Drainage Plumber Sydney
When you need a drainage plumber in Sydney, Cleared Now Drain Plumbing lays new stormwater, subsoil and sewer drainage.
Wednesday Drain Deal
Call Now & Get $65 Off Your First Service
If new drainage replaces or joins an existing line, we inspect that line with our CCTV drain camera before quoting, to aim the new work at the real fault. The call-out fee is $0.
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Honest Diagnosis
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$0 Call-Out Fee
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Same Day Service
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Lifetime Labour Warranty
What Does Drainage Installation Cover?
Drainage installation is the plumbing and drainage work that lays new pipes, pits and connections to carry stormwater or wastewater away from a building. New drainage that carries stormwater falls under AS/NZS 3500.3, the stormwater drainage standard. That standard covers how roof, surface and subsoil drainage is designed, installed and tested, and the materials it uses, up to a point of connection. The City of Sydney says only a licensed plumber may inspect or maintain drainage.
Drainage Installation Across Sydney
Pick the drainage plumbing job your property needs and go straight to its own page:
- Get a quote
New stormwater drainage means underground pipes and pits that carry roof water from the downpipes, and surface water off paving, to the kerb or the council's stormwater drainage. Sydney Water says hard surfaces such as roofs, roads and footpaths stop rain soaking into the ground, so the run-off becomes stormwater. A stormwater drainage installation job takes in downpipe connections, channel drains, stormwater pits and kerb outlets as needed.
- Get a quote
We lay subsoil drainage, ag pipe in gravel that drains water from the soil, behind retaining walls, under slabs and in wet lawns. That page covers socked and unsocked pipe, and the gravel around it.
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Yard and Surface Drainage
Get a quoteWhen rain leaves a soggy lawn or water pooling on a path, the surface water has nowhere to go. We plan yard drainage to route that water away. Backyard drainage solutions range from a spoon drain to a French drain or ag drain, chosen to suit the yard.
- Get a quote
French drains are part of the new drainage we lay. Our French drain installation page compares a French drain with an ag or subsoil drain, and covers clay soils and sloping blocks.
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Sewer Lines and Connections
Get a quoteBuilding new needs a sewer line, or sanitary drain, to carry wastewater underground to the sewer. We run that line and make the sewer connection for a granny flat, extension or new build that needs its own. Sydney Water's asset construction drawings mark where its pipes sit relative to the property boundaries and the street. Plumbers generally use those drawings when connecting to Sydney Water's pipes.
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Builders and New Homes
Get a quoteOur team maps out new home drainage with the builder at each stage, from the rough-in through the sewer and stormwater work to the as-built plans.
Planning New Drainage
Before anyone builds or digs, Sydney Water says to find where its pipes run, using plans that come free through Before You Dig Australia. New drainage can then need approval from the City of Sydney or Sydney Water, and a choice about the old line:
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Council Connection Approval
When a private stormwater system is built in the City of Sydney, the owner needs the City's stormwater connection approval before it joins the underground council stormwater system. The City's approval may also cover new pit and pipe work. Downpipes that discharge to the kerb need a road opening permit application instead, where total site discharge is under 25 L/s.
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Building Plan Approval
Sydney Water assesses plans for building plan approval before landscaping, excavation or building work begins, since that work can damage its pipes or make them hard to reach. A council won't consent to a development application until Sydney Water has approved the building plans. Plans go to Sydney Water for a detailed review where its stormwater infrastructure sits within 10 metres of the property boundary.
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Repair or Lay New
Repairing a damaged section fixes a line that's already in the ground. New drainage lays pipe where water has no line to carry it away, or where a building needs its own. The City of Sydney says a pipe with repeated blockages may be damaged and need repair. A drain camera check shows whether an old line needs a fix or a new run. When the camera finds the damage in one section, a drain repair suits that line rather than new drainage, because we repair and replace only the damaged pipe.
