In Aurora, the honest answer is that a licensed plumber and a drain specialist both clean drains, and most full-service plumbers carry the same snakes, jetters, and cameras a specialist uses. The real difference is range. A drain-only company clears the clog. A licensed plumber clears the clog and fixes the pipe or fixture causing it, which matters with Aurora’s hard water and shifting soil.
That gap is easy to miss until a “simple” clog turns out to be a cracked line the drain company cannot fix.
Here is what actually separates the two. A drain cleaning company, or rooter service, works only on drains and sewers. They run high volume and move fast. The trade-off is range. In Colorado, clearing a clog generally does not require a plumbing license, but repairing your pipes does. State law says altering or repairing pipes and fixtures has to be done by a plumber licensed through the State Plumbing Board. A drain-only company can clear the clog, but once the fix means touching the pipe, only a licensed plumber can legally finish it.
A full-service plumber is licensed for the whole system and carries the same gear a specialist does. They are not weaker at drains. They simply also have the license to fix what the camera finds, from a worn fixture to a shifted sewer line. For a one-time clog, either works. For anything that keeps coming back, the licensed plumber saves you a second call. That is why a lot of homeowners searching for Aurora drain cleaning really want a licensed plumber, not a rooter-only crew.
This matters more in Aurora than most places. Local water is very hard, among the hardest in Colorado and more than double the U.S. average, so scale builds up fast on the pipe walls. The clay soil here swells and shrinks with the seasons, offsetting older clay tile and cast-iron sewer lines in pre-1980s homes.
What is the difference between a plumber and a drain cleaner?
A drain cleaner handles only drains and sewers. A licensed plumber handles your whole plumbing system, drains included. The quick version:
- Drain-only specialist: clears clogs, runs jetters and cameras, often holds no plumbing license, cannot make plumbing repairs.
- Licensed plumber: clears clogs with the same tools, plus repairs pipes, fixtures, and water heaters, and pulls permits for sewer work.
Both clear a basic clog. Only the licensed plumber can fix the cause. If your drains keep backing up, a professional drain cleaning visit confirms whether the pipe itself is the issue.
What is the thing that plumbers use to unclog drains?
The tool depends on the clog. The main ones:
- Drain snake or auger: a motorized cable that breaks through hair, grease, and soft clogs near the fixture.
- Hydro-jetter: pressurized water from 1,500 to 4,000 PSI that scours grease, scale, and roots off the full pipe wall.
- Camera scope: a drain camera inspection that finds the exact spot and cause of a blockage.
- Descaler: spinning chains that strip hardened mineral scale off cast-iron pipe, common in older Aurora homes.
A snake just punches a hole through the clog. For Aurora’s grease and hard-water scale, high-pressure jetting cleans the whole line so it stays clear longer. Adding drain camera inspection services in Aurora also tells you whether the line is just dirty or actually damaged.
How much does drain cleaning cost in Aurora, CO?
In the Aurora area, basic drain cleaning often starts around $90 to $100 when the clog is easy to reach. Most jobs run about $100 to $500, depending on how deep the clog sits and how easy the line is to access. Pulling a toilet or working through a crawl space pushes it up, and a main line clog or hydro-jetting job runs higher. Many Aurora companies offer free estimates or flat-rate pricing, so you can get an upfront price before work starts.
How often should drains be cleaned?
For most homes, professional drain cleaning every one to two years keeps the lines clear. Your main sewer line does well every two to three years, or yearly with mature trees nearby or older clay or cast-iron pipe. In Aurora, hard water and shifting soil push older homes to the frequent end. That kind of regular sewer and drain cleaning maintenance in Aurora is what keeps a small slowdown from turning into a backup.
If your Aurora drains keep slowing down season after season, the hard water and shifting soil here mean a clog rarely stays gone for long. At Superior Mile High Plumbing, we are licensed plumbers who clear the line and check the pipe behind it, so small buildup never turns into a flooded basement. Setting up regular drain cleaning and maintenance in Aurora means we handle the timing and catch problems while they are cheap to fix. Call us at (303) 304-0784 to set up your schedule.