How a real plumber escalates a blocked drain: snake first, camera if it does not hold, jet only when the camera says the line is sound. The honesty frame that stops the bait and switch.
Short answer: a blocked drain has three tools, in escalating order. Snake first, camera second, jet third. An honest plumber starts at the bottom of that ladder, gives you a written report when they go up a rung, and never starts with the most expensive option because the cheapest one would have worked.
The three tools, and when each is the right answer
A drain machine, called a snake, is the first move on a fresh blockage. It is fast, cheap, and clears most one-off blockages on its own. If the snake clears the line and the line stays clear, the job is done.
A camera inspection is the second move. It is the right answer when the snake does not hold, when the line blocks again inside a few weeks, or when you have had several blockages in the same drain. The camera tells you exactly what is going on: tree roots, a broken or off-grade pipe, a sag holding water, or a partial collapse. A real camera job ends with a written report you can keep.
A water jetter is the third move. It clears what a snake cannot, like fat-and-wipe build-up across a long run, or roots a snake will not bite. A jet is the right tool when the camera has confirmed the line is structurally sound and the blockage is product, not a broken pipe. Jetting a damaged line is a waste of money, and an honest plumber will say so.
When the drain blocks, do this
Stop running water down it. Boiling water and supermarket chemicals turn a clearable blockage into a hot mess that still has to be cleared.
Take a video on your phone of where the water is coming up. It tells the plumber which line is the problem before they arrive.
Ask whether the quote starts at the snake or goes straight to a camera. A good plumber will explain why.
If the line has blocked more than once, ask for a camera inspection and a written report up front. It costs less than three more snake visits.
The honest order, on one page
Snake first to clear it. Camera if the snake does not hold, or if it has blocked before. Jet only when the camera has confirmed the line is sound. That is the order on every job we do, written into the quote so you can see where you are on the ladder.
✕The blocked-drain bait and switch
Be careful with any "$99 drain unblock" headline that turns into a camera and a jet on the
day, with no diagnosis in between. The cheap snake brings them out, the upsell is the
actual quote. Ask for the snake price, the camera price, and the jet price all in writing
before they start, and ask which one they think your drain actually needs.
!When the answer is a repair, not another clear
If the camera shows a broken join, a partial collapse, or roots in a cracked section, no
amount of snaking or jetting fixes that. The right next step is a point repair or a relined
section of pipe, with a fixed price. A line that needs a repair will keep blocking until
you do the repair, no matter how many times it is cleared.
What to ask before you sign anything
Three questions. What is the price of a straight snake clear, in writing. What is the price of a camera inspection with a written report. And if it goes to a point repair or a reline, what is the fixed price for that. A plumber who can answer all three on the spot has done the work before and is not making it up as they go.
Common questions
Why did one plumber quote a snake and another quote a camera and a jet?
Because they made the call at different points. A snake is the cheapest tool that often clears a fresh blockage. A camera tells you whether the line is broken, off-grade, or full of roots. A jet clears what a snake cannot. The honest order is snake first, then camera if the snake does not hold, then jet only when the drain forces it. If a plumber jumps straight to the camera and jet without trying the snake, ask them why.
My drain unblocks then blocks again a week later. Is that normal?
No. A blockage that comes straight back means the cause has not been found. The usual offenders are tree roots in a cracked join, a partial collapse, or a sag that holds water and traps debris. A camera inspection sees the actual cause, so the next fix is the last one. Paying twice for a snake when the line needs a point repair is the expensive version.
Do I have to pay for the camera even if you do not find anything serious?
You pay for the camera as a diagnostic tool, the same way you pay a mechanic to plug in a scanner. What you get for it is a written report on the line: where it runs, what condition it is in, and whether the blockage was a one-off or a sign of something bigger. If the line is in good shape and the snake fixed it, the camera fee was the price of certainty.
Mainline Plumbing Co.