You can often rent the equipment that you need for plumbing repair. For example, you can rent a fairly powerful snake to remove clogs from your drains if you can handle the work on your own. This type of plumbing repair should be approached carefully.
A plumbing repair can cost you a good amount of money. Often, there is a charge for the call, a charge for the use of any type of machinery, and a labor charge per hour or per half hour of work. This does not include the cost of replacement parts if needed, either.