Blocked Toilets in Eye (13)

Depending on how many toilets there are in your home, a blocked toilet could be a mild inconvenience or an emergency.

So, what causes a toilet blockage? Well, this issue is quite common and can often be avoided by making a few changes. The main causes of blocked toilets are:

• Children flushing toys or other objects

• Using a lot of toilet paper

• Flushing wet wipes or sanitary products

If your toilet becomes blocked, the water will rise up when you flush. This can cause leaks and flooding onto your bathroom floor. The most effective way of dealing with a blocked toilet is to call a plumber.

When choosing an expert to call, look for someone who:

• Can give you a fair quote

• Is friendly and professional

• Has positive reviews on Checkatrade

• Has experience

• Can come within a reasonable time period

If you need to contact a specialist to clear your toilet blockage, you may be curious about how much this will cost. The price that you pay will be affected by the following factors:

• Cause of blockage - Depending on what caused the blockage, the price for unblocking can vary. For example, it may be cheaper to clear excess toilet paper than a toy or hard object that has become lodged

• Call out fees - If your toilet needs to be repaired urgently, the emergency call out fee will be higher than a standard call out fee

• Severity of blockage - More severe blockages will take longer to clear, increasing the price of this job

• Damage to toilet - If your toilet is damaged, this will need to be repaired at an extra cost

• Location - Labour prices vary depending on where your home is located in the UK

Cost to unblock toilet

Bearing the above variables in mind, the average cost to unblock a toilet is £112.50. This will of course be higher if the blockage is severe or an emergency.

For more prices and handy tips, check out our cost of unblocking a toilet guide.

You may not always need a professional to unblock your toilet. In fact, there are a few ways of doing this yourself. If you aren't in a hurry, consider trying the below ways of clearing a blocked toilet:

• Baking soda and vinegar - Pour into your toilet, leave for 10 minutes, then flush with hot water

• Plunger - If there isn't a lot of standing water in your toilet, a plunger can be very effective

• Drain snake - Running a drain snake into your toilet can help to break apart the blockage

• Toilet unblocker - There are chemical toilet unblockers available to buy

For more advice on unblocking a toilet, visit our how to unblock a toilet guide.

If your toilet is badly blocked, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to fix the issue yourself. In this case we’d advise getting in touch with a professional sooner rather than later. They will be able to use drain rodding or drain jetting to fix the issue quickly and safely.