What we offer
Four kinds of drainage work
If your drain is overflowing or blocked rather than broken or new, you want drain unblocking instead. We will point you the right way either way.
New build drainage
Quoted or hourly
Full stormwater and wastewater drainage for new homes, set out to the consented plan and inspected before backfill.
Extensions and alterations
Quoted or hourly
New or relocated drainage for extensions, new bathrooms and layout changes, connected into the existing system properly rather than teed off a branch line.
Repairs and replacement
Quoted or hourly
Collapsed, cracked or root-damaged drains dug up and replaced, usually after a camera inspection has shown exactly where the problem is.
Rural, septic and lifestyle drainage
Quoted or hourly
Drainage for lifestyle blocks and small farms, including septic tank installs, effluent fields, soak pits, long pipe runs and off-grid setups.
How it runs
From plan to signed off
Drainage is the one part of a build that gets buried. Getting it inspected before it disappears is the whole job, and it is where most of the risk sits.
Step 01
Plans and consent
We work from the consented drainage plan, and tell you early if what is drawn will not work on the ground.
Step 02
Set out and excavate
Falls set out before anything is dug, because a drain laid at the wrong gradient will not run however good the pipe is.
Step 03
Lay and inspect
Pipework laid and bedded, then council inspection booked and passed before any of it is covered.
Step 04
Backfill and sign off
Backfilled, reinstated, and the paperwork handed over for your file and your code of compliance.
What it costs
Quoted in writing, before we dig
Drainage projects can be fully quoted upfront in writing or completed on charge-up at our standard hourly rates, whichever suits your project best. Ground conditions, depth and distance to the main line drive the overall cost far more than the pipe itself.
Price guide
All prices exclude GST
Plumbing and drainlaying labour
Minimum one hour, then 15 minute increments
$95 per hour
Gasfitting labour
Minimum one hour, then 15 minute increments
$110 per hour
1.7-tonne digger and operator
For excavation and drainage work
$115 per hour
3-tonne truck hire
Charged by the day
$250 per day
Travel, Zone 1
Wellington City, Porirua, Lower Hutt
$30 per job
Travel, Zone 2
Wainuiomata, Eastbourne, Upper Hutt, Pukerua Bay, Kapiti Coast
$40 per job
Sundries
Small items such as washers and sealant
$10 to $15 per job
After hours and public holidays
Outside Mon to Fri, 7:30am to 4:30pm. Quoted on the circumstances
Additional charges
Written quotes
For any job, on request
Free
FAQs
Questions we get asked about drainlaying
Do I need consent to lay a new drain?
Usually yes. New drainage, and altering or relocating existing drainage, generally needs building consent and a council inspection before it is covered. Like-for-like repair of a damaged section often does not. We tell you which applies before quoting.
How long does a drainage job take?
It varies a lot depending on house size, site access and how far we have to run to the connection point. A short run for an extension can take a day or two, while full drainage for a new build can range from a few days to over a week. Tight sites where we have to dig by hand instead of bringing in a digger, hard rock or bad weather will add time, and if we hit unexpected ground conditions, we will tell you straight away rather than leave you guessing.
Should a damaged drain be repaired or replaced?
A single cracked section can usually be cut out and replaced. Once a run has collapsed in more than one place, or it is old earthenware with root damage along its length, replacing the run costs less than returning to patch it every second winter.
How long should drainage last?
Modern PVC drainage laid at the right falls and properly bedded should outlast the house. The failures we dig up are almost always old earthenware or concrete pipe, or newer pipe laid at too shallow a gradient.
What is the difference between drainlaying and drain unblocking?
Drainlaying puts new drainage in the ground. Drain unblocking clears a drain you already have. If water is backing up right now, you want unblocking, and that is a same-day job rather than a quoted project.
Do you install and service septic tanks and effluent fields?
Yes. We handle the excavation, septic tank installation, pipe runs and effluent field or soak pit drainage. We do not design septic systems ourselves: we install strictly to your engineer or designer's consented plans, so your setup is fully compliant for council sign-off.
What do you need from me before the job starts?
The consented drainage plan if there is one, and vehicle access for a digger. If you know where other services run, tell us, because locating them is far cheaper than repairing them.
Related
Other services
Need drainage laid in Wellington?
Send us the drainage plan, or just tell us what is going in, and we will come back with a written quote.