Blocked Drains in Brighton and Bayside
Camera inspection first, high-pressure jetting when needed, and you see the footage before we quote.
- Fixed quotes upfront
- Local Bayside team
- Workmanship warranty
What this service covers
A blocked drain rarely fixes itself. Water that gurgles, backs up or drains slowly usually means something is stopping the flow further down the line, and in this part of Melbourne that something is very often tree roots in old clay pipes. Guessing at the cause wastes your money, so we do not guess. We put a camera down the drain first and show you exactly what we are dealing with.
We clear blocked sinks, showers, toilets, sewers and stormwater drains across Brighton, Brighton East, Hampton, Gardenvale, Elwood and Sandringham. Because we only work in these six suburbs, we are never far away when a drain backs up on a Saturday morning.
Signs you need this service
- Water drains slowly from the sink, shower or bath, or sits there longer than it used to
- A gurgling sound from the drain or toilet when water goes down
- The toilet water level rises higher than normal before it drains, or drops lower than usual
- A sewage smell around floor wastes, the yard gully or outside drains
- Water pooling around the overflow relief gully in the garden after you use water inside
- More than one fixture backing up at once, which usually points to the main sewer line
- A patch of lawn that is always green and damp, which can mean a cracked pipe underneath
What our plumber actually does
We ask the right questions on the phone
Which fixtures are affected, how long it has been building, and whether sewage is coming up inside. That tells us whether it is urgent and what gear to bring, so we arrive ready rather than making a second trip for equipment.
Camera inspection to find the cause
We feed a CCTV drain camera down the line to see what is actually blocking it: tree roots, a collapsed section, grease, wipes or a broken junction. You see the footage on screen with us. No footage, no guesswork.
Fixed quote before any clearing work starts
Once we know the cause and where it sits in the line, we give you a fixed price for the fix. You approve it before we start. If the honest answer is that a section of pipe needs replacing rather than clearing again, we tell you that too.
Clear the blockage with the right tool
For roots and built-up grease we use a high-pressure water jetter, which cuts roots out and scours the pipe wall clean. For simpler blockages close to the fixture, an electric eel or plunger may be all that is needed. We use the tool the job calls for, not the most expensive one.
Re-inspect and show you the result
After clearing, we run the camera through again so you can see the pipe is open and check the condition of the line. If the pipe is cracked or badly root-affected, we show you where, mark the location, and explain your options without pressure.
When a second visit is needed
Most blockages are cleared in one visit. If the camera finds a collapsed or badly damaged section, repairing or relining that pipe is a separate, quoted job, usually involving locating equipment and sometimes excavation. We will explain the timeline and give you a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Local knowledge
Blocked drains in Brighton and Bayside homes
Many of the drains we clear around Brighton were laid when the houses were built, which for the Edwardian homes and Californian bungalows in these streets means earthenware clay pipes that are now well past eighty years old. Clay pipe was laid in short sections with joints every metre or so, and each joint is an opening that roots can find.
The street plane trees and Moreton Bay figs that make Brighton and Elwood streets so good-looking are also very good at finding water. Fine roots enter through a joint, thicken over time, and catch everything that flows past until the line blocks completely. This is why the same drain can block every year or two if the roots are trimmed but the entry point is never dealt with.
Jetting clears the roots out properly and buys real time, and the camera tells us whether the pipe itself is still sound. Where a line keeps blocking, we can show you the exact joints letting roots in, so any repair you decide on is targeted rather than digging up half the garden on a hunch.
How the job runs
Call or send a quote request
You describe the problem to a person, not a call centre. We ask the questions that tell us what gear to bring and how soon you need us.
We agree a window that suits you
We book a time window around your day and confirm the day before. We do not promise arrival times we cannot keep.
Fixed quote before work starts
We assess the job, explain what is going on and give you a fixed price. Nothing starts until you have agreed to it.
The work, then the tidy-up
Drop sheets down, the job done and tested, and the area cleaned before we leave. Your home is not a worksite.
Warranty on the work
Our workmanship is backed by our workmanship warranty and your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Details are in our warranty policy.
Common questions
Why does my drain keep blocking every year?
Usually because the cause was never removed. If tree roots are entering through a joint in an old clay pipe, cutting them out clears the drain but the entry point remains, and the roots grow back. A camera inspection shows whether that is what is happening in your line and exactly where, so you can decide between regular clearing and a permanent repair with the facts in front of you.
Can I just use supermarket drain cleaner?
For a slow bathroom sink caused by hair and soap, sometimes. For anything involving old clay or cast iron pipes we advise against it. Caustic cleaners do not dissolve tree roots, they can sit in the pipe and damage older materials, and they make the job less pleasant for whoever ends up clearing the drain properly. If a blockage does not shift with a plunger, it needs mechanical clearing.
Do you really show me the camera footage?
Yes. You see the live footage with us on the day, before we quote the clearing work. If we find damage, we show you where it is in the line and what it means. We would rather you see the problem yourself than take our word for it.
Is a blocked drain an emergency?
It depends what is backing up. Sewage coming up inside the house, or a toilet you cannot use in a one-bathroom home, is urgent and worth a call straight away. A slow shower drain can usually wait for a booked window. If you are not sure, call us and we will tell you honestly how urgent it is.
How much does clearing a blocked drain cost?
It depends on where the blockage is and what is causing it, which is exactly why we camera the line first. Once we know, you get a fixed price before any clearing work starts, and that price does not change partway through the job.
Who is responsible for a blocked sewer, me or the water authority?
As a general rule, the property owner is responsible for the drains within the property boundary up to the connection point, and the water authority looks after the main beyond it. The camera inspection shows where the blockage sits, so if it turns out to be in the water authority section we will tell you and you will not pay us to clear a pipe that is not your responsibility.
How we price this work
We do not publish prices because honest plumbing pricing depends on what we find at your place, and a number on a website tells you nothing about your job. What we do promise is this: you get a fixed price before any work starts, we explain what it covers, and the invoice matches the quote. If we uncover something unexpected once work is underway, we stop and agree the change with you before going further.
Where we do this work
We do this work across all six of our suburbs, including Brighton, Brighton East and Hampton. Many jobs sit alongside emergency plumbing and general plumbing, so it is worth mentioning anything else on your list when you get in touch.
Want to read more first? See Why Brighton's Old Clay Drains Keep Blocking and CCTV Drain Inspections Explained.
Get a fixed quote for blocked drains.
Send us the problem and we will come back with a fixed quote and a booking window that suits you.
