Who fixes a blocked sewer shared by Caringbah townhouses?

Sydney Water says each owner who shares a joint private service is responsible for it. If the complex is a strata scheme, pipes in common property usually fall to the owners corporation, so check the strata plan first.

What paperwork should I get after gas work in Caringbah?

A certificate of compliance for network gas, or a certificate of inspection for bottled gas, with the gasfitter's name and licence number. NSW requires one when any gas work is finished.

Plumbers in Caringbah: townhouses, shared pipes and gas work

Plumbers in Caringbah Townhouses, units and shared lines.

Caringbah has an unusual mix: almost as many townhouses and semis as separate houses, and more units than either. That means a lot of shared pipes. Sutherland Shire Council is the local council and Sydney Water runs the mains. We can match you with a licence-checked plumber or gasfitter who specialises in your job.

Caringbah facts for plumbing

A three-way split

At the 2021 Census, 44.8% of the suburb's occupied homes were flats or apartments, 27.7% separate houses and 27.3% townhouses or semis. Statewide, 65.6% are houses.

Owners and renters

33.8% of Caringbah's occupied homes were owned with a mortgage, 26.2% owned outright and 38.2% rented.

Sutherland Shire

ABS 2021 boundaries place the suburb of Caringbah within the Sutherland Shire council area, so that's the council for stormwater and planning questions.

Shared pipes in townhouses and villas

When several homes share one private sewer or water service, Sydney Water holds every owner who shares it responsible for it. The private sewer pipework runs up to and includes the point of connection, and Sydney Water owns the junction on its main.

NSW strata schemes cover townhouses and many duplexes as well as apartments. In most of them, water damage that starts inside your lot is yours to fix, while damage coming from common property, such as pipes under the floor or in boundary walls, is the owners corporation's. Check the strata plan and by-laws for your complex.

Gas cooktops and gas hot water

In NSW, only a licensed gasfitter may repair gas appliances, or move or replace them. When any gas work is finished, the gasfitter must give you a certificate of compliance for network gas, or a certificate of inspection for bottled gas, showing their name and licence number.

For network gas, the gasfitter tests the installation and lodges the certificate with Building Commission NSW within 5 business days. If you smell gas, leave the building and call 000, then turn the gas off at the meter or cylinder if it's safe. See gas plumbers in Sydney.

Other jobs

Shared drain blocked? See blocked drains in Sydney. For a leak you can hear but can't find, leak detection is the place to start, and renovations begin at bathroom plumbing.

What we'd do in Caringbah

In a townhouse complex, find out who looks after the common pipes before you book anyone: the strata manager, a committee member or, in a small scheme, the owners themselves. One phone call can save an argument over the bill. For gas, don't let the gasfitter leave without the certificate. We'll match you with a licence-checked plumber or gasfitter who specialises in the job.