Drainlaying in Christchurch
Drainlaying is the trade of putting the drains in and getting them right: the new lines, the connections to the main, and the relaying of the ones that have failed. Smart Contracting are certified drainlayers working across Christchurch and the Selwyn district, and the price is confirmed with you before anything starts.
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Drainlaying is not the same job as clearing a blockage
Most people meet a drainlayer on a bad day, when something is blocked and it needs to stop being blocked. That is drain clearing, and it is the smaller half of the trade. Drainlaying is the other half: laying the new line, making the connection, and taking out the length that keeps failing so it stops being an annual problem.
The difference matters because clearing a blockage treats the symptom. If a drain has a dip in it, a broken joint or roots through a clay pipe, clearing it buys months. Relaying that length is what ends it. We put a camera down first so you are choosing between the two on evidence rather than on a guess, and so you are not paying to dig in the wrong place.
Drainlaying is certified work. Sanitary drainage has to be done and signed off by a certifying drainlayer, which is a licence rather than a job title, and the council wants that sign off on record. We are PGDB certified, so consented work, new connections and anything an insurer or a buyer will later ask about is covered properly.
- New drains, new builds and connections to the main
- Relaying failed and earthquake damaged lines
- Pressure sewer systems across Selwyn
- PGDB certified, so the sign off is covered
Drainlaying questions
What is drainlaying?
Drainlaying is the trade of installing and repairing the drains that take wastewater and stormwater away from a building, and connecting them to the council main. It covers new work, replacement and relaying, as opposed to simply clearing a blocked line.
What is the difference between a plumber and a drainlayer?
Roughly, a plumber works on the pipework inside the building and a drainlayer works on the drains outside it and underground. They are separate licences in New Zealand. Drainage below ground and the connection to the main is drainlaying work.
Do I need a certified drainlayer?
For sanitary drainage, yes. The work has to be carried out or supervised and signed off by a certifying drainlayer. It is worth checking, because uncertified drainage is the sort of thing that surfaces years later when you sell or when you claim.
Do you do drainlaying outside Christchurch?
Yes. Christchurch and the Selwyn district are both everyday territory, including Rolleston, Lincoln and the suburbs in between. Give us the address and what is going on and we will sort you a time.
Can you relay a drain instead of repairing it?
Yes, and sometimes that is the honest recommendation. If a length has multiple faults, or it is old clay pipe with roots through the joints, patching one spot leaves the rest of it to fail next. A camera inspection is what tells us which call to make.
Drainlaying by area: Rolleston / Lincoln / Halswell / Hornby / Wigram / Cashmere / Riccarton