Best Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers on the North Shore

We assessed 11 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 367 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 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 Hammerhead Contractors, and #5 Drain Unblockers Auckland, ranked by Top5 Score.

  1. 1 The Drain Company ★ 5.0 · 103 reviews · Score 160
  2. 2 HydroVac ★ 4.6 · 193 reviews · Score 157
  3. 3 Digga Drain Limited ★ 4.9 · 25 reviews · Score 140
  4. 4 Hammerhead Contractors ★ 5.0 · 10 reviews · Score 130
  5. 5 Drain Unblockers Auckland ★ 5.0 · 6 reviews · Score 123
  • 1

    The Drain Company

    ★ 5.0 103 reviews Score 160
    5★ 102 1★ 1

    The Drain Company unblocks drains, carries out CCTV inspections, and installs drainage systems, with multiple reviewers noting technicians arrived within an hour of being contacted.

    101 Wright Road, Albany

    Call 0800 247 862 Map Is this your business?
  • 2

    HydroVac

    ★ 4.6 193 reviews Score 157
    5★ 168 4★ 9 3★ 1 2★ 3 1★ 12

    HydroVac 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.

    49 Westpoint Drive, Hobsonville, Auckland

    Call 0800 493 768 Map Is this your business?
  • 3

    Digga Drain Limited

    ★ 4.9 25 reviews Score 140
    5★ 24 2★ 1

    Digga 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.

    9 Alma Road, Milford, Auckland

    Call 021 072 2856 Map Is this your business?
  • 4

    Hammerhead Contractors

    ★ 5.0 10 reviews Score 130
    5★ 10

    Hammerhead Contractors installs drainage networks, repairs septic systems, and fixes flood-damaged drainage, completing jobs within the timeframes quoted and to the price agreed.

    76 Forge Road, Silverdale

    Call 027 549 2147 Map Is this your business?
  • 5

    Drain Unblockers Auckland

    ★ 5.0 6 reviews Score 123
    5★ 6

    Drain 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.

    Call 021 246 1054 Map Is this your business?
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Before you hire a drainlayer on the North Shore

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 114 customer reviews collected for this page.

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

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?

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?

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?
  • –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?
  • –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.

More rankings

Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers elsewhere in Auckland 2 links
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Drainlayers & Drain Unblockers elsewhere in New Zealand 2 links
More home improvement rankings on the North Shore 12 links

About this ranking

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

103
reviews held by the #1 ranked business
6
reviews held by the #5 ranked business
4.5
lowest rating among the 10 listed
4.1%
of their 367 reviews are one-star
How are the top drainlayers & drain unblockers on the North Shore chosen?

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, 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 on the North Shore?

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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