Drainage advice
Straight explanations of how drains work, who is responsible for what, what things cost, and when you genuinely do not need to pay anyone.
These guides cover the questions Auckland property owners, landlords and buyers actually ask about drainage: who is responsible for which pipe, what blocked drain work costs, how to read the symptoms, why tree roots get in, what a CCTV survey shows, who pays in a rental, and how to unblock a toilet, sink, shower or outside drain yourself. They are written to be useful whether or not you ever call us.
DIY
Hot water, plunger, trap cap, snake, rods: the order to try them in, what baking soda and salt really do, and the point where DIY stops.
DIY
The right plunger and how to seal it, when a toilet auger helps, the no-plunger options, and what never to pour into the bowl.
DIY
Kitchen and bathroom sinks, plus dishwasher and washing machine drains, in the order that actually clears them.
Costs
What a pump-out and an aerated-system service usually cost, what pushes the price up, and how often Auckland Council expects the tank to be checked.
DIY
Hair and soap scum are behind most of them. How to clear the grate and trap yourself, and how to tell when the problem is past the shower.
DIY
Lift the grate, scoop it out, flush, then rod it. What to do when the gully trap is overflowing with sewage, and when to stop.
Products
Caustic, acid, bleach and enzyme cleaners compared by the job each one can do, the burns risk, and what plumbers reach for instead.
Responsibility
Your pipe, Watercare's main, or Auckland Council's stormwater? The boundary decides who pays — and it takes about thirty seconds to work out.
Costs
Realistic price ranges for clearing, jetting, CCTV surveys and repairs — plus the four things that actually move the number, and the quotes worth walking away from.
Diagnosis
Gurgling, slow drains, smells, a rising toilet — each symptom narrows down where the blockage is. Here is how to read them before you call anyone.
Tree roots
Roots don't break sound pipe — they find water already escaping. Why that distinction changes everything about how you fix it.
Diagnosis
What a drain camera can and cannot see, when a survey is worth paying for, and how to read the footage you're shown.
Prevention
Fat, wipes, coffee grounds, rice. The short list of things that cause most avoidable blockages, and what to do instead.
Rentals
New Zealand tenancy law puts maintenance on the landlord — unless the tenant caused it. Where blocked drains actually fall.
Buying
Building inspections stop at the ground. On an older property with mature trees, that's exactly where the expensive problems live.
If you have a drain problem right now, these three answer most of it.
Describe what the drain is doing and we will tell you what it probably is — including when the answer is that you do not need us.