The camera found roots between my connection fitting and the main. Do I pay?

That section is the City's to maintain. Ask the plumber to report it to City of Gold Coast, and don't pay for relining a pipe that isn't yours.

Can a pipe be relined if my house has no inspection opening?

Often, but access is harder. The plumber may need to make an access point, and the City won't pay for exposing or installing an inspection shaft. Ask what access the job needs before you agree.

Will relining stop roots coming back?

A liner seals over the joints and cracks that roots usually find, but keeping large trees away from the line still matters. The City advises against planting them over pipes.

Pipe relining on the Gold Coast: is the drain yours to fix?

Pipe relining on the Gold Coast Camera first, then decide.

Relining puts a new pipe inside a cracked or root-damaged drain, so the garden, driveway or slab above it can stay. On the Gold Coast, the first thing to settle is whether the damaged section is yours at all, or part of the City's sewer. When you're ready, we'll match you with a licence-checked drain specialist who relines pipes on the Gold Coast.

Only your side gets relined at your cost

City of Gold Coast maintains the sewer from its main up to the connection fitting on your property, or to one metre inside the boundary if that fitting can't be found. The drains and inspection openings on the house side of the fitting are the owner's.

So before anyone quotes for a liner, ask the plumber to show you on camera where the damage sits against that fitting. A crack past the connection is the City's to deal with. A crack on your side is yours, and relining is one way to fix it.

What helps on a Gold Coast relining job

The City has the plans

City of Gold Coast supplies copies of drainage plans and diagrams of its sewer and stormwater pipes. A plan shows where your drain runs and where it joins the City's, before a camera goes in.

No inspection opening? Expect more work

Older houses don't have to add an inspection opening near the sewer connection, but without one, getting a camera and liner into the pipe is harder. The City suggests a search request for sewerage drawings when no opening can be found.

Roots from big trees

The City advises against planting large trees over pipes on your property, because their roots may damage them. Root-damaged drains are one of the jobs relining is used for.

Stormwater in the wrong pipe

Wrong stormwater connections to the sewer were among the most common problems in the City's 2020 to 2023 inspections. If your drain is being opened up anyway, ask whether any downpipes run into it.

Relining or digging up?

Relining can suit a drain with cracks, open joints or root entry, as long as the pipe still holds its shape. A collapsed section, a badly sagging run or a pipe that needs a new junction may need digging instead. The camera footage is what decides it, so ask for a copy.

Our guide to relining versus replacement sets out the trade-offs, and CCTV drain inspection explains what the footage should show.

Paperwork in Queensland

Your plumber or drainer needs a QBCC licence, and you can check the person and the business on the QBCC registers. The QBCC lists work that extends, alters, replaces or removes sanitary drainage at an existing house as notifiable work, and the licensee registers notifiable work with the QBCC within 10 business days of invoicing you.

Ask whether your relining job is notifiable, and if so, for the copy of the registration. The QBCC's register can also be searched by address, which is useful when you're buying.

Questions to ask the relining plumber

Where exactly is the damage compared with the City's connection fitting?
Can I have the before and after camera footage?
How many metres will you line, and what happens at the junctions?
Is this notifiable work, and will you register it with the QBCC?
Would digging up this section be a better fix, and why not?

What we would do

Get the drainage plan from the City and a camera inspection before you agree to any relining. Ask the plumber to mark on the footage where your drain meets the City's, because nobody should be quoting you to fix a pipe that isn't yours. If the damage is roots on your side, relining can be a neat fix, but get a second opinion on any section that looks collapsed. Keep the footage as your record, and choose a drain specialist who relines pipes regularly.