Our Process
Laying new drainage runs in five steps:
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Camera check
A camera inspection comes before the quote wherever the new work joins or replaces an existing stormwater or sewer line. The CCTV drain camera shows the real fault before you pay for any new pipe. -
Route and approvals
We plan the new drainage route around what's already in the ground. Before any digging, we check which approvals apply, so you know up front what the job needs. -
Price in writing
A written quote reaches you before any work starts, on every job. -
Laying the line
We dig the trench, then install and connect the pipework, stormwater pits or ag pipe. The new work joins the stormwater system or the sewer line. -
Final test
We inspect and test the new line before we backfill the trench. For stormwater drainage, AS/NZS 3500.3 covers that testing. The labour comes under the Lifetime Labour Warranty.
Why Choose Cleared Now Drain Plumbing
Our team is local and owner-led, born and raised in the area, and brings 15+ years' experience to each drainage job. Customers have left 300+ five-star reviews, and four things stand behind the work:
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Straight Answers on Site
We tell you straight what our drain camera finds in any existing line the job joins or replaces, and the fix we'd recommend, before any work starts. A dedicated drain-and-sewer specialist is part of the team.
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Fair, Upfront Pricing
Pricing starts with a $0 call-out fee. As a new customer, you get $65 off your first service. Expect fair, upfront pricing, no surprises. Best Price Guaranteed applies on a written quote.
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Lifetime Labour Warranty
Choosing Cleared Now Drain Plumbing brings the Lifetime Labour Warranty, which covers the labour. The work also carries Quality Workmanship Guaranteed.
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Contractor Licence 498750C
Our contractor licence 498750C is issued by NSW Fair Trading for plumbing, draining and gasfitting. Cleared Now Drain Plumbing is fully licensed and insured.
Drainage Installation Costs in Sydney
What's The Damage's October 2026 guide gives these Sydney bands for drainage work, GST included:
| Job | What it covers | Price band | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber day rate | An 8-hour day on larger jobs such as new drainage installation, Sydney, GST included | $800 to $1,200 | What's The Damage, October 2026 |
| Drainage behind a retaining wall | Per lineal metre, Sydney, GST included | $34 to $92 per metre | What's The Damage, October 2026 |
| Digging through sandstone | Can add to excavation jobs in Eastern Suburbs and Inner West drainage work | $500 to $2,000 | What's The Damage, October 2026 |
| Call-out | A plumber comes to look | $0 | Cleared Now Drain Plumbing |
The guide names sandstone and under-slab work on slab-on-ground homes, common in Western Sydney, as cost drivers, so the written quote follows a site look and any camera check.
Areas We Service
Our drainage plumbers bring Same Day Service to the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Hills District, Western Sydney, South West Sydney and Sutherland Shire.
Book a Drainage Plumber in Sydney
Got water with nowhere to go after rain, or a granny flat, extension or new build that needs its drains in? Call (02) 9158 3577: a real person answers 24 hours and lines up Same Day Service, with a $0 call-out fee. Before your written quote, our drain camera checks any old line the new work joins or replaces. Claim $65 off your first service as a new customer. With Cleared Now Drain Plumbing, you're booking a drainage contractor that's fully licensed and insured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Manages Stormwater in Sydney?
Property owners, councils and Sydney Water each manage part of Sydney's stormwater. The City of Sydney says owners answer for the pipes connected to their place, including pipes shared with neighbours, wherever those pipes run on the land. Local councils run the street gutters that property drains often flow to. Councils also have primary responsibility for flood planning. Sydney Water's stormwater systems serve about 645,000 properties in Greater Sydney through 458 kilometres of channels and pipes.
How Do I Find the Stormwater Pipes on a Sydney Property?
Finding stormwater pipes takes two steps: we trace each line with a drain camera from the downpipe or pit where water enters, then mark its route on the surface. That marking step is pipe locating, done before anyone digs.
How Long Does Sydney Water Building Plan Approval Take?
Sydney Water gives approval straight away through Sydney Water Tap in when no asset is affected, and generally sends conditions within 42 days for a non-complex out-of-scope application. If the works do affect Sydney Water's assets, the plans go to a water servicing coordinator, a Sydney Water listed provider who acts for the owner. The coordinator assesses the plans and says when to expect a response.
How Do I Book a Drainage Plumber in Sydney?
Ring (02) 9158 3577 to book a drainage visit, and a real person answers 24 hours to set up Same Day Service.