Homes & vacation rentals
Our drain cleaning in Malibu, CA covers homes: we clear sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, laundry lines and the main line out to the tank or sewer, then show you what caused it.
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Trusted Local Drain Cleaning in Malibu, CA
Slow sink, gurgling toilet or a main line that keeps backing up? We clear it, find out why, and tell you how to keep it clear.
Written by Sergio, owner of Malibu Plumbing Pros. Last updated October 2026.
"It's just slow. It'll drain eventually." That's how most of my drain calls start. Then one morning the shower fills up to your ankles, or the kitchen sink won't go down at all with guests coming over. I'm Sergio, and drain cleaning in Malibu, CA is a big part of what we do, from one slow bathroom sink to a main line that backs up every few months.
Clearing a clog is the easy part. The real job is figuring out why it happened, so you're not calling me again in six weeks. On most Malibu homes, that also means protecting your septic system, so we skip the harsh chemicals.
When Drain Cleaning May Be the Right Next Step
Sound familiar? These are the calls we get most.
Kitchen sink won't drain
Water sits in the sink after dishes, or comes up in the other side when the disposal runs.
Shower fills up to my ankles
The tub or shower drains slower every week. Usually hair and soap built up in the trap.
Toilet gurgles when I run water
Bubbling in the toilet when the tub or washer drains. Often a sign the main line is partly blocked.
Every drain is slow at once
Not one drain, all of them. That points to the main line, not a single sink.
It smells like sewer in here
A bad smell from a floor drain, a sink or the yard. Could be a dry trap, a clog or a vent problem.
Same clog keeps coming back
You snaked it, it worked for a month, now it's back. Something in the pipe is catching everything.
Drain Cleaning in Malibu, CA for Homes & Businesses
Shops, restaurants & property managers
Restaurants and shops lean hard on their drains. We clear kitchen lines and floor drains and set up a cleaning schedule so a backup doesn't close you down on a Saturday.
Request Commercial QuoteOur Approach
Same four steps on every drain cleaning job.
- STEP 01
Ask what it's doing
Which drain, how slow, how long, and does anything else gurgle. That tells us where to start.
- STEP 02
Clear it the right way
A hand snake or a machine cable for most clogs. Hydro jetting when the pipe is coated or full of roots.
- STEP 03
Look inside
For repeat clogs or main lines, we run a camera so you can see what's really in the pipe.
- STEP 04
Help you prevent it
Plain tips for your house, like what not to put in the disposal, so it doesn't come back.
On this page
When a snake isn't enough: hydro jetting
A snake, a long steel cable that spins through the pipe, punches a hole in most clogs. In a kitchen line coated with years of grease, or a main line with tree roots growing in, though, a snake just pokes a hole and the gunk closes back up. That's when hydro jetting makes sense. It's a hose with a special nozzle that sprays water at very high pressure and scrubs the inside of the pipe clean, wall to wall.
Honestly, jetting isn't right for every pipe. Angi notes that high pressure water can crack old or weak pipes, and recommends having a pro check the pipe first. So on older lines we run a camera before we jet. If the pipe is already cracked or sagging, jetting won't save it, and I'll tell you that instead of selling you a cleaning that won't last.
DIY or call for drain cleaning in Malibu, CA?
Try this first on a single slow sink or tub:
- Pull the stopper and clean out the hair. Most bathroom clogs live right there.
- Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain.
- Use a cheap plastic drain stick or a small hand snake from the hardware store.
Skip the bottle of drain opener. The EPA says to avoid chemical drain openers on septic systems and use boiling water or a drain snake instead. Those chemicals can kill the good bacteria in your tank, and they're hard on old pipes too.
Call us when more than one drain is slow, when water comes up somewhere else, when the toilet gurgles, or when the same clog keeps coming back. Those mean the problem is deeper than you can reach and it's in the main line and a hardware store snake won't get there.
Drains on septic: what Malibu homeowners should know
Most homes in Malibu run their drains to an onsite wastewater treatment system, or OWTS, which is the official name for a septic system. The City's Environmental Health office oversees them. There are two main kinds, conventional and advanced, and the City says operating permits last 5 years for conventional home systems, 3 years for advanced ones and 2 years for commercial.
What goes down your drains ends up in that tank. The EPA says never pour cooking grease or oil down the drain, never flush wipes, even the "flushable" kind, and to limit the garbage disposal, because food scraps build up in the tank and can clog the drainfield. If the clog is past the house and the tank is full, we'll clear the line and tell you to call a septic pumper. We don't pump tanks.
How long it takes and what it costs
Most drain cleaning in Malibu, CA on a single sink or tub takes under an hour. A main line takes one to three hours, more if we jet it and run a camera after. You get the price before we start.
For the national range, Angi's 2026 drain cleaning guide says professional drain cleaning runs $147 to $352, averaging about $246. A sewer main line runs $100 to $800. Angi's hydro jetting guide puts a full jetting visit at $350 to $600, averaging around $475, and says it can range from $100 to $2,000.
If it clogs again
Good drain cleaning in Malibu, CA should last. If a drain we cleared clogs back up because we didn't do it right, call me. We come back and make it right. That's Sergio's Done-Right Guarantee.
If it clogs because something new went down, or because there's a broken pipe the camera found, I'll tell you straight. A pipe with roots or a sag needs a real fix, not cleaning every few months. Fixing it once means less trips out to your house and less money out of your pocket. See our sewer line repair page for what that looks like.
What to Expect
Here's what drain cleaning in Malibu, CA looks like with us.
Time: Under an hour for most single drains. One to three hours for a main line, longer with jetting and a camera check.
Mess: Drains are dirty work. We put down drop cloths and towels, bag what we pull out, and wipe down the fixture when we're done.
Permits: Drain cleaning doesn't need a permit. Repairing or replacing a broken pipe may, and we handle that.
Cost: You get my price first. Nationally it runs $147 to $352 for drain cleaning, per Angi.
Last updated October 2026.
Is hydro jetting safe for my pipes?
For pipes in good shape, yes. It scrubs grease and roots off the walls without chemicals. On old or cracked pipes, high pressure can make things worse, so we run a camera first on older lines. If the pipe is too far gone, I'll tell you and we'll talk about repair instead of jetting.
Are chemical drain cleaners bad for septic?
Yes. The EPA says to skip chemical drain openers if you're on septic and use boiling water or a snake instead. Those chemicals can kill the bacteria your tank needs to break down waste. Since most Malibu homes are on septic, we clear drains mechanically, with snakes and water, not chemicals.
Why does my kitchen sink keep clogging?
Usually grease. It goes down warm and liquid, then cools and sticks to the pipe walls. Food from the disposal sticks to it, and the pipe gets smaller and smaller. A snake opens a hole, but jetting cleans the wall. Then keep grease in a can, not the sink.
How often should I get drain cleaning in Malibu, CA?
Most homes don't need a schedule. If a drain works fine, leave it alone. Homes with big trees near the line, or restaurants with lots of grease, may do better with a yearly cleaning. If you're calling more than once a year, it's time for a camera to see why.
Do you do drain cleaning in Topanga and the Palisades?
Sure do. Topanga and the Palisades are both on my route. If your Topanga home is on septic, the same no-chemicals rule applies. See our Topanga and Pacific Palisades pages, or just call and tell me which drain is acting up.