Blocked drain: what it costs in Australia
Public cost guides put a straightforward blocked drain job at $150 to $450 in Australia. Charged by the hour, the same guides sit around $100 to $175 an hour. The same guides put a call-out fee around $90.
The honest answer for your job is a real quote. Access, parts and urgency move every one of these numbers, which is why Mendy collects quotes instead of guessing.
| Straightforward job | $150 to $450 |
| Hourly rate, where charged | $100 to $175/hr |
| Call-out fee | around $90 |
What moves the price
- Access: anything hard to reach, hidden in a wall or under a house takes longer.
- Parts and materials: quality tiers and what actually needs replacing.
- Urgency: after-hours and same-day work commands more. If it can wait for a weekday morning, it usually costs less.
- How busy local tradies are: a quiet week quotes sharper than a flooded one.
- Licensing: in Australia this is licensed work. Mendy shows licence-checked businesses where registers allow, and labels honestly where checks are still rolling out.
Try the safe fix first
The $3 hook-and-dissolve hair drain fix
The baking soda volcano fix for a blocked kitchen sink
The baking soda and a bucket fix
Every Mendy fix guide has a clear stop point for when it becomes a job for a pro.
Mendy calls tradies for you. Your first booking is free, then $3.50 a booking.
Sources: ServiceSeeking 2026 price guides; Airtasker cost guides (2024, handyman tier). Prices captured 2026-07-12, last reviewed 2026-08-14. How this guide is built
By Alexander Lemos, founder of Mendy
Mendy is a Sydney-built app that scans a household problem, finds the safe fix, or calls local tradies for real quotes. ABN 15 974 187 541.