licenses and Inspections, Allegheny County (including Pittsburgh) licenses through its Health Department, and some other municipalities license locally. Contractors doing residential home improvement work generally also register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General.
SteadWell is a free referral service, not a plumbing company. Calls to (833) 753-0180 are routed by ZIP code to independent, licensed plumbers; our Pennsylvania coverage list includes 1,463 ZIP codes. Ask for the trip fee and total price before work starts.
About drain cleaning
- Water draining slowly or standing in a sink or tub
- Gurgling from a drain when another fixture runs
- Sewer smell from a drain
- Water backing up in a floor drain or lower-level shower
- Clogs returning within weeks of being cleared
The full guide covers the visit and cost factors: Drain Cleaning.
Drain Cleaning in Pennsylvania: questions
How do I check a plumber's license in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has no statewide plumbing license. Philadelphia licenses plumbers through its Department of Licenses and Inspections, Allegheny County (including Pittsburgh) licenses through its Health Department, and some other municipalities license locally. Contractors doing residential home improvement work generally also register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General.
Is drain cleaning available in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is among the most-covered cities in our Pennsylvania call-routing list. Calls are connected by ZIP code to an independent, licensed plumber who serves it; if none does, you're told so.
How do I know if a clog is in the main line?
Several fixtures slow at once, water backing up into a tub when the toilet flushes, or an overflow at the lowest drain in the house point to the main line rather than one drain.