Clogged Drain Cleaning in Massachusetts

Drains clog for different reasons in different parts of Massachusetts. 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 below, or the one closest to you. Each city page has a rough cost range, a look at what local soil and trees do to drains, and one number that connects you with a local plumber.

Old houses are the rule more than the exception in Massachusetts, and many still drain through cast iron stacks and clay sewer pipe. Some mid-century homes have Orangeburg, a fiber pipe soaked in tar that softens and flattens with age. Soft water means less scale, but roots from old maples and oaks work into every weak joint. Many towns rely on septic systems, and some older cities carry storm water and sewage in the same pipes, so heavy rain or snowmelt can push water back into basements.

• Cast iron stacks and clay sewer pipe in older houses
• Orangeburg pipe in some mid-century homes
• Septic systems in many towns
• Combined sewers in some older cities
• Long winters and frost in the ground

Ask whether the camera shows Orangeburg pipe, since it can be damaged by aggressive cleaning and often needs replacing instead.

• 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.