Kitchen Grease Lines: The Most Profitable Drain Call You Are Not Taking
Ask any experienced jetter operator what their most profitable call type is, and the answer is almost always the same: kitchen grease lines. These jobs pay $300-$500, take 30-60 minutes, and the demand is practically endless -- especially in neighborhoods with older homes or near commercial restaurant strips.
If you are not actively marketing grease line cleaning, you are walking past easy money.
Why Grease Lines Pay So Well
Grease buildup is the number one cause of residential kitchen drain failures. Every home with a kitchen produces grease, and most homeowners have zero idea their lines are slowly clogging until water backs up into the sink or dishwasher.
- High urgency: When a kitchen drain backs up, the homeowner wants it fixed today -- not next week
- Repeat business: Grease comes back. Annual maintenance jetting keeps customers on your schedule
- Low competition: Most plumbers send a snake. You send a jetter and actually solve the problem
- Premium pricing: Customers gladly pay $350-$500 when you show them camera footage of grease-caked pipes
Which Nozzles Work Best for Grease
Grease requires a different approach than roots or debris. You need nozzles that produce a strong wall-cleaning action with rear-facing jets that scour the pipe walls, not just punch through the center.
Recommended Setup
- Flusher nozzle with rear jets: Your primary tool. The rear-angled jets create a spinning wall-wash pattern that strips grease off pipe walls. Look for nozzles with multiple rear jet configurations at Jetter Pro Supply.
- Penetrator nozzle: Use this first if the line is fully blocked. Punch through the grease plug, then switch to the flusher for thorough cleaning.
- Small-diameter options: Kitchen lines are typically 1.5" to 2". Make sure your nozzle fits -- a nozzle sized for 4" pipe will not clean a 2" line effectively.
Pro tip: Run Tier 3 ceramic insert nozzles for grease work. The ceramic inserts handle the abrasive particulates in grease buildup without wearing down, and they maintain precise spray patterns far longer than steel inserts.
Technique Tips for Grease Lines
Grease jetting is straightforward once you know the basics:
- Run hot water first: If available, run hot water through the line for a few minutes before jetting. This softens the grease and makes your jetter more effective.
- Start slow: Feed the hose in slowly. Grease lines can have soft blockages that collapse and trap your hose if you push too fast.
- Multiple passes: Grease does not come off in one pass. Pull back slowly, letting the rear jets do the work. Three to four passes on heavy buildup is normal.
- Flush thoroughly: After jetting, run water for several minutes. You want to push all the loosened grease downstream and out.
- Camera verify: Run your camera after to show the customer the clean pipe. This builds trust and makes selling a maintenance plan easy.
How to Find Grease Line Customers
The demand is already there. You just have to let people know you offer the service:
- Target older neighborhoods: Homes built before 1980 often have significant grease buildup in cast iron or clay lines
- Partner with property managers: Multi-unit buildings have constant grease issues. Offer quarterly maintenance contracts.
- Google Ads for "kitchen drain cleaning": This search term has strong intent and low competition in most markets
- Upsell from every kitchen snake call: Show the camera, show the grease, offer the real solution
Pricing Grease Line Jobs
- Standard kitchen line cleaning: $350-$450
- Heavy buildup with camera inspection: $400-$550
- Annual maintenance contract: $275-$350 per visit (lock in 2-4 visits per year)
With the right nozzles, each grease job takes 30-60 minutes. At $400 average, that is $800/hour effective billing. Very few service calls come close to that rate.
Keep Your Nozzle Costs Down
Grease work can be tough on equipment. Cheap nozzles lose their spray pattern quickly, which means poor cleaning and wasted time. KEG Technologies nozzles with replaceable ceramic inserts maintain their precision spray patterns job after job. When an insert finally wears, swap it in 2 minutes for $12 -- instead of buying a whole new nozzle.
Orders over $150 ship free, and anything placed before 2 PM EST ships same day.
Start Booking Grease Calls This Week
Kitchen grease lines are the low-hanging fruit of the jetting business. High margin, high demand, and most plumbers are not offering the service. Get the right nozzles, market the service, and watch your schedule fill up.