Blocked Drains Newcastle
Cleared same day from $189 fixed. We jet it, camera it, and show you exactly what caused it — so it doesn't happen again in six months.
Signs you've got a blocked drain
Blockages build up slowly and then fail all at once, usually at the worst possible time. If you're seeing any of these, it's already partly blocked:
- Gurgling toilet — air being forced back up the line past a partial blockage
- Slow draining shower or sink — the water has to fight its way past something
- Water rising in the shower when the washing machine drains — the line is backing up
- Smell of sewage in the yard or bathroom — waste is sitting in the line instead of moving
- Overflow relief gully overflowing outside — this is the drain's safety valve doing its job
- Wet patch or lush green strip across the lawn — a cracked pipe leaking underground
What causes them in Newcastle
After fourteen years and a few thousand drains, the causes are pretty consistent around here:
- Tree roots. By far the biggest one. Older suburbs like Hamilton, Merewether, Mayfield and New Lambton have mature trees and clay sewer pipes laid in the 40s and 50s. Roots find the joints, get in, and grow into a mat that catches everything.
- Wet wipes. They do not break down, whatever the packet says. They snag on roots and build into a solid mass.
- Cooking fat and grease. Poured down hot as a liquid, sets solid in the cold pipe and narrows it a bit more every time.
- Collapsed or misaligned pipe. Old earthenware cracks, ground shifts, and the pipe drops out of line. Nothing gets past the step.
- Sand and silt in stormwater. Common near the coast — Stockton, Redhead, Merewether — where sand washes in and settles.
How we clear it
Find the access point
Usually an inspection opening in the yard. If there isn't one, we can access through the overflow relief gully or the toilet pan.
High pressure jet the line
A jetter runs at up to 5,000 psi with a rotating head that scours the full pipe wall — not just a hole punched through the middle like a plunger or a snake leaves.
Camera the pipe
We push a CCTV camera down the cleared line so you can see the actual condition of your pipes on the screen with us.
Flow test and report
We run water through to confirm it's flowing properly, then send you the footage and a plain-English rundown of what we found.
Pipe relining — fixing it without digging
If the camera shows a cracked, root-infested or collapsed section, the old fix was to dig up the yard, break out the driveway and replace the pipe. That's expensive and destructive.
Relining installs a resin liner inside the existing pipe and cures it in place, forming a new seamless pipe within the old one. No excavation, no ruined garden, and the liner is rated for 50 years. Roots can't get back in through a joint, because there are no joints any more.
- Done in a day for most residential sections
- No digging, no reinstatement costs
- Camera verified before and after
- Works under driveways, slabs and established gardens
It isn't always the right answer. If the pipe has completely collapsed or dropped badly out of line, relining won't fix the fall and we'll tell you that rather than sell you something that won't work.
Blocked drain pricing
| Service | What's included | Fixed from |
|---|---|---|
| Standard jetting | Locate access, jet the line, flow test | $189 |
| Jetting + CCTV | As above plus camera inspection and footage | $289 |
| CCTV inspection only | Full survey of sewer and stormwater, written report | $340 |
| Root cutting | Mechanical root cutter through heavy root mass | $390 |
| Pipe relining | Per metre, cured in place and camera verified | $420 |
| Excavation & replace | Dig, replace the failed section, backfill and reinstate | $1,850 |
| After-hours call-out | Attendance outside business hours + first hour | $295 |
Blocked drain questions
Rarely, and it can make things worse. Caustic drain cleaners will eat through a hair clog in a basin, but they do nothing to tree roots, wet wipes or a collapsed pipe — which is what almost every real blockage turns out to be.
They also sit in the pipe as a caustic pool, which is a genuine hazard for whoever opens the line up afterwards. Tell us if you've poured any down, so your plumber can protect themselves properly.
Hunter Water is responsible for the main in the street and generally for the section from the main up to your property boundary. From the boundary into your house, it's yours.
Our CCTV footage shows exactly where the blockage sits relative to the boundary. If it turns out to be on Hunter Water's side we'll tell you, give you the footage, and you can have them attend at no cost to you.
If you've got established gums, figs, willows or jacarandas near the sewer line and clay pipes, a preventative jet every 12 to 18 months is a lot cheaper than an emergency call-out plus a clean-up.
We offer a booked maintenance clear at a reduced rate for exactly this. The better long-term fix is relining the affected section so the roots have nowhere to get in.
For most external drain work, no — as long as we have access to the yard and the inspection opening. We'll ring you before we start with the fixed price, send photos and footage when we're done, and email the invoice.
If the only access is through the house, we'll need someone there to let us in.
Need a plumber in Newcastle?
Call us and you'll speak to a plumber, not a call centre. Or send the form and we'll ring you back within 15 minutes during business hours.
Request a free quote
Takes about 30 seconds. No obligation.
Thanks — your enquiry is in
We'll call you back within 15 minutes during business hours. If it's urgent right now, call (02) 4911 8420 and we'll get someone moving.