Best Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers in Christchurch

We assessed 22 drainlayers & drain unblockers in Christchurch and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 686 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 21 September 2026. How we rank

Top 5 Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers in Christchurch

The top 5 drainlayers & drain unblockers in Christchurch are #1 Pooman, #2 Drainage King, #3 Discount Drainage, #4 Canterbury Waterblast, and #5 Total Drain Cleaning, ranked by Top5 Score.

  1. 1 Pooman Ltd ★ 4.8 · 177 reviews · Score 162
  2. 2 Drainage King ★ 5.0 · 77 reviews · Score 159
  3. 3 Discount Drainage ★ 4.9 · 90 reviews · Score 156
  4. 4 Canterbury Waterblast ★ 4.8 · 106 reviews · Score 155
  5. 5 Total Drain Cleaning - Blocked Drain Solutions - CCTV Inspections ★ 4.9 · 64 reviews · Score 152
  • 1

    Pooman Ltd

    ★ 4.8 177 reviews Score 162
    5★ 167 4★ 2 1★ 8

    Pooman clears blocked drains, sewer pipes, and stormwater drainage, with technicians routinely arriving within one to two hours of a call, including Sundays.

    1/50 Berwick Street, St Albans, Christchurch

    Call 0800 766 626 Map Is this your business?
  • 2

    Drainage King

    Verified
    ★ 5.0 77 reviews Score 159
    5★ 76 3★ 1

    Drainage King clears blocked toilets, sinks, shower drains, and stormwater drains, and has handled more involved work including soakpit installation and EQC-related sewer repairs. Rusty is known for diagnosing the problem on the spot, explaining the cause clearly, and giving practical advice to stop it recurring, all at a price that matches the phone quote.

    520 Halswell Road, Halswell, Christchurch Open 24 hours

    Call 03 365 4642 Map
  • 3

    Discount Drainage

    ★ 4.9 90 reviews Score 156
    5★ 86 4★ 2 1★ 2

    Discount Drainage gets blocked drains cleared, leaking pipes replaced, and stormwater issues resolved, with Leigh and the team turning up when they say they will and sorting problems on the day.

    85 Durham Street South, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch

    Call 0800 223 332 Map Is this your business?
  • 4

    Canterbury Waterblast

    ★ 4.8 106 reviews Score 155
    5★ 99 4★ 2 1★ 5

    Canterbury Waterblast turns around blocked drain and sewer line callouts on the same day they are contacted, reaching sites in as little as 30 minutes to two hours.

    44 Maces Road, Bromley, Christchurch

    Call 03 365 7960 Map Is this your business?
  • 5

    Total Drain Cleaning - Blocked Drain Solutions - CCTV Inspections

    ★ 4.9 64 reviews Score 152
    5★ 62 4★ 1 1★ 1

    Total Drain Cleaning unblocks sewer drains, stormwater pipes, and toilet blockages, using high-pressure water jetting and CCTV camera inspection to clear root intrusion and locate blockages precisely.

    45 Cork Street, Halswell, Christchurch

    Call 0800 215 208 Map Is this your business?
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Before you hire a drainlayer in Christchurch

Laying, altering, repairing or opening up a private drain is restricted work: it must be done by someone holding a current practising licence from the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, or under the supervision of one, and there is no exemption for householders doing it themselves. Clearing a blockage is not named in that list, but a cracked or collapsed pipe found on the camera is, so ask to see the CCTV footage before you agree to a repair.

The questions below are drawn from 564 customer reviews collected for this page.

How much does it cost to unblock a drain in New Zealand?

Installer-published prices for drain unblocking start around $285 plus GST for the first hour when a jetter truck is needed. A second hour runs around $210 plus GST, and some operators include a CCTV camera inspection at no extra charge.

After-hours or emergency call-outs are priced higher, with one published rate at $550 plus GST. These figures exclude GST at 15 percent, so a $285 plus GST first hour works out to $327.75 in your hand.

Does a drainlayer need a licence, and who pays when a drain is blocked?

Laying, altering, repairing, opening up or renewing a private drain is drainlaying under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, and it must be done by someone holding a current practising licence from the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB), or working under the supervision of one. Clearing a blockage is not named in that definition, but any repair a camera reveals is restricted work requiring a licensed person.

The PGDB registers restricted, drainlayer and certifying drainlayers and keeps a public register you can search before hiring. On who pays: the council owns and maintains pipes up to the point of supply, and in Auckland, Watercare asks you to call them first before contacting a tradesperson, as the blockage may be on their side.

For other cities, check with your local council or water utility, as arrangements differ. In a rental, tenants must notify the landlord immediately, and careless damage is capped at four weeks rent or the landlord's insurance excess, whichever is lower.

Is a blocked drain a quick unblock, or a sign the drain needs repairing?

A one-off blockage from fat, wipes or hair is usually cleared in a single visit, but a drain that keeps blocking, gurgles, smells or backs up at the gully trap often points to something structural like tree roots, a cracked pipe or a sunken joint. A CCTV inspection is how that underlying fault is found, and reviewers specifically valued being shown or sent the footage so they could see the problem before agreeing to any repair. Honest operators in the reviews told customers when a jetting clean was genuinely enough, and several gave advice on what not to put down the drain to avoid a repeat call-out.

What are the warning signs of a drain company to avoid?
  • –A job that seemed straightforward was charged at $287.50 for 15 minutes of work, with no response when the customer queried the bill, which points to pricing that was not explained before the visit.
  • –Watch for a warranty as short as one week on jetting work, with a full-price call-out charge if the drain blocks again within weeks.
  • –Be cautious if a company pushes a repair or relining without showing you the camera footage first, as you have no way to verify the fault is real.
  • –Subcontractors used without disclosure created problems in at least one case, where the original operator had no leverage to get faulty work corrected.
  • –Repeated unanswered calls, ignored emails and no-shows on a confirmed booking date are patterns that appeared in multiple negative reviews.
  • –After-hours rates not stated before anyone is dispatched can leave you with a bill well above what you expected.
What should you ask a drainlayer or drain unblocker before they start?
  • –Ask whether the price is fixed or hourly, whether it includes GST, and exactly when the clock starts.
  • –Confirm whether a high-pressure water jetter and a CCTV inspection are included in the quoted price or charged separately.
  • –Ask whether you will be shown or sent the camera footage before any repair is agreed to.
  • –If a repair looks likely, ask which crew member holds a current practising licence from the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, and check the public register.
  • –Ask what the call-back policy is if the blockage returns within weeks, and get the warranty period in writing.
  • –For an urgent or after-hours job, ask for the after-hours rate before anyone is dispatched, not after the work is done.

More rankings

Related services in Christchurch 3 links
Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers elsewhere in New Zealand 2 links
More home improvement rankings in Christchurch 16 links

About this ranking

What the 10 drainlayers & drain unblockers listed above hold, at the 21 September 2026 check.

177
reviews held by the #1 ranked business
64
reviews held by the #5 ranked business
4.5
lowest rating among the 10 listed
3.5%
of their 686 reviews are one-star
How are the top drainlayers & drain unblockers in Christchurch chosen?

We build this page from Google Maps results for drainlayers & drain unblockers in Christchurch. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record, using the same published method on every page. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. See how we rank for how rankings are made and who is left out.

Are you a drainlayer in Christchurch?

No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying your listing is free: it adds a small trust bonus (+3 points) to your score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing, and gives you a dashboard showing how your score is made up. A paid subscription adds a website link, a profile page and your ranking history. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.

Not listed? The usual reasons are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Check where you rank first, and if you think we missed you, get in touch.

How far is each one from you?

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