A bloke in Campbelltown rang me last winter about a leaking roof. Water was dripping through the hallway ceiling and a roof plumber had already found nothing wrong up top. It had not rained for a week. The leak was a pinhole in a hot water pipe in the ceiling space, about as plumber as a leak gets. Roof plumber or plumber is a fair question across South West Sydney, and it gets answered wrong all the time: the week before, a woman in Casula rang about water pouring down the wall beside a downpipe in a storm, and that was a rusted gutter, so I gave her a roof plumber's number.
The short answer: a roof plumber does everything on the roof and in the gutter. A plumber and drainer does everything that carries water inside the house and everything under the ground, which includes the stormwater the downpipes feed. If it only leaks when it rains, start with a roof plumber. If it leaks whenever someone runs a tap, that is a plumber. We do roof plumbing and stormwater, no call-out fee, across Liverpool, Fairfield and Macarthur, with our own excavator.
A roof plumber does gutters, downpipes on the wall, flashings, valleys and metal roofing; in NSW that is a separate licence category from plumbing. A plumber and drainer does everything that carries water inside the house and everything underground: the downpipe connection, the stormwater line, pits and the kerb outlet. If it only leaks when it rains, start with a roof plumber. If it leaks whenever a tap or fixture runs, it is a plumber.
What a roof plumber does
Roof plumbing is the trade that keeps rain out of the building and gets it into the downpipes: guttering, fascia gutters and box gutters, rainheads, downpipes on the wall, roof flashings around chimneys and skylights, valley irons, metal roof sheeting, ridge capping, whirlybirds and gutter guard. A re-roof in Colorbond is roof plumbing. So is fixing a valley that has rusted through, re-screwing lifted sheets after a storm, and replacing the box gutter that has been quietly overflowing into the ceiling of a Fairfield shop for ten years.
A tile roof is a roof tiler's job, which is another category again, but the metal valleys and flashings in a tiled roof are still roof plumbing. A roof plumber near me search will turn up both trades and a few handymen; look for a NSW roof plumbing licence, working at heights gear, and someone who talks about fall and overflow before they talk about colour.
What a plumber and drainer does
My trade is water plumbing, sanitary plumbing, drainage and gasfitting. Hot water systems, taps and toilets, the pipes in the walls and ceiling, the sewer, the water service from the meter to the house, the gas. On the stormwater side it is everything from the base of the downpipe down: the connection where it enters the ground, the underground line, the pits and the kerb outlet. If it is buried, it is mine. If it is on the roof or on the wall, it is not.
That is why a downpipe plumber search is a coin toss. A downpipe that is rusted or split on the wall is roof plumber territory. A downpipe that spurts at the base, bubbles out of the ground, or just ends in the dirt is a stormwater problem and a plumber's job; downpipes overflowing, leaking or not connected goes through where the water comes out and what that tells you.
Roof plumbing licence NSW: what the rules actually say
NSW Fair Trading treats roof plumbing as its own category of trade work, separate from plumbing. Its roof plumbing work page defines it as fixing, installing, renovating, altering, repairing and maintaining guttering, downpipes, roof flashing and roof coverings (other than non-metallic tiles, glass, concrete or timber), plus skylights, ventilators and protective coatings, and it requires a contractor licence for residential roof plumbing worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials. Plumbing, draining and gasfitting sits in a different list: it is specialist work, and it needs a licence for any job, whatever it costs.
So a plumbing licence does not make someone a roof plumber, and a roof plumbing licence does not let anyone touch your hot water or your gas. Mine is plumbing, drainage and gasfitting, licence 488158C. I do not do gutters, flashings or roof sheeting, and when a job needs them I refer it to a licensed roof plumber I trust rather than having a go. What I do is the stormwater side, from the base of the downpipe to the kerb, and that is where most of the water damage I see actually starts.
Who to call for what
| The job | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Gutter replacement, sagging gutters, gutter repair | Roof plumber |
| Gutter cleaning | You, or a gutter cleaner; no licence needed |
| Roof leak at a flashing, valley, screw or sheet | Roof plumber (roof tiler for broken tiles) |
| Box gutter overflowing into the ceiling | Roof plumber |
| Downpipe rusted or split on the wall, new downpipes with a regutter | Roof plumber |
| Downpipe overflowing at the base, disconnected, or ending in the dirt | Plumber and drainer |
| Stormwater pipes, pits, kerb outlets | Plumber and drainer |
| Ceiling dripping when it has not rained | Plumber |
| Tank pumps, downpipe connections and overflows | Plumber |
| Skylights, whirlybirds, gutter guard | Roof plumber |
Roof leak or plumbing leak? How to tell before you ring anyone
People search roof leak plumber and get both trades, so here is the sorting test. Does it only happen when it rains, or with wind from one direction? Roof. Does it happen on dry days, or every time the shower, washing machine or toilet runs? Plumbing. A ceiling stain that spreads during a wet week and dries out after is roof water. A stain that is always damp, or a drip that keeps a steady rhythm on a sunny afternoon, is a pipe.
