Blocked Drains explained
A blocked drain shows up as slow water, bad smells or a gurgling plughole. The block may sit in one fixture or in a shared pipe, since fixtures join up. The fix depends on where the block sits, so a few quick checks save time and money.
First, count the fixtures that drain badly. If only one sink or toilet is slow, the block is probably in its own pipe. If several are slow at once, the shared pipe is the likelier cause, since they all feed into it.
Where the block usually sits
Use this table as a rough guide. One symptom can have several causes, so only a look inside the pipe gives a firm answer. Treat the table as a starting point, since each home differs.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| One sink drains slowly | Grease, food or soap in the trap or waste pipe | Clean the trap, then ask for the pipe to be cleared |
| The toilet fills towards the rim | Paper or wipes in the pan or soil pipe | Stop flushing and plunge once, then ask for help |
| Several fixtures drain slowly and gurgle | A block in the shared pipe | Check the outside gully, then send a request |
| Water pools around an outside gully | Leaves, silt or roots in the outside run | Clear surface debris, then ask for a jetting visit |
| Sewage smell, or sewage at a manhole | A block or damage in a drain or sewer | Treat it as urgent and read the emergency page |
Blocks that keep coming back often point to damage, not dirt. A CCTV drain survey shows the pipe from the inside. Clearing the same block again and again treats the symptom, while a survey finds the cause.
Who owns the blocked pipe?
The owner of a pipe pays for its repair, since the cost follows ownership. Yorkshire Water says you own all the plumbing inside your home. You also own the drain from your property until it reaches a shared drain or a public sewer.
Yorkshire Water looks after public sewers, and drains outside your boundary that flow into one. It also looks after shared drains that flow into a public sewer, if your home was built before 2011. Shared drains at newer homes belong to the owners, unless Yorkshire Water has adopted them.
The rules changed on 1 October 2011. Defra's guidance says many private sewers and lateral drains passed to the water companies on that date, while a drain that serves only one property, inside its boundary, stayed with the owner. That is why the age of your home matters.
City of York Council looks after gullies, manhole covers and ditches. It says it cannot help with drains inside your boundary, because they belong to the owner. For shared sewers outside the boundary it points people to Yorkshire Water. The guide to blocked drain responsibility goes into more detail.
Typical UK costs for clearing a blocked drain
These are typical UK ranges from national price guides, not York quotes. While the guides disagree, each figure names its source. Prices vary with access, pipe length and the cause of the block.
| Job | Typical UK range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic drain, average | About £100 | MyJobQuote |
| Outside drain | £80 to £150 | MyJobQuote |
| Private drain run | £100 to £200 | MyJobQuote |
| Minor block | £80 to £150 | Precise Drainage Solutions |
| Moderate block | £150 to £300 | Precise Drainage Solutions |
| Complex or recurring block | £300 or more | Precise Drainage Solutions |
| Unblocking a private drain, average | About £386 | HomeServe |
MyJobQuote also lists call-out charges of £50 to £100 on its drain guide. Ask the engineer whether there is a call-out charge, and ask for a written quote before work starts. Compare two quotes if the job looks large, since prices vary a lot.
Stop blocks before they start
Yorkshire Water says wipes cause nearly 50% of blockages in Yorkshire. It says never to flush them, although some packs say biodegradable. The biggest fatberg it has found weighed 1.5 tonnes.
Bin wipes, fat and food scraps, since they build into plugs. Fit a hair catcher in the bath and shower. The kitchen drain guide has more tips.
Find the page that fits your problem
Each guide below goes deeper on one fixture, since each one blocks in its own way. Blocked toilet help covers paper, wipes and repeat blocks. Blocked sink help covers grease and food waste.
Blocked bath and shower help covers hair and soap scum. For a block outside, read about drain unblocking. For stubborn grease or silt, drain jetting is still the usual next step.
Blocked Drains guides
Blocked Toilet
A blocked toilet can fill the bowl and spill, so act early. Most blocks have a simple cause. This page covers what to try first and when to ask for help.Blocked Sink
Grease, food waste and soap block sinks over time, since they cling to the pipe. The fix depends on the cause. This page explains how engineers clear them.Blocked Bath & Shower
Hair and soap scum block baths and showers when they bind together. Shallow traps clog first. This page explains the signs and the fixes.Local pages for this service
Each local page covers this service for one town. Start with blocked drain help in York, which is the main page. If you are further out, see clearing a blocked drain in Selby or blocked drain advice for Tadcaster. Each of those pages links back here.
Ask for help
Use the request form at the top of the page. Say what the problem is, where it sits and whether it is urgent, so the engineer can plan. Then ask for a written quote before work starts.
Go to the request formBlocked Drains questions answered
What should I do if my drains are blocked?
Stop using the affected fixtures, since more water can make a spill worse. Then see whether one fixture or several are slow. If water rises or smells of sewage, send an urgent request through the form.
What causes blocked drains?
Grease, hair, wipes and food waste cause most blocks inside the home, while leaves, silt and roots cause most outside. Damaged or sagging pipes can also trap waste. So repeat blocks may need a camera check.
Do wet wipes block drains?
Yes. Yorkshire Water says nearly 50% of blockages in Yorkshire come from wipes. They do not break up the way paper does, since they stay in one piece. They catch on rough joints and build into a plug. Bin them, even when the pack says flushable.
Who is responsible for a blocked drain?
It depends on the pipe, since owners differ. Yorkshire Water says you own the drain from your property until it reaches a shared drain or a public sewer. It looks after public sewers. If you are not sure whose pipe it is, ask the water company before you pay for work.
Who do I call for a blocked drain in York, the council or the water company?
City of York Council looks after gullies, manhole covers and ditches, while Yorkshire Water looks after public sewers and shared sewers outside property boundaries. A drain inside your boundary is yours, so send a request here for that.
Who is responsible for a shared drain between two houses?
Yorkshire Water says it looks after shared drains that flow into a public sewer if your home was built before 2011. At newer homes the owners share the drain, although Yorkshire Water may have adopted it. Check its "whose pipe is it" page for your case.