24/7 · All five NYC boroughs
Kitchen sink drain cleaning in NYC
Kitchen sinks clog with grease, food and soap that harden on the pipe wall. We cable the line clear from under the sink or a cleanout, flow-test it, and tell you whether it needs jetting to stay open. Starting at $325.
- Answered 24/7
- Price confirmed before work starts
Starting prices. Every job is different, so the technician confirms your price on site before any work starts. Nights, weekends and holidays add $150. All prices
Why kitchen drains clog
Every pan rinse sends a little grease down the drain. It’s liquid when hot and hardens as it cools, coating the pipe wall. Food particles and soap stick to that coating, the opening narrows, and eventually it closes. In NYC apartment buildings, every kitchen on the line adds to the same stack, so the buildup happens faster.
Signs it’s time to call
- Water drains slowly or not at all on one or both sides.
- The sink gurgles when the dishwasher runs.
- Water comes up in the sink when a neighbor runs theirs.
- A sour or sewage smell from the drain.
- You’ve cleared it yourself and it came back within weeks.
How we clear a kitchen sink line
- Empty and protect the cabinet. Drop cloths go down first.
- Pick the access point. The trap, the wall line or a cleanout, whichever reaches the clog with the least mess.
- Cable the line. A cable machine with a cutting head opens the grease plug and pulls back what’s in it.
- Flow-test with hot water on both sides at full volume.
- Recommend next steps. If the line is heavily coated, we’ll suggest hydro jetting before it clogs again.
When it’s the stack, not your sink
In co-ops, condos and rentals, a kitchen clog is often in the shared kitchen stack below your floor. Signs: water appears in your sink when you’re not using it, or several apartments on the same line have slow drains. Stack clearing is usually arranged through the super or management. We work with them directly.
Keep it from coming back
- Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before rinsing.
- Collect cooking grease in a can and throw it out.
- Run cold water with the disposal, and keep it running for a bit after.
- Schedule jetting if the same line clogs more than twice a year.
What’s causing your kitchen clog
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Slow on one side, fine on the other | A clog in that side’s trap or tailpiece |
| Both sides slow or holding water | A clog past where the two sides join, in the wall line |
| Water backs up when the dishwasher runs | A partly blocked line that can’t take the dishwasher’s surge |
| Water appears when you aren’t using the sink | The shared building stack is clogged below you |
| Clogs every few weeks | Grease coating the line. Jetting usually stops it |
Never put these down the kitchen drain
- Cooking oil, bacon fat and pan grease
- Coffee grounds
- Rice, pasta and bread, which swell with water
- Eggshells and fibrous scraps like celery and onion skins
- Flour and batter
Disposals and dishwashers
A garbage disposal grinds food smaller, but the pieces still settle in the line, especially in older cast iron. Run plenty of cold water while it’s on and for a few seconds after. Dishwashers send a lot of hot, greasy water at once. If yours backs up into the sink, the line is already narrowing.
From real jobs
Photos and footage from our own work. No stock images.
Where we work
What we don't do. We clear, clean and inspect drains and sewer lines. If the camera shows a cracked, collapsed or separated line, you get the footage and a referral to an NYC master plumber for the fix. Why we work this way
Common questions
Why is my kitchen sink clogged on both sides?
Double sinks share one drain line below the cabinet. If both sides hold water, the clog is past the point where they join, usually in the wall line or, in apartment buildings, the shared kitchen stack.
Can I use a plunger or drain cleaner first?
A plunger is fine on a single sink with the other side sealed. Skip chemical drain openers: they rarely dissolve grease deep in the line and leave caustic water for whoever clears it.
How much does kitchen sink drain cleaning cost?
A single kitchen drain starts at $325 during the day. If the line is coated with grease and keeps clogging, hydro jetting starts at $895.
My neighbor's sink backs up into mine. Why?
In apartment buildings, kitchens on the same line share one stack. When the stack clogs below your floor, water from upstairs comes up through the lowest sink. That's a building stack job, usually arranged through management.
Does a garbage disposal cause clogs?
It can. Disposals grind food small, but fibrous scraps, rice, pasta and grease still settle in the line. Run plenty of cold water with it and keep grease out entirely.
Does boiling water clear a kitchen clog?
It can loosen a small grease plug for a while, but it usually moves the grease further down the line, where it hardens again. It won't clear a real clog.
Need a drain cleared?
Calls are answered 24 hours a day. A technician looks at the job and confirms your price on site before any work starts.