Blocked drain questions

Stop running water: no showers, washing machine or dishwasher. Keep children and pets away from any overflowing grate. Then call a licensed plumber, or send us the form.

As a guide, a standard drain clearance costs about $120 to $300, and harder jobs $250 to $600. An after-hours call-out can add $150 to $400 (Oceanside Services, 2026). The plumber quotes your job. We don't set prices.

The City of Gold Coast maintains the sewer from its main up to the connection point. You maintain the drains and inspection openings on the property side of the property connection fitting. If the fitting can't be found, the City takes the boundary as one metre inside your property line (City of Gold Coast).

If the plumber finds a defect in the City's pipe and reports it the same day, the City pays the plumber directly for that visit, up to $300 including GST. It doesn't pay for private drains, repeat visits, digging, or blockages caused by things that shouldn't have been flushed (City of Gold Coast).

It's the overflow relief gully. It lets a blockage overflow outside rather than inside your home. The City says it must sit loose and clear, and must never take stormwater, pool water or tap water (City of Gold Coast).

You can plunge a toilet, clean out a sink trap, or clear leaves off a drain grate. Unblocking sanitary drains is regulated plumbing work in Queensland, so it must be done by a licensed plumber or drainer (QBCC).

Only the "3 Ps": pee, poo and paper. Wet wipes, including ones labelled flushable, nappies, sanitary items, cotton buds, cooking oil and fat all block sewers (City of Gold Coast).

Something in the pipe keeps catching. Tree roots through a joint, a crack, a sag, or a build-up of fat are the usual causes. A CCTV drain inspection shows which. If the pipe is damaged, pipe relining can often fix it without digging.

No. We're a referral service. With your permission, we pass your details to one independent, QBCC-licensed plumber who works in your area. They quote and do the work, and you deal with them directly.

No. Plumbing businesses pay us for the enquiries we send them. See our referral marketing disclosure.

We only pass them to one plumber, and only with your permission. If we can't place your enquiry, we tell you and delete your details within 14 days. Our privacy policy has the detail.