Sewer Cleanout Installation Cost
Published sewer line costs (2026)
| Method | Cost per foot | Published job total | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional dig & replace | $50–$250 | $7,500–$30,000 | Severe damage, wrong slope or bellies, or easy open access |
| Trenchless pipe bursting | $150–$190 | $4,000–$20,000 | Pipe collapsed or badly deteriorated; full replacement needed |
| Trenchless pipe lining (CIPP) | $135–$150 | $4,000–$20,000 | Pipe mostly intact with cracks, leaks or moderate roots |
A published trenchless total for a 40–60 foot job is $4,000–$15,000. Sources survey different jobs, so their totals do not always match per-foot math. The calculator uses per-foot rates plus the add-ons you select.
A sewer cleanout is a capped pipe that opens onto the lateral, the line from the house to the city main or the septic tank. A plumber uses it for a snake, a hydro jet, or a camera. Without one, the crew may pull a toilet or dig a small hole. That extra step is why a missing cleanout shows up on sewer line replacement cost quotes as its own line.
This site's calculator uses about $800–$3,000 for a new cleanout, and that figure is marked approximate. Angi, on October 16, 2026, lists $1,400–$3,500, about $2,700 in the middle. HomeGuide, on August 28, 2025, lists $2,000–$5,000 for a two-way cleanout.
Sewer cleanout installation cost
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| This site's calculator (approximate) | about $800–$3,000 | Existing sewer table |
| Angi installation | $1,400–$3,500, about $2,700 | Angi |
| Two-way / double cleanout | $2,000–$5,000 | HomeGuide |
| Angi two-way | $1,000–$3,500 | Angi |
| One-way / single | $1,400–$2,500 | HomeGuide |
| Replacement cap, part only | $5–$50 | HomeGuide |
The bands don't match. This site didn't average them. Use the calculator line when you are adding a cleanout to a full replacement. Use Angi or HomeGuide when the cleanout is the only job.
Indoor vs outdoor, one-way vs two-way
Outdoor cleanouts sit near the foundation or the property line, a white or black cap a few inches across. Indoor cleanouts can be in a basement or a crawl space. A test tee is a small fitting in a wall; HomeGuide's price is for the part alone. A full outdoor install costs much more.
A one-way cleanout aims one direction, usually toward the street. A two-way, or double, cleanout lets the cable go toward the house and toward the main. That is the useful upgrade if you had no cleanout at all. Angi prices two-way work at $1,000–$3,500.
Why it makes camera work and jetting easier
A sewer camera inspection is still $100–$500. The cleanout is how the camera gets in without removing a toilet. Hydro jetting and drain cleaning use the same opening. HomeGuide notes that pulling and resetting a toilet raises the bill when there is no cleanout.
If you are already replacing the lateral, adding the cleanout on that same visit is the checkbox in the calculator on the home cost guide. Paying for a standalone cleanout first, then a full replacement a month later, is two mobilizations.
HomeGuide says a simple install can take a few hours and a deep or obstructed install can take days.
Worked example
A Midwest house with no outdoor cleanout. The plumber has been pulling a toilet for every snake. Angi's typical install is $2,700, inside $1,400–$3,500.
This site's calculator line is about $800–$3,000. If the same visit is a full 50-foot bursting job, the cleanout is an add-on. It doesn't replace any of the pipe work. Bursting pipe work on 50 feet is $7,500–$9,500 before a camera and a permit.
A $50 cap is the wrong comparison if the fitting itself is missing. The cap only seals a cleanout that already exists.
How to save money
- Ask whether the quote is one-way or two-way, and get that in writing.
- If a lateral replacement is likely, add the cleanout to that bid instead of scheduling a second trench.
- Don't treat a cap price as an installation price.
- Show the camera tech the cap before they pull a toilet.
- If there's digging, make sure the plumber pulls the excavation permit so it isn't left to you.
Common questions
How much does a sewer cleanout cost?
Angi (October 16, 2026) puts installation at $1,400–$3,500, with $2,700 as the average. HomeGuide (August 28, 2025) lists $2,000–$5,000 for a two-way cleanout. This site's replacement calculator uses about $800–$3,000 because that figure is thin. Depth and whether the crew has to excavate move the bid.
What is a two-way sewer cleanout?
A two-way, or double, cleanout lets a snake, jet, or camera go toward the house and toward the street from one opening. Angi prices that fitting at $1,000–$3,500. HomeGuide's one-way cleanout is $1,400–$2,500. Two-way access is the useful upgrade if you didn't have a cleanout at all.
Will a cleanout make camera inspection cheaper?
It makes the visit easier. The camera still costs $100–$500. Without a cleanout, the crew may pull a toilet or dig a small hole, which can raise that fee. Adding a cleanout during a full lateral replacement is the option already in the calculator on the sewer line replacement cost page.
How much is a cleanout cap?
HomeGuide lists a replacement cap at $5–$50 for the part. That isn't the installation of a new cleanout. A missing or broken cap is worth fixing so rain and debris stay out of the lateral. If the fitting itself is missing, you are shopping the installation rows above. Those rows are typical prices and nothing caps them.
Sources
See how these ranges are built on the methodology page.