Tree roots in drains in Frankston

Updated November 2026

Tree roots go looking for water, and a drain with a cracked joint is a steady source. Once inside, fine roots grow into a mat that catches paper and waste until the pipe blocks. Frankston Blocked Drains connects you with licensed drain plumbers across the City of Frankston who clear roots and fix the pipes they get into.

We are a referral service. The plumbers we refer to are registered or licensed with the Building and Plumbing Commission.

How roots get into drains

Older drains were laid in short lengths of clay pipe with joints every metre or so. Over decades, ground movement and age open those joints, and roots find the gap. Once a root is in, it grows. A pipe can go from slightly narrowed to fully blocked over a year or two.

Where it happens in Frankston

The suburbs with the oldest pipes have the most root trouble. Frankston North began as a Housing Commission estate in the 1950s, and Karingal, much of Seaford and the older streets of Frankston followed in the 1950s and 1960s. Lines laid then have had 60 or 70 years for roots to work in, and the street and garden trees in those suburbs are mature. Carrum Downs and Langwarrin, mostly built from the late 1970s onwards, see root problems too, often where a big tree was planted close to the drain line.

Signs of roots in your drains

Slow drains that get gradually worse
Gurgling from toilets and floor wastes
Blockages that come back months after a clear
The overflow gully spilling after heavy use

How roots are cleared

Root cutting: a cutting head on an electric eel or jet removes the roots inside the pipe
Jet blasting: high-pressure water scours the pipe walls clean
CCTV inspection: confirms what is left and shows the joints the roots came through

Clearing removes the roots inside the pipe, but not the crack they came through. They will grow back. For a permanent fix, the options are a spot repair at the bad joint or pipe relining, which seals the joints from inside.

What root clearing costs

As a guide, tree root clearing typically runs $250 to $600, a camera with jet blasting $350 to $900, and relining $3,000 to $8,000 and up. Quotes vary, the plumber's written quote is the price that counts, and confirm GST on it. See the cost guide.

Whose roots, whose pipe

If the roots are in your pipe, upstream of the connection point, the work is yours, even if the tree is a neighbour's or a street tree. If they are in South East Water's main, report it to them.