Best Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers on the North Shore
We assessed 12 drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 372 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 21 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
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.
Top 5 Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers on the North Shore
The top 5 drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore are #1 The Drain Company, #2 HydroVac, #3 Digga Drain, #4 Dragon Drainage, and #5 Hammerhead Contractors, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
The Drain Company
★ 5.0 103 reviews Top5 Score 1605★ 102 1★ 1The Drain Company unblocks drains, carries out CCTV inspections, and installs drainage systems, with multiple reviewers noting technicians arrived within an hour of being contacted. Their office staff actively step in post-visit too, with Lana coordinating directly with Watercare on a customer's behalf to secure the best outcome.
location_on 101 Wright Road, Albany
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2
HydroVac
★ 4.6 193 reviews Top5 Score 1575★ 168 4★ 9 3★ 1 2★ 3 1★ 12HydroVac covers septic tank servicing, wastewater system assessments, and CCTV drain inspections, with a number of clients noting they have used them across 10 to 27 years of repeat visits. Technicians like Adam, Jelle, and Johnnie take time on-site to walk clients through self-maintenance tips before they leave.
location_on 49 Westpoint Drive, Hobsonville, Auckland
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3
Digga Drain Limited
★ 4.9 25 reviews Top5 Score 1405★ 24 2★ 1Digga Drain takes on drainage jobs that other builders and contractors have flagged as too complicated or too expensive, covering basement waterproofing, surface water and flooding issues, subdivision drainage, and mains pipe replacement. Matt quotes on the spot, completes jobs to the quoted price, and has solved problems that clients had been living with for years.
location_on 9 Alma Road, Milford, Auckland
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4
Dragon Drainage
★ 5.0 13 reviews Top5 Score 1335★ 13Dragon Drainage lays drainage pipes, connects storm water outlets, and grades sites for structures like glasshouses, completing most jobs within one to two days of starting. Their crews water blast driveways, remove excavated mud, and reseed disturbed soil before they leave, so the site is returned to its original condition without the customer needing to arrange a separate cleanup.
location_on 7A Waiake Street, Torbay, Auckland
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5
Hammerhead Contractors
★ 5.0 10 reviews Top5 Score 1305★ 10Hammerhead Contractors installs drainage networks, repairs septic systems, and fixes flood-damaged drainage, completing jobs within the timeframes quoted and to the price agreed. Andrew and his team kept one client fully updated and fed their dogs daily when a family emergency meant the client couldn't be on site for four days mid-job.
location_on 76 Forge Road, Silverdale
Other suburbs
Before you hire a drainlayer on the North Shore
Drawn from 114 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
How much does it cost to unblock a drain in New Zealand? expand_more
Installer-published Auckland prices put the first hour of a drain unblocking job at $285 plus GST, which works out to $327.75 once GST at 15 percent is added. A second hour costs $210 plus GST from that same source, with a CCTV camera inspection bundled in at no extra charge.
A stand-alone CCTV drain inspection runs to $250 plus GST for up to one hour from another Auckland provider, with standard unblocking from $350 plus GST. An emergency or after-hours call-out can push that to $550 plus GST, so always ask for the after-hours rate before anyone is dispatched.
Does a drainlayer need a licence, and who pays when a drain is blocked? expand_more
Laying, altering, repairing, opening up or renewing a private drain, and fitting a gully trap or connecting to a septic tank, is drainlaying under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006 and must be done by someone holding a current practising licence issued by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB), or working under the supervision of a licence holder. There is no householder exemption for drainlaying, so any repair a camera inspection reveals is restricted work that requires a licensed person.
Clearing a blockage is not named in the Act's definition of drainlaying, but do not treat that as meaning no licence is ever needed, because any repair that follows is a different matter entirely. The PGDB keeps a public register where you can confirm a drainlayer's registration class and licence status before work begins.
In Auckland, Watercare asks residents with a blocked private drain to call Watercare first before contacting a tradesperson, as the boundary between council and private responsibility sits at the point of supply. For properties outside Auckland, check with your local council or water utility, as each sets its own rules. In a rental, tenants must tell the landlord straight away about any blockage or damage, and where careless damage is the tenant's fault, liability 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? expand_more
A single blockage from fat, wipes or hair is often cleared in one visit, but a drain that keeps backing up, gurgles, smells or overflows at the gully trap is pointing at something deeper, such as tree roots, a cracked or sunken pipe, or a failing joint. A CCTV camera inspection is the reliable way to find out, and asking to see the footage yourself means you can understand exactly what the camera found before agreeing to any further work. Reviewers placed real value on technicians who showed them the footage, told them honestly when a clean was all that was needed, and explained what not to put down the drain to reduce the risk of a repeat.
What are the warning signs of a drain company to avoid? expand_more
- –A quote given over the phone that grows significantly once the crew is on site, with no explanation of what changed.
- –An hourly clock that starts before the technician arrives at your property, rather than when work begins.
- –Pressure to approve a repair or relining without being shown or sent the CCTV camera footage first.
- –A blockage that returns within days and the company provides no follow-up or stands behind no form of callback guarantee.
- –Mess, soil, or damage left around the gully trap, garden, or driveway after the job is finished.
- –After-hours or weekend rates that are not disclosed before anyone is dispatched, leaving a large invoice as a surprise.
What should you ask a drainlayer or drain unblocker before they start? expand_more
- –Ask whether the price is hourly or a fixed fee, whether it includes GST, and exactly when the clock starts.
- –Confirm whether a water jetter truck and a CCTV inspection are included in the quoted price or charged as extras.
- –Ask whether you will be shown the camera footage on site or sent a copy before any repair is recommended.
- –If the job looks like it may need a repair, ask who on the crew holds a current practising licence from the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
- –Ask what happens if the blockage returns within a short period, and whether there is any callback policy.
- –For urgent or weekend jobs, get the after-hours rate confirmed in writing before the technician is sent out.
Also recommended drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Drain Unblockers Auckland
★ 5.0 6 reviews Top5 Score 1235★ 6Drain Unblockers Auckland gets to blocked toilets and drain problems fast, with multiple clients noting technicians arrived quickly and resolved issues that could have escalated into major damage. Dave, Mike, Mitchell, and Steve each take time to explain what went wrong and, where appropriate, walk callers through DIY options before booking a visit.
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7
Priority Drainage
★ 5.0 4 reviews Top5 Score 1195★ 4We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.
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8
Stu Gray Drain Layer
★ 5.0 4 reviews Top5 Score 1195★ 4We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.
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9
Drainworx Ltd
★ 4.6 11 reviews Top5 Score 1185★ 10 1★ 1Drainworx turns around urgent drain unblocking, wastewater repairs, and CCTV inspections fast, with technicians arriving within an hour or by the next morning across multiple jobs. Darcy and TJ both take time on-site to explain what is happening, walking clients through the problem rather than just fixing and leaving.
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10
Auckland Drainage
★ 5.0 3 reviews Top5 Score 1155★ 3We generate summaries once a business has enough reviews for a reliable sample.
About this ranking
What the 10 drainlayers & drain unblockers listed above hold, at the 21 September 2026 check.
Across the 6 locations we assess drainlayers & drain unblockers in, the 59 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 2.6% of their total.
How are the top drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. 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. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore. The usual reasons for missing out 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. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.