Signs a kitchen line needs jetting
Floor sinks that drain slowly after the dinner rush, a grease smell at floor drains, a dish machine that backs up, or the same line cabled more than twice in a year.
Covina plumbing service
Hydro jetting in Covina for roots, grease and repeat clogs
Hydro jetting scours the whole inside of a sewer line, which is why it works where a drain cable keeps failing. In Covina that usually means root mats in old clay laterals under mature trees, or grease in a downtown kitchen line.
Call (626) 746-1970Request service
Written and fact-checked by John, editor, MBA in marketing
Updated against City, utility and state sources
Quick answer
Hydro jetting cleans a drain or sewer line with high-pressure water through a hose and nozzle that scrubs the full pipe wall. It suits lines that keep clogging, grease-coated kitchen and restaurant drains, and roots after they are cut. In Covina, where most homes predate 1970, the line should be camera inspected first. Call (626) 746-1970.
- Published range
- $350 to $600 per line (Angi, 2026)
- Homes built before 1970
- About two-thirds (City)
- Roots in the lateral
- Owner's job (City of Covina)
What hydro jetting is and how it works
Hydro jetting is cleaning a sewer or drain line with a high-pressure water stream that scrubs the entire inside wall of the pipe, instead of boring one hole through the blockage.
- The pump
- A trailer, truck or cart mounted unit that pressurizes water from a tank or a hose bib
- The hose
- A flexible high-pressure hose fed into the line through a cleanout
- The nozzle
- A forward jet that cuts into the blockage and rear jets that pull the hose along and scour the wall
- Pressure
- Angi describes jetting pressures of 4,000 to 35,000 PSI; the plumber sets it for the pipe size and material
- What it removes
- Grease, soap sludge, root fragments, sand, silt and scale
The rear jets are what make the method different. They drive the nozzle down the line and spray the wall all the way around. As the plumber slowly pulls the hose back, the loosened material washes downstream toward the public sewer. A good jetting job leaves the pipe close to its original inside size. A cable, by contrast, leaves a tunnel about the width of its cutting head and most of the buildup still on the wall.
Different nozzles do different jobs. A penetrating nozzle punches through a hard plug. A flushing nozzle with more rear jets cleans long runs of grease. A spinning nozzle handles heavy scale. For roots, jetting is usually the second half of the job: a cable with a cutting blade cuts the thick roots first, then the jet clears the fine root hairs and the debris they trapped.
For everyday clogs, start with our drain cleaning page. Jetting is for lines with a buildup problem, not a single wad of hair.
Tree roots in Covina's old clay laterals
Roots are the most common reason we jet residential lines in Covina, because many laterals are old clay pipe running under decades-old yard and parkway trees.
The City's 2024 Housing Element estimates that about two-thirds of Covina's homes were built before 1970. Sewer laterals from those years were commonly vitrified clay pipe, laid in short sections with a joint every few feet. Those joints are the weak point. Over time they shift, the seals age, and a little water escapes into the soil.
The City of Covina explains what happens next in its Tree Roots and Sewer Laterals handout. Roots go looking for water and nutrients. They usually grow around a sound lateral, but even a small leak lets fine roots enter. Inside the pipe they find steady water and nutrient-rich waste, and they grow fast until they block the line and cause a backup.
Inside the pipe, roots form a hairy mat across the flow. Toilet paper and wipes catch on it, and the mat thickens. A cable cuts a path through and the drains work again. But the cut roots are still alive at the joint, and they grow back, often thicker. That is the cycle many Covina owners know: a backup, a snake, a few good months, another backup.
| Method | What it does | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Cable with root cutter | Cuts a path through the root mass to restore flow | Leaves root hairs and debris on the wall; regrowth starts from the joint |
| Hydro jetting after cutting | Flushes cut roots, root hairs and trapped debris out of the line | Does not seal the joint, so roots can return over time |
| Camera after jetting | Shows how many joints have roots, plus cracks, offsets and sags | Information only; it fixes nothing by itself |
| Spot repair, lining or replacement | Seals or replaces the joints roots use to get in | More cost up front; see the repair page |
Jetting is the right maintenance for a sound clay lateral with root entry at a few joints. Angi suggests jetting once every one or two years for lines prone to recurring clogs, and the right interval depends on how fast your roots come back. If the camera shows broken sections or a joint pulled apart, the long-term answer is repair, covered on our sewer lateral camera and repair page.
