How long does sewer jetting take?

More pipe. Jetting works by feeding a hose down the line and cleaning as it is drawn back, so every added foot is added time, both going in and coming out. There is also a physical limit. Spartan Tool's guide for its portable electric jetter says the unit works effectively with up to 100 feet of 3/16-inch hose, and that "Longer hoses will not be able to keep pressure at the nozzle and may not clear clogs as well as a shorter hose." For a long line, the crew switches to bigger equipment or to a second access point instead of pushing one hose farther. That changes setup time.

Harder buildup. Cleaning cuts grease off the wall and flushes it away. EPA's sewer cleaning fact sheet lists what jetting handles: it "Removes debris and grease build-up, clears blockages, and cuts roots within small diameter pipes." Soft grease tends to clear faster than hardened grease, scale or a root ball, and some lines need more than one pass. In its table of limitations for high-velocity cleaning, the same EPA sheet says "Even experienced operators require extra time to clear pipes of roots and grease."

Bends and offsets. A straight pipe lets the hose run. Turns fight it. General Pipe Cleaners explains that jetters use pulsing "to overcome the friction in the pipe and to help the hose glide around bends and go farther down the line," and that "If you don't have pulse action, the hose could get stuck in the pipe." In an older building with several turns between the fixture and the main, expect slower progress.

Where the crew can get in. The hose enters at a cleanout, a floor drain or a removed fixture. The 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) requires cleanouts on horizontal drains and building drains "at intervals of not more than 100 feet," and on building sewers smaller than 8 inches at the same spacing. Phoenix's amendment list for the 2024 IPC does not change Section 708, so that spacing applies there. A line with cleanouts in the right places is faster to work than one the crew has to enter through a toilet. Our page on hydro jetting without an accessible cleanout covers the slower route.

Equipment limits. Smaller electric machines have duty cycles. Spartan's guide says "NEVER OPERATE THE CADET AT MAXIMUM PRESSURE FOR MORE THAN TWO 30-MINUTE CYCLES PER TWO HOURS," and that after each continuous cycle the jetter must cool "for a minimum of 15 minutes." A stubborn line on a small machine therefore has built-in pauses. Larger machines for main lines have different limits. Our page on PSI versus GPM explains what those ratings mean for the work.

More than the jetting itself. A well-run job usually includes:

1. 1Arrival, access and protection. Finding the cleanout, covering floors, and moving anything in the way.
2. 2A camera look first, when the line calls for it. Phoenix's own sewer crews inspect before cleaning: "Before sewer lines are cleaned, a sewer TV crew goes out and inspects sewer lines with a remote camera to look for obstructions and evaluates the integrity of the line." A private building line benefits from the same step, and our page on why a camera check follows hydro jetting explains the second look.
3. 3The cleaning passes. One for a light job, several for a heavy one, often with different nozzles.
4. 4Flushing. Loosened debris has to leave the line, not just move. EPA's fact sheet says flushing alone "only achieves temporary movement of debris from one section to another in the system," so a crew should carry the debris out through an access point or a larger line it can clear.
5. 5Cleanup and a walk-through. Floors, floor drains and a short explanation of what was found.

If a camera shows a collapsed section or a break, cleaning stops being the answer. That discovery can end the visit early and turn it into a repair estimate.

Ask the crew, or give them what they need to answer. These details change the estimate more than anything else:

• Which fixtures are affected, and are they all on one line?
• Where are the cleanouts, and how far is the farthest one from the stoppage?
• Pipe size and material, if known, and any past repairs.
• Past stoppages and what cleared them.
• Whether the building can be worked during business hours. Restaurant lines are usually scheduled before opening or after close, so the kitchen is not interrupted; see can a restaurant's drains be cleaned while it stays open.

A final point on speed: faster is not always better. A line cleaned in half the passes and left coated will be back sooner. The tradeoff is in jetting versus snaking a commercial main line.

HQ Plumbing & Air jets restaurant and commercial lines and tells you what the job involves before it starts. We give free estimates with upfront pricing, and we're licensed and insured with 24/7 emergency service.