Find a trusted plumber in Adelaide

Clay soil, tree roots and Adelaide sewer pipes

Most blocked-drain calls in Adelaide’s established suburbs trace back to the ground the house sits on. Much of the metro area is built on reactive clay, which swells in a wet winter and shrinks hard over summer. Old earthenware sewer pipes don’t flex with it, so joints pull apart or crack, and roots from street trees, gums and backyard plantings find their way in. A slow toilet, a gurgling floor waste or an overflowing gully after rain are the usual first signs.

A good plumber will clear the line with a jetter, then run a camera through it so you know whether it’s a one-off blockage or a broken pipe that will keep coming back. Relining or replacing the damaged section is the long-term fix.

Ownership matters here. SA Water looks after its sewer network up to the connection point for your property, and the pipes on your side of that point are yours. If the camera shows the blockage on SA Water’s side, it’s theirs to fix, so ask your plumber to show you where it is before you pay for the repair.

Hard water, old pipes and rainwater tanks

Adelaide’s tap water is moderately hard, and the minerals settle as scale inside hot water tanks, on heating elements and in tempering valves. Systems lose efficiency and wear out sooner, which is why hot water replacements are a steady job for plumbers here. Having the anode checked every few years helps a storage system go the distance.

Older villas and post-war homes often still have galvanised steel water pipes, which rust from the inside. Low pressure, brown water when you first turn on a tap, or a pinhole leak inside a wall are signs they’re near the end.

Newer homes bring a different job. Since 2006, new houses in SA have needed an extra water supply on top of the mains, usually a rainwater tank plumbed into the toilet, laundry or hot water. The pumps and switchover valves on those tanks wear out, and replacing them is plumbing work.

Licences and compliance certificates in SA

Consumer and Business Services (CBS) licenses plumbing and gas fitting in South Australia. The business should hold a plumbing contractor’s licence, and the person working on your pipes should hold a plumber registration, with gas fitting registration for any gas work. Both show up on the CBS Occupational Public Register. Search the name or licence number and check it’s current.

When regulated plumbing or gas work is finished, your plumber should lodge an electronic certificate of compliance. Keep a copy with the house paperwork, because it’s your proof the job was done to standard. Our licence checks for South Australia page explains the lookup and what each licence covers.

Adelaide plumber prices

Plumbing in Adelaide usually costs a little less than in Sydney or Melbourne. As a guide, expect roughly $90–$150 an hour during business hours and a call-out fee in the $80–$200 range, with after-hours rates higher. Clearing a root-blocked sewer line typically runs $250–$700, with a camera inspection extra, and a new hot water system is around $1,800–$4,500 installed. See our plumber price guide for more jobs, then get a written price for yours.

One Adelaide plumber, matched to your job

Tell us what’s going on and your suburb, from Salisbury to Morphett Vale or up into the Hills, and we’ll match you with one licensed local plumber whose CBS licence, insurance and reviews we’ve already checked. Your details don’t go to a list of plumbers who all ring at once, and it costs you nothing.

Need a plumber somewhere else? Our plumbers page covers other cities, and the Adelaide page lists the other trades we match here. Ready? Get a free quote.