Why we camera older Covina pipe before jetting
We run a camera first on old clay and cast iron so the high-pressure water only goes into pipe that can take it.
Jetting a sound clay or cast iron line is routine work. Jetting a line with a crack, a missing piece of the pipe bottom, or a joint that has separated is different. The water can push soil into the pipe, open a crack wider, or wash out the bedding around a weak section. On Covina's older laterals, we do not assume. We look.
- Clay pipe cracks, shifts out of line at joints and lets roots in, as described above.
- Cast iron rusts from the inside. Scale builds on the walls and the bottom of the pipe can wear thin over decades.
- Mixed lines are common in older homes: cast iron under the house, clay from the foundation to the street, and sometimes a section of PVC where someone made a repair years ago.
Open the line if needed
If the line is backed up, the plumber may cable an opening first so the water drains and the camera can see.
Camera the full run
A waterproof camera goes in from the cleanout. The video shows pipe material, joints, roots, cracks, sags and the distance to each one.
Decide together
Sound pipe with buildup or roots: jet it. Broken, collapsed or badly offset pipe: repair first. You see the video and get a written price either way.
Jet with the right nozzle
The plumber sets pressure and nozzle for the pipe size and material and works from the cleanout toward the street.
Camera again
A second look confirms the wall is clean and often shows defects the roots or grease were hiding. You keep the video.
Hydro jetting for downtown Covina restaurants and commercial kitchens
Restaurant kitchen lines clog from grease that coats the entire pipe wall, so jetting is usually the right cleaning method for them, not an occasional cable.
Downtown Covina's restaurants, cafes and bars along Citrus Avenue and around Heritage Plaza run hot water, fryer residue and food waste down their drains every day. Grease leaves the sink warm and liquid, cools within a few feet, and sticks to the pipe. Over weeks it builds a layer that narrows the line all the way around. A cable pokes through that layer and drains open again for a while. Jetting removes the layer.
Many downtown buildings are among the oldest in the city, which makes the kitchen drain path longer and less predictable than in a new strip center. Floor sinks, prep sinks and dish machines may tie into old cast iron under the slab before reaching the lateral. That is one more reason to camera before jetting and to keep the video for the next visit.
Grease interceptor or trap
If the kitchen has a grease interceptor, it has to be pumped and kept in working order. Jetting cleans the pipe; it is not a substitute for interceptor service.
Scheduling around service
Jetting is noisy and needs access to cleanouts, often at the back door or in the alley. Most kitchens book it before opening or after close.
Keep a service log
Record each jetting date and what the camera showed. A log helps set the right interval and shows inspectors and landlords the line is maintained.
Grease rules for food businesses can come from more than one agency. Ask City of Covina Public Works at 626-384-5220 which requirements apply to your location before you change fixtures or interceptors. Our commercial plumbing page covers restaurant plumbing beyond the drains, and the downtown Covina page covers the older blocks.
Hydro jetting for Covina homes and apartment buildings
At home, jetting makes sense when a kitchen line or main line keeps clogging, or after roots are cut in an older lateral.
Most homes never need jetting. One clog in ten years is a cable job. The homes that benefit are the ones with a pattern:
- The main line has been cabled for roots more than once in two years.
- A kitchen line in a busy household clogs every few months.
- A camera showed grease or sludge along the full length of the pipe.
- Sand or silt has settled in a line with a low spot.
- A lateral is about to be lined, and the liner needs a clean pipe wall to bond to.
- An apartment or condo building has shared lines that several units feed.
The City's Housing Element reports that about 58% of Covina homes are single-family detached. The rest include apartments, condos, townhomes and mobile homes, where several households share a building lateral. In those buildings a jetting job cleans the shared line once instead of cabling it after each unit complains. Owners should notify tenants, because water use during jetting can cause gurgling or a brief backup at the lowest fixtures.
If your home is in Charter Oak, remember it is an unincorporated community, so County rules apply rather than City of Covina rules. Our Charter Oak page explains what that changes.
Hydro jetting cost in Covina
Angi's 2026 data puts hydro jetting at $350 to $600 per line in the normal range. Call (626) 746-1970 for an exact quote.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro jetting, normal range | $350 to $600 per line | Angi, 2026 |
| Hydro jetting, full range of jobs | $100 to $2,000 | Angi, 2026 |
| Tree root removal | $100 to $600 | Angi, 2026 |
| Snaking a sewer main line | $100 to $400 | Angi, 2026 |
| Sewer camera inspection | $275 to $1,800 | Angi, 2026 |
| Typical plumbing job in Covina | $102 to $339 | This Old House |
Call (626) 746-1970 for an exact quote.
