Jetting is the heavy option in drain clearing, and it is priced accordingly. Most one-off blockages do not need it. Some blockages will not stay cleared without it. The trick is knowing which one you have, so here is what jetting costs, what it actually does, and when the extra money is worth spending.
Drain clearing prices on the Gold Coast
| Service | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Machine (eel) clear | $250 to $400 | A one-off blockage: wipes, paper, a single root mass |
| CCTV camera inspection only | $200 to $350 | Finding out what and where the problem is before spending on the fix |
| CCTV camera, high-pressure jetting and written report | $500 to $900 | Grease, silt, heavy roots, and any drain that keeps blocking |
| Pipe relining, per linear metre installed | $400 to $600+ | Repairing the cracked or root-damaged pipe the camera finds |
All prices are fixed and for business hours. After-hours work carries a higher attendance rate that we quote on the phone before we leave. Where a camera inspection leads straight into jetting or relining, the inspection is usually credited against the bigger job.
What does jetting do that an eel does not?
An electric eel, the machine we use for a standard clear, is a rotating steel cable with a cutting head. It punches a hole through whatever is blocking the pipe and cuts up roots in its path. It is quick, effective and the right tool for most blockages. What it does not do is clean the pipe. It clears a channel through the middle of the blockage and leaves the rest of it stuck to the pipe wall.
A jetter is a different machine. It pushes water down the drain at very high pressure through a hose with a nozzle that fires jets backwards, so the hose pulls itself along the pipe and scours the wall as it goes. It strips grease off the inside of a kitchen line, flushes silt and sand out of a stormwater run, and cuts and washes out heavy root growth rather than just boring through it. When the hose comes back, the debris comes back with it. The result is a pipe that is clean to the wall, which is why a jetted drain stays clear far longer than a drain that has been eeled.
When is jetting worth the extra money?
- Grease. Kitchen drains block on fat that has cooled and set on the pipe wall. An eel goes straight through it and the hole closes up again within weeks. Jetting removes it.
- Silt and sand. Common in stormwater lines and in sewer lines with a low spot. The eel cannot pick it up; the jetter flushes it out.
- Heavy tree roots. A root mass that has filled the pipe needs cutting and flushing, not a hole drilled through the middle of it.
- Repeat blockages. If we have cleared the same drain before, or another plumber has, the cheap clear is not working and it is time to clean the pipe and look at it properly.
- Before relining. A liner needs a clean pipe wall to bond to, so jetting is always part of a relining job.
For a first-time blockage on a bathroom drain, a toilet, or a sewer line with no history, we start with the machine clear at $250 to $400. It fixes most one-off blockages and we would rather not sell you a jetter you do not need.
What is included in the $500 to $900?
Three things, and you get all of them. The camera goes down first so we can see what we are dealing with and where it is. The jetter then clears and scours the line. The camera goes back down afterwards to confirm the pipe is clean and to record the condition of the pipe itself. You receive a written report with the before and after footage, showing what was blocking the drain, what condition the pipe is in, and where any cracks, displaced joints or root entry points are. That footage is the useful part. It turns "the drain was blocked" into "the drain was blocked because roots are entering at a cracked joint under the front lawn", which is the information you need to decide whether to leave it, reline it or dig it up.
What jetting cannot fix
Jetting cleans the pipe. It does not repair it. If the camera shows a cracked joint, a collapsed section or a belly holding water, jetting buys you time and shows you the problem, but the problem is still there. The next step is either pipe relining at $400 to $600 plus per metre, which lines the existing pipe from the inside without digging, or excavation and replacement, which we quote on inspection because the cost depends entirely on depth, access and what is built over the top. Jetting is also not the right tool for a fragile, badly cracked pipe, where the pressure can do more harm than good. The camera tells us that before the jetter goes in, which is another reason we do not sell jetting without one.
Is jetting safe on old pipes?
On sound pipe, yes, including old earthenware and cast iron. The nozzle pressure is set for the job and the operator controls it. On pipe that the camera shows is already failing, we tell you before proceeding and talk through the options rather than blasting away at a pipe that is holding together by habit. That judgement is the difference between hiring a licensed drainer and hiring a jetter.
How often should a problem drain be jetted?
Ideally once, followed by a proper repair. If a kitchen line greases up because of how the household cooks, an occasional jet is a reasonable maintenance cost and we will say so. If the reason is roots through a broken joint, jetting on a schedule is paying to manage a problem that relining would end. The report tells you which situation you are in, and we give you the price of both paths so you can choose with the numbers in front of you.
Who can do this work in Queensland?
Most drainage work on your property, including clearing and repairing sewer lines, must be carried out by a licensed plumber and drainer under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018. Ask for the QBCC licence number before anyone puts a machine down your drain. Ours is 15243081. Owner operator, 13 plus years on the tools, and the person who quotes is the person on the jetter.
Drain that keeps coming back? Call Hills Plumbing & Gas on 0472 657 042 or book through our Blocked Drains service page. Fixed price, camera before and after, and a report you can actually use.