Drain work covers everything that carries water away from an Auckland property: the waste pipes under the house, the gully trap outside, the sewer line to the public connection, stormwater from the roof and, on rural blocks, the septic system. When one of these stops flowing, the first sign is usually a gurgle, a smell or water rising where it should be draining.
The right service depends on whether you need the line flowing today or need to know why it keeps blocking. A one-off clog is a quick unblock. A drain that blocks every few months needs a camera to find the cause, then cleaning, a repair or a liner. We will talk you through which one fits before anyone turns up.
Our Blocked Drains Services
Blocked Drains
Getting a sink, shower, basin or outside drain flowing again when water backs up, gurgles or drains painfully slowly.
View serviceDrain Cleaning
Scheduled cleaning that clears grease, silt and soap build-up from a sluggish line before it turns into a full blockage.
View serviceCCTV Drain Inspection
A camera survey of the inside of your drain to find roots, cracks or sags, with footage you can keep.
View serviceHydro Jetting
High-pressure water that scours stubborn fat, scale and root growth off pipe walls when rodding alone will not shift it.
View serviceDrain Repairs
Fixing a cracked, collapsed or displaced section of drain once the camera has shown exactly where the damage is.
View serviceDrainlaying
New or rerouted sewer and stormwater lines when you extend, build new or find the old layout no longer works.
View servicePipe Relining
Sealing cracked or root-damaged pipe with a liner installed from inside, so driveways, gardens and floors stay undisturbed.
View serviceStormwater Drains
Clearing and repairing the drains that take rain from roofs and paving, so water stops pooling around the house.
View serviceSeptic Tank Cleaning
Pumping, maintenance and repairs for homes outside the city sewer that treat their own wastewater on site.
View serviceBlocked Toilets
Clearing a toilet that will not flush, rises toward the rim or blocks again soon after you plunge it.
View serviceGully Trap Repairs
Repairs to the outdoor trap where household waste enters the drain, when it overflows, smells or sits too low.
View serviceWastewater Pump Stations
Service, repair and replacement for private pumps that lift sewage from low sections up to the gravity sewer.
View serviceWhich drain service do you need?
If one fixture is slow and everything else drains, the problem is usually close by and a standard blocked drains visit sorts it. If the toilet, shower and kitchen all struggle together, or the gully trap is spilling over, the blockage is further down the main line and may need jetting. A toilet on its own that keeps blocking is worth a dedicated blocked toilets visit, since the fix can be in the pan rather than the pipe.
Repeat blockages are the signal to stop guessing. A CCTV drain inspection shows whether roots, a broken joint or a dip in the pipe is catching waste. From there the choice is between cleaning, an open-trench repair or a liner, and you see the footage before deciding.
- Slow single basin or shower: blocked drains
- Blocks again within months: CCTV inspection, then cleaning or repair
- Roots or cracks on camera with a driveway on top: pipe relining
- Puddles near downpipes after rain: stormwater drains
- Alarm sounding on a sewage pump: wastewater pump stations
Why Auckland drains block the way they do
Many older suburbs, Grey Lynn, Mt Eden, Onehunga and Devonport among them, still run on earthenware pipe joined with mortar. Those joints crack with age and roots work their way in, so a blockage in an older villa is often a root mat rather than something flushed. Clay soils across much of the isthmus shrink and swell with the seasons, which can nudge sections out of line.
In volcanic areas the drain may sit in rock, which makes digging slow and expensive. That is where relining often makes sense, because the repair goes in through an existing access point. On the rural fringe, homes beyond the Watercare network rely on septic tanks, and low sections may need a pump to lift waste to the street.
Keeping drains clear and what it costs
Most blockages are preventable. Wipes, paper towels and cooking fat are the usual culprits, so keep them out of toilets and sinks and fit strainers in showers. Lines with known root problems benefit from cleaning on a schedule rather than waiting for the next overflow.
Blocked toilets or gully traps. Repairs, relining, drainlaying, septic and pump station work are quoted on site, and you agree the fixed figure before any work goes ahead.
Blocked Drains Questions
Why does my drain keep blocking after it has been cleared?
Clearing restores flow but does not fix the cause. If a line blocks again within weeks or months, there is usually a root intrusion, a cracked joint or a sag that catches waste. A camera inspection shows which one, so the next fix lasts.
Is the drain on my property my responsibility or the council's?
Private drains serving your property, including the gully trap and the line to the public sewer connection, are generally the owner's to maintain. Public mains belong to Watercare. If you are unsure where the boundary sits, we can check on the visit.
Do I need to dig up my driveway to fix a broken drain?
Not always. If the pipe is still in one piece and roughly in line, a liner can seal cracks and joints from the inside through an existing access point. A collapsed or badly displaced section usually still needs excavation.
When is a septic pump-out due?
That depends on the size of the tank and the number of people in the household. We check the sludge and scum levels when we visit and tell you when the next pump-out is due, so you are not paying for one too early.
Other Services
Blocked Drains Across Auckland
We send blocked drains specialists to every suburb. Find your area: Central Auckland, the North Shore, West Auckland, East Auckland, South Auckland, the Hibiscus Coast.