What changes the price on a jetting job:
- Line length and size. A long lateral to a street main takes more time than a short kitchen branch.
- Access. An outside cleanout is fastest. No cleanout may mean pulling a toilet or adding one first, which needs a City plumbing permit.
- Roots or grease load. Heavy root mats need cutting before jetting. Thick restaurant grease takes more passes.
- Camera work. Video before and after adds cost and tells you whether jetting is the right answer at all.
- After-hours timing. Restaurant work before opening or after close may be priced differently from weekday hours.
You get a written price before work starts. Our plumbing costs guide has published ranges for other jobs.
After jetting: keeping a Covina line clear
A jetted line stays clear longest when roots are dealt with at the joints and grease is kept out at the sink.
For homes
- Keep grease and wipes out of drains.
- Ask for the camera video and save it with your house records.
- Note the date. If roots return within a year, talk about repair.
- Plant new trees well away from the line to the street.
- Know where your outside cleanout is and keep it uncovered.
For restaurants
- Scrape plates into the trash before the dish machine.
- Keep the grease interceptor serviced on schedule.
- Train staff not to pour fryer oil or hot grease down any drain.
- Keep a jetting and camera log for each line.
- Set the next jetting date from what the camera shows.
Covina has been a city since 1901, and its older neighborhoods carry the pipe and trees of those years. Jetting is a good tool for that housing stock when the pipe is sound. When it is not, the honest answer is repair. We will tell you which one you have.
Water where it shouldn't be? Call now.
A real person answers 24 hours a day. You get an honest arrival window and a written price before any work starts.
Questions Covina homeowners ask
What is hydro jetting?
Hydro jetting is a way of cleaning a sewer or drain line with high-pressure water. A hose with a special nozzle goes into the pipe through a cleanout, and jets scrub the full inside wall, washing grease, sludge, root fragments and sand downstream. It cleans the pipe rather than just opening a hole through the clog.
Does hydro jetting get rid of tree roots for good?
No. Jetting clears roots and the debris they hold, usually after a cutter has opened the line, but the roots can grow back through the same joints. In Covina's older clay laterals, jetting is maintenance. Sealing or replacing the joints, covered on our sewer repair page, is the permanent fix.
Can hydro jetting damage old pipes?
It can if the pipe is already cracked, collapsed or worn through. Sound clay and cast iron handle jetting well. That is why we camera older Covina lines before jetting and match the nozzle and pressure to the pipe. If the camera shows broken pipe, we recommend repair instead of jetting.
How much does hydro jetting cost in Covina?
Angi's 2026 data puts hydro jetting at $350 to $600 per line in the normal range, with some jobs from $100 to $2,000. Line length, access, roots or grease load and camera work move the price. Call (626) 746-1970 for an exact quote. You get a written price before work starts.
Is hydro jetting better than snaking a drain?
For a single clog in a sound pipe, a cable is faster and cheaper. Jetting is better when the pipe wall is coated with grease, when roots keep returning after cabling, or when sand has settled in the line. Many root jobs use both: cable to cut, then jetting to flush.
How often should a Covina restaurant have its lines jetted?
It depends on the kitchen's grease load, the age of the pipe and what the camera shows. Some busy kitchens need it several times a year, others far less often. Keep a log of each visit and set the next date from the camera results, not from a fixed calendar.
Is the City responsible for roots in my sewer line?
No. The City of Covina says the owner maintains the sewer lateral from the house to the main, including the part under the parkway and street, and keeping it free of roots. The City will not remove a parkway tree just because its roots are in your lateral.
Do I need a camera inspection before hydro jetting?
On older clay or cast iron lines, yes, we recommend it. About two-thirds of Covina homes were built before 1970, so many laterals are old pipe. The camera confirms the line can take the pressure and shows whether roots or damage are the real problem.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these public sources, checked November 1, 2026.
- Angi, hydro jetting cost (2026 data)
- City of Covina, Tree Roots and Sewer Laterals
- City of Covina Public Works
- City of Covina 6th Cycle Housing Element, certified March 2024
- City of Covina Handout #14, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits
- This Old House, Covina plumbing costs
- Covina, California, Wikipedia