Strata Plumbing and Body Corporate Plumbing Services in Sydney
Most of the strata work The Blocked Drain Guys do comes to us through strata managers, building managers and property managers. A blocked common drain, a stormwater pit that overflows into the basement carpark or a sewer line full of tree roots affects many lots at once, and the person managing it needs a plumber who turns up, finds the cause and reports back in a form the committee can act on.
We are licensed plumbers based in Kirrawee, and drainage is the biggest part of our work. We clear and repair drains in apartment blocks, townhouse complexes and mixed-use buildings across Sydney and the Sutherland Shire, and we reline damaged pipes ourselves rather than handing that work to a subcontractor.
Strata Plumbers in Sydney Who Work With Strata Managers and Committees
Strata plumbing is different from plumbing in a single house because more people are involved in every decision. The strata manager takes the call, the committee approves the spend, the residents need access to their lots and the owners corporation pays the invoice. We work to that process.
When we attend a strata building, we explain what we found to the person who called us, then send a written quote with photos or CCTV footage of the drain. The committee can see the blockage, the crack or the root intrusion for themselves before they approve the repair. All of our reporting is set out so it can go straight into the committee’s records.
Our staff are police checked, which matters when a plumber needs to enter occupied units, plant rooms and basements.
Who Is Responsible for a Blocked Drain in a Strata Building in NSW
This is often the first question a strata manager or lot owner asks, so here is how the NSW Government explains it.
The owners corporation is responsible for maintaining and repairing common property, and each owner is responsible for anything within their own lot. The NSW Government lists common property as including items such as driveways, gardens, roofs, pipes and external walls. In most schemes, the owners corporation looks after plumbing in boundary walls and under the floor, and the lot owner looks after plumbing in internal walls and fixtures such as toilets, sinks, baths and showers.
For a blocked drain, that usually means:
- A blockage inside one unit’s sink, toilet or shower waste is normally the lot owner’s responsibility.
- A blockage in the shared sewer line, the stack that serves several units or the stormwater system is normally the owners corporation’s responsibility.
- Water damage that comes from common property is normally the owners corporation’s responsibility.
Every scheme is different, so the strata plan and by-laws decide the final answer. Our CCTV inspection helps with that decision, because the footage shows where the blockage sits and which section of pipe it is in. If the blockage turns out to be in the Sydney Water main rather than the building’s private pipework, the footage shows that as well.
Strata managers should also know that the NSW Government requires at least two independent quotes for work valued at $30,000 or more, and that this rule does not apply to emergency repairs such as burst or blocked water or sewerage pipes.
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Blocked Drains in Strata Buildings and Common Property
Blocked shared lines in strata buildings are commonly caused by tree roots entering older terracotta pipes at the joints, and by fat and grease building up where several kitchens drain into one line.
We clear strata drains with high-pressure hydro jetting, which cuts through roots and grease and flushes the line clean. Once the drain is running again, we can put a camera through it to check whether the pipe itself is damaged. If it is, the blockage will come back, and the committee can approve a repair instead of paying for the same drain to be cleared again.
We attend strata buildings for:
- Blocked common sewer lines and stacks
- Blocked stormwater drains, pits and downpipes
- Sewage overflows in common gardens and courtyards
- Tree roots in shared drainage lines
- Blocked floor wastes in basements and garbage rooms
Basement Carpark Flooding, Stormwater and Sump Pumps
Many strata buildings rely on a sump pump to keep the basement carpark dry. When the pump fails or the stormwater system blocks, water collects in the carpark and can reach residents’ cars and storage cages.
We service, repair and replace sump pumps and stormwater pumps, and we clear the stormwater pits and lines that feed them. A pump that has not been checked for some time is worth inspecting before the next heavy rain, because a fault is easier to repair on a dry day than while the carpark is filling with water.
Pipe Relining Under Common Property Without Digging
When a CCTV inspection shows a cracked or root-damaged pipe under a driveway, a garden bed, a basement slab or a common courtyard, digging it up disrupts every resident in the building. In most cases we can reline the pipe instead.
Pipe relining places a new liner inside the old pipe, which seals the cracks, the joints and the points where roots were getting in. We carry out the relining ourselves, using our own equipment, so the same team that found the damage also repairs it. We film the pipe again after the relining so the committee has a record of the finished repair.
Relining is not the right repair for every pipe. If a section has fully collapsed or has lost its fall, we will explain why it needs to be replaced and what that involves.
Planned Drain Maintenance for Strata Properties
Scheduled maintenance lets the committee plan drainage work and budget for it, rather than reacting each time a drain blocks. We work with strata managers, building managers and caretakers to set up regular maintenance for:
- Common area sewer and stormwater lines
- Basement sump pumps and stormwater pumps
- CCTV inspections of problem lines, with a written report
- Drain condition checks when a strata manager takes over a new building
- Annual backflow testing on the building’s water supply
Each maintenance visit comes with photos and a written report for the committee’s records.
Burst Pipes and Urgent Repairs in Strata Buildings
Some problems in a strata building cannot wait for the next committee meeting. A burst pipe, a sewage overflow in a common area or water entering the basement needs a plumber on site quickly. We offer after-hours call-outs for urgent drainage and pipe repairs, and we keep the strata manager informed from the first phone call until the repair is finished.
Book a Strata Drain Inspection or Repair
If you manage a building with a recurring blocked drain, a stormwater problem in the carpark or pipes that keep filling with roots, call The Blocked Drain Guys on 0418 408 333 or send us the building address and a description of the problem through the contact form. We will arrange a time that suits the building, find the cause and send a written quote your committee can approve.
The Blocked Drain Guys hold NSW Contractor Licence 93566C. If you are not sure whether a drain is the owners corporation’s problem or a lot owner’s, Craig or the team will be happy to talk it through.
Strata Plumbing FAQs
Common questions about plumbing services answered by licensed Sydney plumbers