Two checks cost nothing. Turn every tap off and watch the water meter for ten minutes; if the dial creeps, there is a pressure leak somewhere, and the hidden leak guide walks through what to do next. Then look at what is directly above the stain. A bathroom upstairs points to a leaking shower or a waste pipe; a bare roof space with a hot water line through it points to that line. Some leaks fool everyone: a blocked box gutter only leaks in heavy rain, an air conditioning drain in the ceiling drips like a leak in summer, and a pinhole in a copper pipe can take a year to show through the plasterboard. When it is not obvious, get one trade to actually find it with a moisture meter and a torch rather than paying two to guess. Leaks and burst pipes covers how I trace the plumbing side.
Gutter cleaning and gutter repair: what you can do yourself
Gutter cleaning is not licensed work and it prevents more roof and stormwater trouble than anything else on this page. On a single storey with a stable ladder, someone footing it, gloves and a scoop, do it twice a year and after every big blow, and more often under gum trees in Ingleburn. Flush the downpipe outlets with a hose while you are up there. Do not stand on the gutter, do not walk on a tile roof, and do not put a pressure washer anywhere near roof sheeting or the ceiling below will tell you about it. Two storeys is a job for a gutter cleaner with a harness, or the roof plumber.
Small gutter repair is a judgement call. Silicone over a pinhole buys a season. A gutter rusted through along the seam, sagging off its brackets, or overflowing along its length after it has been cleaned needs replacing, and that is the roof plumber. Storm damage, a torn sheet or a tree through the roof is the SES on 132 500; neither trade tarps roofs at midnight.
When to call a plumber, and when to call a roof plumber
Call a roof plumber when the gutter is rusted, sagging or overflowing after a clean, when a valley, flashing or box gutter leaks in rain, or when you want gutter guard, a new rainhead or a re-roof. Call me when a downpipe is spurting or bubbling at the base, disconnected, or ending in the dirt; when a stormwater pit overflows; when a ceiling drips and it has not rained; or when the meter turns with every tap off. Not sure? Ring me anyway. I will tell you which trade you need in about a minute, and if it is not me I will give you a name. Done right. Done once.
Monarch Civil & Plumbing is a plumber across South West Sydney and the Macarthur region, based in Austral. See the sewer and stormwater drainage page for the underground side and all plumbing services for the rest, and if you need a plumber in Campbelltown, a plumber in Casula or anywhere between, ring 0455 222 292 and describe where the water is.
Related guides: downpipes overflowing and blocked stormwater drains.
Need it sorted? Ring 0455 222 292 any hour or book online. Monarch Civil & Plumbing does roof plumbing and stormwater, no call-out fee: pits, lines, kerb outlets and absorption trenches, quoted before we start.
Getting a plumber in South West Sydney?
How we work explains the no-call-out-fee promise and how a quote works. The suburb pages for plumber Liverpool, plumber Fairfield, plumber Campbelltown and plumber Camden say what we see locally, and service areas lists every suburb within about 20 km of Austral, plus Wollongong and the Illawarra regularly.
Frequently asked
Is a roof plumber the same as a plumber?
No. In NSW roof plumbing is its own category of trade work, covering guttering, downpipes, roof flashing and metal roof coverings, and it is separate from the plumbing, draining and gasfitting licence. A roof plumber cannot work on your hot water or gas, and a plumber is not licensed for your roof. Some businesses hold both licences, but assume they are different trades unless someone shows you otherwise.
Do I need a licensed roof plumber to replace my gutters in NSW?
NSW Fair Trading requires a contractor licence for residential roof plumbing work worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials, and a full regutter on a house can pass that mark. Ask for the licence number and check it on the Fair Trading register. Even for a smaller job, a roof plumber who hangs gutters every day will get the fall, the overflow and the downpipe positions right, which is what stops the ceiling getting wet later.
Who do I call for a downpipe, a plumber or a roof plumber?
It depends where the problem is. A downpipe that is rusted, split or falling off the wall, or new downpipes as part of a regutter, is a roof plumber. A downpipe that spurts at the base, bubbles out of the ground or simply ends in the dirt is a stormwater problem, and that is a plumber and drainer. I handle it from the base of the downpipe down: the connection into the ground, the underground line, pits and the kerb outlet.
Does a plumber fix roof leaks?
Not the roof itself. A leak that only appears when it rains, at a flashing, valley, box gutter or lifted sheet, is a roof plumber's job, or a roof tiler's if tiles are broken. A plumber fixes the leaks that happen on dry days: a pipe in the ceiling space, a bathroom waste, a hot water line. If you are not sure which you have, the rain test sorts most of them, and I will tell you honestly if it is not mine.
Can I clean my own gutters?
Yes, gutter cleaning is not licensed work. On a single storey, use a stable ladder with someone footing it, gloves and a scoop, and flush the downpipe outlets with a hose afterwards. Do it twice a year, after big storms, and more often under gum trees. Do not stand on the gutter or walk on a tile roof, and leave two storey houses to a gutter cleaner with a harness. Falls from ladders hurt more than a cleaning bill.
Is stormwater a plumber's job or a roof plumber's job?
Once the water leaves the downpipe and goes underground it is drainage work, and that is a licensed plumber and drainer. Stormwater pipes, pits, connections to the kerb or an easement, and the camera and jet blasting work to clear them are all plumbing. The roof plumber's part of the stormwater system is the roof, the gutters and the downpipe down the wall that gets the water to the ground.
Licensed plumber and drainer based in Austral, 13+ years in the trade, working across Liverpool, Fairfield and the Macarthur region. About Paul