The grease trap is one of the most important innovations in plumbing. It is designed to keep grease away from the pipes and your waste disposal system. This will not just prolong the longevity of your pipework but it plays a key role in making sure your garbage disposal works as efficiently as possible. 

However, over time, the grease trap will accumulate a lot of grease. That is of course its job but it also means that grease trap cleaning services will be needed here. 

So, how much money will you need to do the job? Well, this article will break down these costs for you.

How Much Does Grease Trap Cleaning Cost?

To be honest, there is no standard or fixed fee when it comes to grease cleaning. It all depends on many factors. 

However, on a normal day, you can expect to pay between $115 and $1,040. That's a huge range, right? And you may wonder why that is. As you know, not all grease taps are the same. 

For example, if you have a typically small indoor grease trap for normal household needs, then you will pay the lower end of that price spectrum. $100 or so should be enough. Most indoor grease traps will have a capacity of between 20 and 30 gallons and will need to be cleaned at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. 

But there are also large commercial grease traps that can hit capacities of up to 5,000 gallons. That’s a pretty huge trap and as you can probably guess, cleaning it will need more time and labor. This will push the cost up, sometimes higher than the $1,000 mark. 

On a typical day, such a pump will require between 2 to 4 hours to clean depending on the experience and the expertise of the technician.

What Factors Determine the Cost of Grease Trap Pumping?

As noted above, there are a few important factors that will determine how much money you will pay to have your grease pump cleaned up. 

We have discussed the size above too so we won’t go back to it. Nonetheless, it is important to look at how the location of the trap affects the price. 

Typically, if the grease trap cleaning company has to bring more equipment and work extra harder to do the job, then you will pay more money. For example, if your grease trap is located in the basement, it means that the cleaning technicians will need to bring extra hoses and use more manpower to reach it. 

You may also want to consider how often you pump the grease trap. The longer you go without cleaning or pumping the trap, the higher the accumulation of grease will be. If it’s been a year or so since your last grease cleaning, then you will be the first to admit there is a lot of work to be done there. 

For this reason, expect to pay extra money for the service. Finally, in cases where the cleaning is done as an emergency, the fees will also go up. For example, if you have reached a point where the grease traps must be pumped out within 12 to 24 hours, then you cannot expect to pay normal rates.

How to Get a Grease Trap Service

Now that you have understood the cost of restaurant grease trap cleaning, it is time to find a good service. There are actually a lot of these grease trap service providers out there. 

But very few actually have that ability to offer you the high-end service that you are looking for. As a golden rule, always pick companies that have some proven track record and expertise in grease cleaning. 

In addition to this, ask if the grease trap cleaner has any references that you can call and inquire about the quality of their service. Ask to see licensees and any other certifications before you hire these pros.

Contact a local pro and request a free quote for grease trap cleaning!