It's Sunday morning and your shower won't drain anymore. Or your toilet gurgles when your upstairs neighbor flushes. In a city like Amsterdam, with its old canal houses, post-war apartment blocks, and modern new builds, drain problems come in all shapes and sizes. The question then is: what does it cost to have your drain unblocked, how quickly can someone arrive, and can you perhaps solve it yourself?
In this article, we answer these questions, specifically for the situation in Amsterdam.
What does it cost to unblock a drain in Amsterdam?
The cost of unblocking a drain in Amsterdam depends on a few factors: the severity of the blockage, the accessibility of the pipe, and whether it's an indoor drain or the main sewer outside.
At RBNL, we apply a fixed rate starting from €165 for a standard unblocking. This means no surprises afterwards, no extra work suddenly appearing on the invoice. You know what you're paying upfront. This rate applies to the most common blockages: a clogged sink, toilet, shower, or stack pipe. A blockage in the main sewer costs a fixed €296, including a camera inspection afterwards. A standalone camera inspection costs €180.
For more complex situations, such as a blockage in the main sewer under the foundation or a problem requiring a camera inspection, we discuss the costs beforehand. In these cases too, you will receive a fixed price before we start.
For comparison: many companies in Amsterdam work with hourly rates plus material costs, call-out fees, and surcharges for evening and weekend work. That bill can quickly add up, especially if the technician takes longer than expected. With a fixed rate, you don't have that uncertainty. You can read more about the cost breakdown in our article on drain unblocking costs.
How quickly does a technician arrive on site?
When you have a clogged drain, you don't want to wait for hours. Especially not if water is already overflowing onto the floor. RBNL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and active throughout Amsterdam. In most cases, a technician will be on site within one to two hours.
This applies to all districts: from the Jordaan and De Pijp to Nieuw-West, Noord, Zuidoost, and IJburg. We work with our own technicians (no subcontractors) who operate from the region. This means short response times, even in the evenings and on weekends.
Common Sewer Problems in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has several characteristics that influence the type of sewer problems we encounter.
Old Canal Houses
Many buildings in the city center are hundreds of years old. The sewage system has often aged along with them: narrow cast-iron pipes, sharp bends, and connections that have sagged over time. Grease and lime deposits build up extra quickly in these narrow pipes. We regularly see that the sewage system in a canal house has not been cleaned for decades, resulting in a persistent blockage.
Apartment Buildings and Post-War Construction
Districts built in the 1950s to 1970s (such as parts of Nieuw-West, Noord, and Zuidoost) often have shared stack pipes. If a resident on the third floor flushes grease down the sink, the ground-floor resident will notice it first. Water flows back through the lowest connection. This type of blockage requires professional sewer cleaning of the entire stack pipe, not just the individual drain.
Tree Roots
Amsterdam is full of trees, which is lovely, but tree roots are one of the most common causes of sewer damage. Roots grow towards moisture and penetrate the sewer pipe through small cracks or seams. This is a recurring problem, especially in green areas and districts with older sewage systems. We delve deeper into this in our article on causes of a clogged sewer.
Foundation Problems
A specific Amsterdam problem: many buildings have wooden foundation piles that have sagged or rotted over the years. When the foundation moves, the sewage system moves with it. This leads to sagging pipes, broken connections, and recurring structural blockages. In such cases, unclogging is a temporary solution, and renovation or replacement is necessary.
Try it Yourself or Call a Specialist?
Not every blockage immediately requires a technician. For a minor sink or shower blockage, you can try a few things yourself first:
- Plunger. The classic rubber plunger works well for superficial blockages in the siphon. Make sure to seal the overflow for maximum suction.
- Clean the siphon. Place a bucket under the siphon, unscrew it, and remove the debris. The blockage is often located here.
- Hot water with dish soap. For a grease blockage, a pot of boiling water with a good splash of dish soap can help loosen the grease.
Call a specialist if:
- Multiple drains are blocked simultaneously
- Water comes back up through the toilet or shower
- You smell a sewer odor in your home
- The blockage keeps returning after you've tried to fix it yourself
- You live in an apartment and suspect the problem is in the stack pipe
In these cases, the blockage is likely deeper in the system, and you'll need professional equipment: a high-pressure jet, an electric snake, or a camera inspection to determine the cause. You can read more about this in our article on when to call a specialist.
Why Choose RBNL in Amsterdam?
There are many sewer companies active in Amsterdam. Why should you choose RBNL? Here are a few key points:
- Fixed prices. No hourly rates, no call-out fees, no surcharges. You know the cost upfront.
- Our own technicians. We do not work with subcontractors. Our technicians are employed by us, experienced, and familiar with the situation in Amsterdam.
- 24/7 available. Sewer problems don't wait for office hours. We are available day and night, including weekends.
- 3-month warranty. We provide a 3-month warranty on all work performed. If the blockage returns, we will fix it free of charge.
- No cure, no pay. If we can't solve the problem, you don't pay.
We score 4.9 out of 5 on Google Reviews and 9.6 on Trustoo. This isn't due to promises, but to consistently delivering excellent work.
How does it work?
Making an appointment with RBNL is simple:
- Step 1: Call 085 303 9999 or make an appointment via our website.
- Step 2: We briefly discuss the problem and schedule an appointment, often on the same day.
- Step 3: Our technician visits, identifies the cause, and resolves it. You receive a fixed price upfront.
- Step 4: Afterwards, you will receive an invoice for the exact amount agreed upon.
Also view our page about sewer unblocking in Amsterdam for more information, or contact us directly.
Frequently asked questions about sewer unblocking in Amsterdam
What does it cost to unblock a drain in Amsterdam?
At RBNL, you pay a fixed rate starting from €165 for a standard unblocking. There are no call-out fees or hidden surcharges. For more complex situations, such as a blockage in the main sewer, you will receive a fixed price upfront.
How quickly can a technician be in Amsterdam?
In most cases, a technician will be on site within one to two hours. We are available 24/7 and active in all Amsterdam districts.
Can I fix a clogged sewer myself?
For a minor blockage in the sink or shower, you can try using a plunger or cleaning the siphon. If multiple drains are not flowing at the same time, if water comes back through the toilet, or if you smell a sewer odor, it is wiser to call a specialist.
Does RBNL also work on weekends and in the evenings?
Yes, we are available and operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What if the blockage returns?
We provide a 3-month warranty on all our work. If the blockage returns within that period, we will resolve it free of charge. For recurring blockages, we often recommend a camera inspection to determine the underlying cause, such as root intrusion or a collapsed pipe.
