Rolleston is one of New Zealand's fastest-growing towns, rising from about 2,800 people in 2001 to about 28,000 in 2023, so much of the town has been built in the last two decades. Growth sped up after the Canterbury earthquakes because of the town's stable ground and Selwyn District Council's fast tracking of building consents. In late 2020 the council was considering private plan changes to rezone land for a further 4,500 houses. Drainage is the part of a build nobody sees once the trench is filled, and the most expensive part to get wrong. A fall that is too flat blocks, a joint that is badly bedded cracks, and a connection in the wrong place fails inspection. In Christchurch there is an extra layer: the ground itself, which ranges from liquefaction-prone land with high groundwater in the east to Port Hills rock in the south.
Drainlaying in Rolleston: stony ground, fast growth and Selwyn consents
Rolleston is a town built mostly in the last two decades, and drainlaying here is dominated by new homes, extensions and subdivision work. Selwyn was the fastest growing district in New Zealand between the 2018 and 2023 censuses, and Rolleston grew 9.6 percent in the year to June 2024 alone. Builders here run tight programmes, so drainage has to be laid, inspected and backfilled in time for the slab.
The ground helps. Rolleston was close to the end of the Greendale Fault in 2010, but its stony ground meant no liquefaction and very few demolitions. That stony soil holds a trench well, though it is hard on digging buckets and needs proper bedding so stones do not point load the pipe. We bed and backfill to suit, and set falls with a laser rather than by eye.
Selwyn District Council, not Christchurch City Council, issues the building consent, inspects the drains and runs the public wastewater network the house connects to. For each job we supply as built drawings for the consent file. On extensions we confirm the new drains tie into the existing lateral at the right level, and on sleepouts and minor dwellings we check whether the existing connection has capacity before designing a new one. Business units around Izone may also need trade waste pre treatment, which we plan with the owner before the floor goes down. Because so many Rolleston homes were built at the same time, as built plans are usually on file, which makes extension work quicker to price. If your plan is missing, a locator and camera can map the existing drains in an hour or two before design starts. Lawns and driveways are reinstated once the council signs off.
Local tip: If you are extending a Rolleston home, get the original as built drainage plan from the Selwyn District Council property file before design starts.
For anything else, see our plumbers in Rolleston.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Drainlaying Jobs We Do in Rolleston
- Council drainage consents
- New house drains
Drainlaying Rolleston FAQs
Can you lay drains for a sleepout or minor dwelling in Rolleston?
Yes. We design the connection to the existing lateral or a new one, take it through Selwyn District Council's consent process and book the inspection before backfilling.
Can a plumber do drainlaying?
Drainlaying is a separate licensed trade in New Zealand. The work must be done or supervised by someone authorised by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board as a drainlayer.
How much does drainlaying cost?
It depends on length, depth, ground, access and the type of connection. We give a free quote from plans or after a site visit.