Blocked sewer in Almere: municipality or plumber? The rodding point explained

Blocked sewer, who pays? That depends on where the blockage is. If it is in the municipal part of the sewer, the municipality usually pays. If it is in your own pipes, the costs are yours. In Almere you can tell the difference at the ontstoppingsstuk (rodding point): if it is full of water, call the municipality first on 14 036.

In this article you can read what a rodding point is and how to find it, how to work out in five steps where the blockage is, when to call the municipality and when a plumber, what unblocking costs on average and how it works if you rent or live in Lelystad.

Blocked sewer: who pays the costs?

The owner of the section of sewer where the blockage is pays the costs. According to the gemeente Almere (municipality of Almere), the municipality usually pays all the costs if the blockage is in the municipal system. If the blockage is on the resident’s side, the resident usually pays.

In practice it comes down to these four situations:

• Blockage on your own property (in the house, under the floor or in the garden up to the rodding point): the costs are for the owner of the home. You then call in a plumber to unblock the sewer and drains yourself.
• Blockage in the municipal sewer (beyond the rodding point): the municipality solves it and usually pays.
• You call a company yourself before the municipality has had a look: then you pay the costs yourself, even if the blockage turned out afterwards to be in the municipal part.
• You rent your home: contact your housing association or landlord first. Further down you can read how that works.

What is a rodding point and where is it?

The rodding point is the point where your own sewer joins the municipality’s sewer. It is the place where the municipality or a plumber can open the sewer to see where a blockage is.

In Almere the rodding point is usually at the property boundary, but not always. It can also be on your own property or on municipal land, for example in the pavement. So look in the front garden first, along the garden path and at the boundary with the pavement. If there is gravel, grass or a paving tile over it, you may have to search a little.

Important: you may never dig in municipal land without the municipality’s permission. If you cannot find a rodding point on your own land, a specialist company can dig up the sewer on your property, drill a hole or carry out a camera inspection. According to the municipality, those costs are for you.

How do you know whether the blockage is on your side or the municipality’s?

You can work that out in five steps, without tools. Meanwhile, use as little water as possible: no flushing, no washing machine and no dishwasher, or dirty water may come up out of the shower or floor drain.

1. Check which drains are slow. If only the washbasin or only one toilet is blocked, the problem is almost certainly in that one drain and not in the sewer. If several drains are slow at the same time, or the shower gurgles when you flush, the blockage is further along.
2. Test the toilet on the ground floor. If that does not flush away, the blockage is probably outside your house, according to the municipality.
3. Ask the neighbours. If they have the same problem, the blockage is probably in the main sewer. That is a matter for the municipality.
4. Open the rodding point. Twist or lift off the cap. Wear gloves and keep children and pets at a distance.
5. Judge what you see. If the pipe is full of water, the blockage is probably in the municipal part: call the municipality on 14 036 and hold off on calling in a company. If the pipe is empty or there is little water in it, the blockage is on your own land and you solve it yourself or have it solved.

If you are still in doubt after these steps, call the municipality first. It costs you nothing and stops you paying for something the municipality should have solved.

Should I call the municipality or a plumber first?

If the rodding point is full, or if you are in doubt, call the municipality first. Only once it is clear that the blockage is on your own property do you call in a plumber or drain unblocking company.

The municipality of Almere is clear about this: anyone who calls in a drain unblocking company themselves before the municipality has assessed the situation pays the costs themselves. In addition, the municipality does not reimburse unblocking through the toilet or with a drain snake. According to the municipality, that method can damage the connection.

You can reach the municipality of Almere on 14 036, or from abroad on +31 36 539 99 11. You can also report it online. If you have a company carry out a camera inspection on your property and defects can be seen in the municipal sewer, you must always share that footage with the municipality.

If the blockage is on your own land, ask for a cost estimate beforehand. The municipality recommends that too. At Klusbedrijf MSZ you can do that by sending a photo of the situation via WhatsApp.

What does unblocking a sewer or drain cost if the blockage is on your own property?

Nationally, you pay on average €90 to €150 including VAT as a starting rate for unblocking a sewer. That is according to the price guide of the Dutch review platform Werkspot (updated 21 August 2026). If the blockage is further along the pipe or a camera inspection is needed, more is added.

• Unblocking a sewer, starting rate including half an hour of work: €90 to €150
• Unblocking the main sewer: €100 to €200
• Camera inspection: from €195
• Sewer cleaning: €3 to €5 extra per metre of pipe
• Surcharge for emergency or weekend: €50 to €100

What mainly determines the price: how easy the rodding point is to reach, how far along the pipe the blockage is, the cause (grease, wipes, roots or a sunken pipe) and whether a camera is needed to see what is going on.

Klusbedrijf MSZ does not work with fixed package prices but charges by the hour. The first hour on site costs €181.44 incl. VAT (€149.95 excl. VAT), and every following hour €108.84 incl. VAT (€89.95 excl. VAT). The first hour is the minimum per visit. In Almere you pay no call-out charge; elsewhere in the service area we charge one fixed amount of €42.35 incl. VAT (€35 excl. VAT). For evenings, nights or weekends we agree the rate with you on the phone in advance.

I rent my home: who pays for the unblocking then?

If you rent, report a blockage to your housing association or landlord first. According to the municipality of Almere, they handle it for tenants.

