Burst pipes, blocked drains, gas leaks and hot water failures — handled by licensed Victorian plumbers across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. If water is running right now, turn it off at the meter first, then tell us what's happening.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
The jobs that come up most. Pick what's closest to your situation — or just tell us what's happening and we'll work it out.
Something has gone wrong now — water running, gas smell, or sewage inside.
Read more →Water escaping and not stopping. The one where minutes genuinely count.
Read more →Slow, gurgling or backing up — and why the same drain keeps doing it.
Read more →No hot water, not enough, or a unit leaking — and repair versus replace.
Read more →A gas smell is a life-safety situation, not a plumbing inconvenience.
Read more →Rising, not flushing, or overflowing — and whether it's the pan or the sewer.
Read more →A bill that's climbed, a damp patch, or a meter that ticks with everything off.
Read more →Nights, weekends and public holidays — what it costs and when it's worth it.
Read more →Overflowing gutters, downpipes and stormwater during heavy rain.
Read more →What emergency plumbing actually costs in Geelong, and what moves the number.
Read more →A business-hours call-out is $120 to $250; after hours it's $180 to $400. Most repairs land between $200 and $900, with access — not the part — usually deciding the number.
Three patterns account for most emergency call-outs in this region, and two of them are seasonal. Knowing which one you're in the middle of usually tells you how urgent it is.
Geelong gets genuinely cold nights through June to August, and that is when pipe failures cluster. Water expands as it approaches freezing, and an old galvanised or poorly lagged pipe in an underfloor space or an external wall is where it gives. The other winter factor is simply load — hot water systems work hardest in the coldest weeks, which is exactly when the tired ones fail.
Geelong West, Newtown, East Geelong and Herne Hill carry a lot of pre-war housing on original earthenware sewer lines with mortared joints. Established street trees find those joints, and roots are the single most common cause of a blocked sewer in these suburbs. It is also why the same house blocks repeatedly — clearing the roots does not repair the joint they came through.
Torquay, Jan Juc, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and Queenscliff swell enormously over summer and at Easter. A septic or sewer system sized around two people takes a houseful for a fortnight, and that is when it surfaces. Holiday houses also sit empty for months, which lets seals dry out and traps lose their water seal.
Two of these three are seasonal, which means they're partly preventable. Lagging exposed pipework before winter and clearing gutters in autumn heads off a large share of what gets called out between June and August.
Licensed Victorian plumbers you can check on the public register before they start.
Plumbing is licensed work in Victoria. Every plumber this site refers to holds current registration or a licence in the relevant class, and you can verify any of them yourself on the BPC public register before they start.
Work over $750 requires a certificate, issued within five days and lodged with the BPC. That is your protection, not paperwork — insist on it.
Original earthenware sewers, galvanised supply lines and pre-war fittings behave differently to a 2020 estate build. Both exist here in quantity.
The after-hours premium is real and it gets quoted before anyone is dispatched, not discovered on the invoice.
Plumbing is a licensed trade in Victoria from end to end, which makes checking your plumber more straightforward than in most trades — there is a public register and it takes a minute. The part people miss is that registration and a licence are two different things.
Approval is required for:
Approval is not required for:
The BPC replaced the Victorian Building Authority on 1 July 2025 and maintains the public register of plumbing practitioners. You can look anyone up before they start. It is worth doing: work done by someone unregistered may not be covered by the mandatory plumbing insurance, and a licensed plumber issuing a certificate for work they didn't do or supervise is committing an offence that can leave you uninsured too. Source: City of Greater Geelong. Registered and licensed are two different statuses, and for anything over $750 you need a licensed plumber. The BPC register settles it in a minute.
Full permit rules explainedCoverage runs across Geelong and the northern suburbs, out through Lara and Little River, across the Bellarine to Queenscliff and Portarlington, and down the Surf Coast to Torquay, Jan Juc and Anglesea.
Turn the water off at the meter — it's usually at the front boundary, and the tap turns clockwise. If you don't know where yours is, find it now rather than during an emergency. Once the water is off, open the lowest tap in the house to drain the pressure out of the system. Then ring someone. Everything else waits.
Barwon Water, on 1300 656 007. That line is staffed 24 hours and covers bursts on the water main and sewer spills. Anything on your side of the meter is yours; anything on the street side is theirs, and you shouldn't be paying a private plumber for it.
Get everyone outside first. Don't touch light switches, don't use a phone inside, and put out any flame. Turn the gas off at the meter if you can reach it safely. Ring 000 if anyone is at risk, and ring AusNet Services — the gas distributor for western Victoria — on 13 67 07. Gasfitting is its own licence class and is never a do-it-yourself repair.
Yes. Plumbing work in Victoria can only be carried out by someone holding current registration or a licence, or an apprentice under supervision. There's a distinction that matters: a registered plumber must work under a licensed plumber, while a licensed plumber can work unsupervised and issue compliance certificates. The Building and Plumbing Commission keeps a public register you can check.
Any time the total value of the work — materials, appliances, labour and GST — exceeds $750. The plumber must give you a signed certificate within five days and lodge a copy with the BPC. It's evidence the work was done by a licensed practitioner and it matters for the mandatory plumbing insurance. Ask for it; don't wait to be offered it.
Almost always tree roots through the joints of an old earthenware sewer, which is extremely common in Geelong West, Newtown, Herne Hill and East Geelong. Clearing the roots restores flow but doesn't repair the joint they came through, so they return. A camera inspection after the second blockage tells you whether you're facing a repair or an ongoing clean.
It's worth it for anything still releasing water, any gas smell, any sewage inside the house, and no hot water in genuinely cold weather with vulnerable people at home. A dripping tap, a slow drain or a single blocked toilet in a house with a second one can generally wait for business rates. Being honest about which you have gets the urgent jobs seen faster.
Yes — Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Drysdale, Portarlington, Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale on the Bellarine, and Torquay, Jan Juc and Anglesea on the Surf Coast, alongside Geelong itself. Those areas sit in different councils to Greater Geelong, but Victorian licensing rules are set at state level and don't change across the boundary.