Cost to Fix Blocked Stormwater Drain?

dwarves on 17/03/2023 - 12:55

My house has a blocked stormwater drain.

It is very easily accessible - a vehicle can park right next to an access point.

I had a chap from "Dan's Plumbing" (part of the same corporate group that owns Willson's and Ferguson's) come out and he quoted $1124+GST to put a camera and high-pressure water blaster down there. Fortunately he was very polite, otherwise I would have chased him off site with a sharp broom handle.

There are businesses online trying to get you in with a "$99" offer. My understanding is that will get you 15 minutes of their time and the final bill will almost certainly be $300+. What I want to know is - how would the service from one of those places differ from whatever Dan's provides for their $1124+GST? Am I the crazy one, for thinking $1124+GST was madness, or are Dan's indeed taking the pi$$ with that sort of quote? And, can anyone point me to a reliable, not-extortionately-priced service provider in Brisbane?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Sawtell on 17/03/2023 - 13:00
    +6

    Hire a jetter and do it yourself.

  • Muzeeb on 17/03/2023 - 13:00
    +14

    can anyone point me to a reliable, not-extortionately-priced service provider

    I suggest you go to TAFE, do an apprenticeship, purchase all of the equipment required then do it yourself. Report back in 6 years with your success.

    • dwarves on 17/03/2023 - 14:12
      +1

      Helpful, thanks

  • parsimonious one on 17/03/2023 - 13:05
    +1

    We’ve have plenty of plumbing issues and that seems steep

    not sure about your area but in our area many plumbers would charge for a quote

    With a little research we were able to find some that didn’t, they seemed much better (and if they weren’t then nothing lost) - the free quote guys seemed to not have the mindset that they should be paid for every second of their time, so were generally more reasonable

  • Daniel Plainview on 17/03/2023 - 13:13

    Its a quote, get another, don't say what you've been quoted already and do again if need be. From there you can go with the quotes or try and do yourself with hire or cheap buy gear.
    It's not rocket science so I am sure you can do easily if you're so inclined.

  • JIMB0 on 17/03/2023 - 13:19

    I had a guy come out and do a jet and camera job 2 years ago for $400. Once that's done it could still be a collapsed pipe or even blocked in the council drain. If yours discharges to the street gutter you can attack it from both ends

  • brad1-8tsi on 17/03/2023 - 13:52
    +2

    In Sydney I used the YouTuber "Drain Addict". $300 and it was a smelly, dirty, greasy job.

    • Dslrfirst on 18/03/2023 - 09:46

      This job is a drain not a sewer.

      • idboys on 18/03/2023 - 09:58

        Happens with stormwater too. Experience here

      • JIMB0 on 18/03/2023 - 13:56

        They're the much the same thing in regards to blockages.

      • brad1-8tsi on 22/03/2023 - 19:24

        This job is a drain not a sewer.

        They both get blockages and the method of fixing and costs are similar.

  • Nugs on 17/03/2023 - 14:19
    +1

    not a fixer, but am surprised how cheap a cheap drain snake is
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/195130256427?hash=item2d6eab6c2b…
    .

    • AngoraFish on 17/03/2023 - 14:31

      This is the correct answer, although no need to get so elaborate, this will do it https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/115441165918

      • Nugs on 17/03/2023 - 14:41

        "happy 2013" sale?
        .

      • dwarves on 17/03/2023 - 18:01
        +2

        Thanks - probably worth the $35 eh! Will see how I go. Appreciate the tip mate

      • c64 on 17/03/2023 - 18:16
        +1

        oh, plugs into a drill. i wonder how well it works?

        • dwarves on 18/03/2023 - 17:26

          I’ll report back…

        • dwarves on 25/03/2023 - 18:01
          +1

          Works WELL!

          Not sure if it’s unplugged my hole but it got right up in there and DRILLED

    • USER DC on 17/03/2023 - 14:38
      +1

      There's an even cheaper one right now in ALDI for like $8

      https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-sat-11-…

      Its a little shorter in length but depending on length you need it may do the job

      • dwarves on 17/03/2023 - 17:19

        Thanks. I bought this already and tried to sort it myself - but no dice

        • Muzeeb on 17/03/2023 - 17:30
          +1

          That's designed to remove food scraps from a 50mm kitchen sink P trap blockage.

          Your 90mm storm water blockage will need a bit more ooooomph than that piss take.

          • dwarves on 17/03/2023 - 18:02
            +1

            @Muzeeb: Indeed. 12m $35 eBay snake incoming

            • Muzeeb on 17/03/2023 - 18:19

              @dwarves: Now we're talking. I assume PVC pipes. These snakes will destroy older terracotta pipes.

              • dwarves on 17/03/2023 - 19:22

                @Muzeeb: yeh PVC

              • Dslrfirst on 18/03/2023 - 09:53

                @Muzeeb: Our drains/sewers have been Roto-rooted ("eeled") since not long after they were installed in the '60s - and still functioned.

