By Matthew Baring-Gould, Kingscliff-based drainage plumber. Servicing Tweed Heads for 4 years. 5.0 stars across 173 Google reviews. Licensed NSW 383340C and QLD 15036450. ABN 74 605 392 348.
Blocked sewer in Kingscliff. No digger access. Hydrojet root-cutter, then no-dig polyurethane reline through the existing pipe. Driveway stays intact.
What the customer called us for
Blocked sewer. The line kept backing up and the previous plumber had quoted a dig-and-replace that would have cost tens of thousands and torn up a driveway.
What we found when we got there
Terracotta sewer main, standard for the older streets around Kingscliff. The CCTV showed tree roots had grown in through the join cracks and were slowly closing off the pipe. The sewer wasn’t collapsed, just blocked. Important distinction.
Why we did it this way
Dig-and-replace is often the cheaper option on paper, but only if you can get a machine in. On this property the sewer ran under a concrete driveway and alongside the house. Excavating would have meant cutting up the driveway, pulling garden beds apart, probably temporarily disconnecting services. A no-dig polyurethane reline threads a cured-in-place sleeve through the existing pipe, bonded to the inside, sealing every join. No excavation. No surface damage. The warranty on the reline is comparable to new pipe.
What we did on site
- Opened the sewer at a sensible access point.
- Hydrojet with the small root-cutting head to penetrate the main root mass.
- Swapped to the larger root-cutter and backed the CCTV camera off 15 metres so we did not damage it with the swinging head.
- Cut the roots out of the pipe. Re-camera to confirm clear.
- Second hydrojet pass with a flushing nozzle to strip residual root fragments and soft debris.
- Dried and prepped the pipe internally for the sleeve.
- Installed the polyurethane reline through the pipe (relining performed by our relining specialist with 25 years of experience in this specific product).
- Final CCTV pass. Pipe is now a continuous smooth bore from start to finish.
The result
Sewer flows like new. Driveway intact. Garden intact. No further tree root ingress possible through the sealed sleeve. Workmanship guarantee on the reline.
If you have the same issue
If someone has told you the only fix for your blocked sewer is digging up the yard, get a second opinion with a CCTV camera first. If the pipe is cracked at the joins but structurally still there, relining is almost always the better call. We cover Tweed Heads, Banora Point, Chinderah, Kingscliff, Cabarita, Pottsville, and the Gold Coast. Call Matty on 0447 188 394 or request a quote.
Customer names and addresses have been withheld. Individual results vary. Drain Masters Plumbing is licensed in NSW (383340C) and QLD (15036450).
Frequently asked
How long does a no-dig reline take?
Most residential reline jobs are one day, start to finish, including the hydrojet root cutting. The sleeve itself cures in a few hours.
Is relining actually permanent?
The polyurethane sleeve has an expected life measured in decades and is bonded continuously to the inside of the host pipe. Tree roots cannot re-enter through sealed joins because there are no joins any more.
What does a no-dig reline cost versus dig-and-replace?
On a tight site with concrete driveways or landscaping to protect, relining usually costs less than dig-and-replace because you avoid every reinstatement cost. On an open paddock, dig-and-replace is cheaper. We quote both when both are possible.
Browse all our case studies.
Residential, commercial, stormwater, sewer, drainage installs across Tweed Heads, the Northern Rivers, the Gold Coast and Brisbane. See the full collection →
