Need a Plumber for a Blocked Drain?
Most people search for a plumber. For a blocked drain underground, from the gully trap out to the street, the trade you need is a licensed drainlayer. That is what we are. Same-day drain unblocking across Auckland.
Plumber or Drainlayer? Here is the Difference
In New Zealand, plumbing and drainlaying are separate licensed trades. A plumber works on the fixtures and the pipes inside and attached to the building: taps, toilets, basins, hot water, and the waste pipes that run from each fixture. A drainlayer works on the drains: the underground pipes that carry wastewater and stormwater away from the building to the council sewer or a septic tank, including the gully traps.
If water is backing up, pooling or overflowing outside the house, or several fixtures are affected at once, the fault is almost always in the drain. That is our job.
Call a plumber for
Inside the house and the fixtures themselves
- Dripping or broken taps and mixers
- Toilet cistern not filling or constantly running
- Hot water cylinder, no hot water, or low pressure
- A leaking pipe inside the walls or under the floor
- One basin or sink draining slowly (the trap under it)
- Installing or moving a toilet, shower, basin or dishwasher
Call Drain Ranger for
Everything underground, from the gully trap to the street
- Blocked sewer or stormwater drain anywhere on the property
- Gully trap overflowing or sewage on the lawn
- Toilet, shower and laundry all slow or backing up together
- Tree roots in the drain, recurring blockages
- Cracked, collapsed or sunken drains, land movement damage
- Channel drains blocked with soil and plants, new drain laying
Why Call a Drainlayer for a Blocked Drain
We find the cause, not just the symptom
Every unblocking includes a CCTV camera check of the line. Tree roots, a cracked pipe, a flat section, fat buildup: you see the footage and know why it blocked.
Repairs are restricted work
Clearing a blockage is one thing. Repairing, altering or relaying a drain can only be done by a licensed drainlayer. If the camera finds damage, the same team can quote and fix it.
The right gear for drains
Hydro jetting at 4,000 PSI, a root cutter for established roots, and CCTV that records the whole line. Equipment built for underground drains, not a plunger and a hope.
Upfront pricing
Standard unblocking $350+GST including the camera. We tell you the price before we start, and anything extra, like the root cutter, is agreed with you first.
What Drain Ranger Does
Drain Unblocking
Same-day, hydro jetting plus CCTV, from $350+GST
Drain Root Cutting
Established tree roots cut out of the line
CCTV Drain Inspections
See inside the pipe, $250+GST
Drain Repairs and Drainlaying
Licensed repairs, relays and new drains
Pre-Purchase Drain Inspections
Know before you buy, $550+GST
Maintenance Plans
Annual service so it never gets to an emergency
Frequently Asked Questions
If the problem is underground, call a drainlayer. Blocked sewer or stormwater drains, gully traps overflowing, sewage on the lawn, or several fixtures backing up at once are all drainage faults. A plumber looks after the pipes and fixtures inside and attached to the house: taps, toilets, cisterns, basins, hot water. Not sure which it is? Call 021 709 783 and describe what is happening.
No. Plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying are three separate licensed trades under the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. Drainlaying covers the underground drains that carry wastewater and stormwater away from a building to the sewer or a septic tank, including gully traps. Sanitary plumbing covers fixtures, appliances and the water and waste pipes connected to them. Drain Ranger are licensed drainlayers.
Anyone can attempt to clear a blockage, including you, as long as nothing on the drain is altered or repaired. Repairing, altering or relaying a drain is restricted work that only a licensed drainlayer can do. Because most Auckland blockages are caused by something in the pipe itself (tree roots, a crack, a flat section), a drainlayer with a CCTV camera can clear the line and tell you why it blocked in one visit.
Standard drain unblocking is $350+GST and includes hydro jetting and a CCTV camera check of the line. CCTV inspection on its own is $250+GST. Heavy tree roots may need our root cutter at an extra $100 per hour, which your technician will explain and agree with you before using. We tell you the price before any work starts.
That is a classic sign the blockage is in the shared drain under the house or in the yard, not in one fixture. Water from one outlet is pushing air back through another. That is drainlayer work: the line needs clearing and a camera check to find what is causing it.
No. Those are plumbing jobs and need a licensed plumber. We work on the drains: everything from the gully trap and the point where waste leaves the building out to the council connection, plus stormwater and channel drains.
Same-day service across Auckland, seven days, including public holidays for urgent problems. Sewage backups and effluent on the lawn are seen first.