      • c64 on 17/03/2023 - 18:16
        +2

        that's only good for colonoscopies

  • Transient on 17/03/2023 - 14:33

    Fortunately he was very polite, otherwise I would have chased him off site with a sharp broom handle.

    User name checks out!

    Seriously though, I usually put those jobs on Service Seeking or some other similar website. Usually have about 5+ quotes in a matter of hours to choose from. As it is external and stormwater related, a tradesperson with the requisite tools should be able to do the job for less.

    Plumbers usually charge extra for the camera as they need to recoup the cost. Many years ago a plumber gave me a free quote and camera inspection for a sewerage line. Good for finding out possible causes, eg, root intrusion and where to dig. However, if just leaves and pipes are fine, no need for a camera in my opinion, but would you know?

  • Drakesy on 17/03/2023 - 15:54

    How long is a piece of string.
    For mobilisation and maybe an hour of problem finding - up to $350
    For actual unblocking - depending on the cause, if its as simple as a high pressure hose you'd be looking at around another $150-$200 an hour
    If it's roots, then it's a whole other story and you'll need to rip up the pavers and replace and reseal the pipe, this could easily get into a couple of thousand.

    • Dslrfirst on 18/03/2023 - 09:54

      fairly drastic- an eel with root cutter attachment will deal with most.

      • Drakesy on 18/03/2023 - 13:28

        It wont cure it though ;)
        The roots will be back within a year

        • JIMB0 on 18/03/2023 - 13:57

          Job security.

  • Euphemistic on 17/03/2023 - 16:02

    Sounds a bit steep, but then most ‘chains’ charge a bit more knowing they’ve got a name that brings customers too them and pay for all the admin and advertising.

    Problem is that finding an honest, decent plumber who charges enough it not too much is difficult.

  • Aureus on 17/03/2023 - 17:30
    +1

    I have paid around $250 for a simple clean in the past. You probably have no need for the camera, so that sounds like a pointless up sell. They probably get lots of people who don't know how much work is involved and are desperate for a fix who just pay the crazy rate, so good on you for being savvy.

  • phila63 on 17/03/2023 - 21:24

    Unity Water did the job for us inside an hour when a plumbing mob spent 6hrs with no success.
    They charge when it's in your place but their turn up price and incremental price was cheaper than all the plumbers i rang. Wish i had rang them first.
    Big truck loaded with tools, snakes and bits.
    Think it was under $300, about 4yrs ago

  • iamherenow on 18/03/2023 - 06:32
    +1

    I've had success with a pressure cleaner drain hose from bunnings. I got the gerni one for about $45. It won't do much with roots. But if it's mostly leaves and dirt, will work well. Best of all it's easy to use - just set the pressure cleaner going and stick it down.

  • jrvb42 on 18/03/2023 - 09:37

    My plumber is old school and doesn't use or need a camera. He has a machine which can reach in a long way and is capable of tearing thru roots and pretty much any blockage. He charged me about $400 to come out and clear roots out of a sewage drain.

  • idboys on 18/03/2023 - 09:43
    -1

    $1000 can quickly turn into a $20k job. Your pipes may be completely f@d and need replacing. A simple crack in concrete or clay pipes with trees nearby can quickly become an issue. With years of drought those tree roots go searching for water and wedge into the pipe cracks making them even worse. Don’t try and take the quick and easy route with this it can lead to further problems like localised flooding into the house etc. believe me been there done that. Stressful every time it rains and this past year was a doozy!

  • the Unforgiven on 18/03/2023 - 13:41

    Go to Bunnings & ask the plumbing section people, they will be glad to help: good luck

  • jonkvh on 18/03/2023 - 16:14

    Go to Kennards. They'll show you how to use the Plumbers Snake. If you hit a dead end, then you'll need someone with a camera.

  • skillet on 19/03/2023 - 23:31

    So this sort of cleaning don't need plumbers license?
    My house sewerage was blocked once by tree roots, a very nice and polite gentleman from the water company used an eel with a very nasty looking end presumably root cutter. Dealing with sewerage water It's a very exciting job. NOT. So I am tempted to DIY as do most work around the house.

  • c64 on 25/03/2023 - 16:18

    So this sort of cleaning don't need plumbers license?

    i could be wrong but i don't think a license is required. if you were repairing the pipes as well then yes it would require a license

    • dwarves on 25/03/2023 - 17:59

      Def no licence needed

  • ashtonmiller on 25/04/2023 - 15:16

    Well, I usually start by trying to remove any debris or leaves from the top of the drain using a rake or broom. If that doesn't work, I pour hot water down the drain and use a plunger to try and dislodge any blockages. If that still doesn't work, I might try using a drain snake or call a professional plumber to take care of the problem. This article can help https://plumbingservices.sydney/blocked-storm-water-drain/.

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