Drainlaying Wellington

Drainage is the part of a building project nobody sees once it is finished, and the part that is most expensive to get wrong. A fall that is too shallow blocks, a joint that is not bedded properly cracks, and a connection in the wrong place fails inspection. In Wellington, where many sections are steep, tight or sitting on soft ground, getting the drainage right the first time saves weeks of delay.

Cheeky's Plumbers lays new wastewater and stormwater drains for homeowners, builders and developers across Wellington City, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast. We handle anything from a single new connection for a sleepout to the full drainage layout for a townhouse development, including drainage plans, council inspections and as-built drawings. Quotes are free and all work is done under Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board authorisation.

Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.

Drainlaying Jobs We Handle Across Wellington

• Drain layer
• Drainage contractors
• New house drains
• Subdivision drainage
• Stormwater retention tanks
• Council drainage consents

Drainlaying work we take on

Our drainlayers cover residential and light commercial work, including: If an existing drain is cracked, sagging or full of roots, that is a drain repair job rather than new drainlaying.

• New wastewater and stormwater drains for houses, extensions and minor dwellings
• Moving drains to make room for an extension, garage or deck
• Infill and subdivision drainage, including new connections to the public network
• Stormwater systems, including detention tanks and connections to the kerb or public pipes
• Replacing old earthenware lines with modern PVC
• Gully traps, inspection chambers and sumps

Consents, councils and inspections

Most new drainlaying needs a building consent, and which council issues it depends on where you are: Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City, Porirua City or Kāpiti Coast District Council. New connections to the public network in the first four areas also involve Tiaki Wai, which runs water, wastewater and stormwater there. On the Kāpiti Coast the council runs its own water services. Foul water drains must meet Building Code clause G13 and stormwater drains clause E1, and the work is inspected before the trench is backfilled.

We prepare drainage plans, book inspections and supply as-built drawings once the job is done. If the project is near or over a public pipe, a build-over or build-near approval may also be needed, and we flag that early so it does not hold up the build. Note that an easement on your land carrying a public pipe that does not serve your home is not your responsibility to maintain, but it can still affect where you can dig and build. Stormwater design is covered in more detail on our stormwater drains page.

How It Works

Finding what is already in the ground

Before any digging, we request plans of buried services through beforeUdig and check council records for public drains and water mains. On older sections in places like Thorndon, Newtown and Brooklyn, old drains, gas pipes and cables often do not sit where anyone expects.

Private connections are rarely mapped by utility companies, so we also run a CCTV drain inspection and trace existing lines with a locator. Where services are close to the dig, we hand-dig test holes to confirm their exact position before a machine goes anywhere near them.

Steep sections, soft ground and wet weather

Wellington ground throws up its own challenges. On hillside sections in suburbs like Brooklyn, Churton Park and Whitby, an excavator may not get in at all, so trenches are dug by hand or with a small machine lifted in, and spoil has to be carried out. Older cut slopes can be prone to failure when saturated, so we plan trenches near banks carefully and never leave stormwater discharging onto a slope.

On the valley floor of the Hutt and on reclaimed or low-lying land around Petone, Seaview and Kilbirnie, the ground is soft and can be wet only a short way down. Trenches there may need shoring, dewatering and well-compacted bedding so the pipe holds its fall. Winter is the wettest time of year, so we schedule open trenches around the forecast where the programme allows.

What affects the cost of drainlaying

Drainlaying is quoted for free from plans or a site visit. The main things that move the price are:

• Length and depth of the new drain, and how far it is from the connection point
• Ground conditions, from hard hillside rock to soft, wet ground on the flats
• Access for a digger on steep or tight infill sites
• Whether a new public connection or manhole work is required
• Stormwater management required by the consent
• Reinstating concrete, paving, retaining and landscaping

Working with builders and developers

On a new build, drainage has to fit the building programme. We schedule first-fix drainage so the floor or slab is not held up, and coordinate with the new build plumbing team so wastes come up exactly where they are needed.

Townhouse and infill projects, such as the new housing going up in Wainuiomata, often have the trickiest drainage of all. Shared drains, private connections, stormwater detention and, on sites lower than the public sewer, wastewater pump stations all need resolving before consent. We are happy to review plans at design stage and point out anything that will be hard or expensive to build.

Why Choose Cheeky's Plumbers for Drainlaying

Drainlaying FAQs

Drainlaying Near You

Find your suburb for local drainlaying information, response times and nearby areas.

Drainlaying Guides

• Stormwater on a Steep Wellington Section: Downpipes, Retaining Walls and Slips

Related Services

See all drainage services or every service we offer.