By law, part of the unblocking is the tenant’s job, though. The Besluit kleine herstellingen (the Dutch decree on minor repairs) states that unblocking the indoor sewer up to the connection point falls under the tenant’s minor repairs. Some landlords also have their own arrangements, such as a service contract. So check your tenancy agreement or ask before you call a company yourself.

How does it work if your sewer is blocked in Lelystad?

In Lelystad, too, you start with the same five steps: which drains are slow, does the downstairs toilet flush away, do the neighbours have problems and what does the rodding point look like. Each municipality sets its own rules on who pays for what.

So check the website of the municipality of Lelystad or contact the municipality before you call in a company. You report problems in public spaces through the reporting page of the municipality of Lelystad. If the blockage is on your own property, we can help you there too with unblocking the sewer in Lelystad.

Can you unblock a blocked sewer yourself?

You can often deal with a blocked toilet or washbasin yourself. A blockage in the sewer itself usually not, because it is deeper in the pipe than you can reach with everyday household tools.

You can safely try this yourself:

• A plunger on a single blocked toilet, sink or washbasin.
• Unscrewing and cleaning the trap under the washbasin or sink, with a bucket underneath.
• Pulling hair out of the shower drain.

You had better leave this alone:

• Pushing a drain snake into the sewer through the toilet. The municipality of Almere does not reimburse that and warns of damage to the connection.
• Using chemical drain cleaners. They are harsh on pipes and do not clear a blockage further along the sewer.
• Digging in municipal land to get to the pipe.

Are several drains slow at the same time, does water come up out of a drain, or does the blockage keep coming back? Then it is time for a professional with the right equipment.

Why do sewers in Almere get blocked more quickly?

Almere is built on soft polder soil that is slowly settling. According to the trade journal Binnenlands Bestuur, streets in some places have sunk more than half a metre in 25 years. In the Regenboogbuurt, on the old bed of the river Eem, it happens faster.

Houses on piles do not sink with it, but the garden and the street do. As a result, the pipe between the house and the street comes under strain or sags. Grease and paper settle in such a sagging section, and that causes blockages that keep coming back. With a recurring blockage, having the sewer pipes repaired or replaced is often the real solution, instead of unblocking them again every time.

The municipality replaces the sewers in Almere about 50 years after they were laid, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. According to the major maintenance schedule, Muziekwijk Zuid is planned for 2026. During major maintenance, owners raise the garden themselves and adjust their own sewer connection; for a rented home the landlord does that. If you live in one of these neighbourhoods, such as in Almere Stad, that is a good moment to have your own pipe checked as well.

How do you prevent a blocked sewer?

Most blockages are caused by what goes down the toilet and the sink. These habits prevent a lot of them:

• Only flush poo, wee and toilet paper.
• Put wet wipes, tampons, sanitary pads and condoms in the bin. Even wipes that are flushable according to the packaging do not break down properly in the sewer.
• Do not pour cooking oil and frying fat down the sink. Let it cool, put it in a container and take it to a collection point.
• Wipe greasy pans out with kitchen paper first.
• Put a hair catcher in the shower drain.
• Keep the rodding point accessible and do not lay fixed paving over it.
• If a blockage keeps coming back, have a camera check whether the pipe has sunk or is damaged.

Has a blockage also brought water into your home? Also read: a leak in the house: what to do straight away.

Frequently asked questions

Which number do you call in Almere for a blocked sewer?

You call the municipality of Almere on 14 036, or from abroad on +31 36 539 99 11. You can also report it online through the municipality’s website.

Does the municipality pay if I have already called a drain unblocking company myself?

No. If you call in a company before the municipality has assessed the situation, you pay the costs yourself. If the rodding point is full of water, call the municipality first.

What if I cannot find a rodding point?

Then a specialist company can dig up the sewer on your land, drill a hole or carry out a camera inspection. Those costs are for you. Never dig in municipal land without the municipality’s permission.

Who pays for a blocked sewer in a rented home?

Report the blockage to your housing association or landlord first; they will handle it. Under the Besluit kleine herstellingen (decree on minor repairs), unblocking the indoor sewer up to the connection point is the tenant’s job, but always check your tenancy agreement.

Can I unblock the sewer with a drain snake through the toilet?

You can, but the municipality of Almere does not reimburse this method and warns that it can damage the connection. For a single blocked toilet, a plunger is the safer first step.

What do I do with camera footage of the municipal sewer?

If a camera inspection shows defects in the municipal part of the sewer, you must always share that footage with the municipality. That way the municipality can solve the problem on its side.

Need help with a blocked sewer in Almere?

Blocked sewer? Who pays depends on the rodding point: full of water means call the municipality first, empty means a blockage on your own property. For the latter, Klusbedrijf MSZ is ready to help you. We are a family business from Almere, available 24/7 and rated 5.0 from 225+ reviews on Werkspot.

We work in Almere, Lelystad and the wider area. The first hour on site costs €181.44 incl. VAT (€149.95 excl. VAT), then €108.84 incl. VAT (€89.95 excl. VAT) per hour. In Almere we charge no call-out charge, and elsewhere in the service area one fixed amount of €42.35 incl. VAT (€35 excl. VAT). Read more about drain unblocking by Klusbedrijf MSZ, see all our prices or ask for a free quote.

Call or WhatsApp us on 06 19 74 36 78 or email info@klusbedrijfmsz.nl. Feel free to send a WhatsApp photo of the rodding point and the drain, and we will take a look with you for free.