This single question changes everything. One slow fixture is usually a local clog in that trap or branch line — a straightforward job. Several fixtures slow at once, or a toilet bubbling when the washing machine drains, points at the main line instead, which is a different and more serious problem.
The cause tends to follow the fixture:
Caustic cleaners work by generating heat, and that heat is hard on older pipes and on the rubber seals in traps. They also rarely clear the blockage fully — they punch a channel through it, so the clog returns in weeks. Worse, if the drain stays blocked, the plumber now has to work on a line full of caustic liquid, and some will refuse.
A drain snake pushes through the blockage and pulls debris out. It's fast and right for most single-fixture clogs. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to scour the full pipe wall, which is what actually removes built-up grease and what you want for a line that keeps clogging. Jetting costs more and isn't appropriate for pipes already damaged.
It depends on the fixture, how far in the clog is, and whether snaking or jetting is needed. The contractor quotes you directly after seeing it.
Repeated clogs in one place usually mean something structural — a sag in the line, root intrusion, or heavy grease. A camera inspection answers it instead of guessing.
It can be. A toilet gurgling when another fixture drains means air is being pushed back through the trap, which often indicates a main line or vent problem rather than a simple clog.
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