Drain Relining vs. Digging It Up: How to Fix Blocked Drains for Good

Gurgling Drains? That’s Your Warning Sign

If you’ve got a toilet that gurgles after flushing or slow drainage in the shower, you’re probably dealing with tree roots in your sewer line. I’d say 70% of blocked drains in Melbourne are caused by roots—especially during dry spells. When trees can’t get enough water from the ground, they go looking for it in your sewer. And once they find it, they don’t stop.

We had a customer just last week with this exact issue. He was hearing gurgling, had slow flushing, and assumed it was just a clog. We jetted the line and cleared it temporarily, but we’d already warned him a year ago that there were roots in the middle section of the drain. Back then, he could only afford a partial fix. Now he’s back—and the roots are worse.

What Is Drain Relining?

Drain relining is the process of making a new pipe inside your old one. It’s trenchless, clean, and much cheaper than digging up your yard. We insert a resin-coated liner into the pipe and inflate it to form a solid, joint-free surface.

Why’s that important? Because roots get in through joints. Relining eliminates those gaps entirely. No joints means no way for roots to sneak back in.

We can reline anywhere from 1 to 50 meters in a single shot. And if we do it right—which we always do—that pipe’s good for life.

When Relining Won’t Work

There are cases where the damage is too far gone. If a pipe is fully collapsed and we can’t even push a camera through it, relining isn’t possible. You need a straight, clear path for the liner to set properly.

We had a job in Werribee like that. The drain was so badly collapsed we had no choice but to excavate. That job ended up costing $30,000—three days of digging, full compliance, safety gear, shoring, backfilling, and reinstallation. Not cheap. But we had no alternative.

The sad part? The customer had already spent $8,000 on a dodgy install from a cheaper plumber and another $4,000 on jetting over the previous year. All of it wasted because the real issue had never been properly diagnosed.

The Cost of Doing Nothing

Tree roots grow back stronger once they’ve been cut. Jetting can temporarily clear them, but it doesn’t fix the source. Within 6 to 12 months, the problem returns. If the pipe collapses and it’s six meters deep, that repair will cost tens of thousands.

Or you could reline it now for $4,000 to $10,000 and never worry about it again.

Our Process: Diagnose First, Fix Right

Step one is always diagnostics. We run a camera through the drain to assess the damage. Sometimes we just need to clear a small section. Sometimes the whole 20-meter line needs to be relined. We always present options:

• Minimum effective fix (maybe 2 or 3 meters)
• Middle-tier (6 to 10 meters)
• Full property reline (20+ meters)

We let you decide based on your budget and how long you plan to stay in the home.

The Bottom Line

Relining is an investment. But compared to ongoing jetting or full excavation, it’s the smart choice. If your drains are gurgling, flushing slow, or giving off a smell—call us early. We’ll do the right diagnostics, explain your options, and get the job done once and for all.