How much does a plumber cost in Craigieburn?

Most household plumbing jobs in Craigieburn are priced as a call-out or service fee plus labour, plus parts. A published Melbourne cost guide, last verified in October 2026, puts the business-hours labour rate at $84 to $210 per hour and the call-out fee at $63 to $160. Larger jobs such as hot water replacement are quoted as a fixed sum for the whole job, and that sum depends far more on the system chosen than on the hourly rate.

Every figure on this page comes from that published guide, What’s the Damage’s Melbourne plumber cost table, not from the plumbers this site refers to. The independent providers who receive enquiries through this site set their own prices. Treat the ranges as a reference for judging a quote, not as an offer.

Melbourne ranges for the jobs Craigieburn homes ask about

Plumbing job	Range in the guide
Sewer line unblocked by drain machine	$160 to $525
Sewer line jetted and filmed by camera	$370 to $1,150
Split or burst water pipe fixed	$210 to $840
Drip stopped on an existing tap	$84 to $275
Each new tap or mixer, fitted	$160 to $525 per tap
Running cistern or pan fault sorted	$160 to $370
Whole toilet suite swapped	$420 to $945
Heat pump unit, installed	$3,150 to $6,300
Electric tank unit, installed	$840 to $3,150
Gas tank unit, installed	$1,250 to $3,675
One new gas point run	$260 to $680 per point
Hourly labour, weekdays	$84 to $210 per hour
Attendance or call-out charge	$63 to $160
Attendance outside business hours	$260 to $735
Hourly labour, nights, weekends, public holidays	$160 to $315 per hour

The ranges are wide because they cover everything from a quick fix with easy access to a difficult job with expensive parts. Where your job lands depends on the factors below.

What pushes a plumbing price up or down?

Time of day. In the published table, the typical after-hours labour rate is close to double the typical business-hours rate. If water is not causing damage, turning off the stop tap and booking a weekday visit is usually the cheapest choice.

Access. A hot water unit in a roof space, a drain under a concrete driveway or a pipe inside a tiled wall takes longer than one in the open. Upstairs bathrooms and narrow side paths add time too.

Parts and brand. A mixer cartridge for a common brand is a stock item. A part for a discontinued imported mixer may need ordering, or the whole tap replaced. For hot water, the brand, capacity and type set most of the price.

Diagnosis. Hidden leaks and recurring drain blockages need time and equipment to find. A camera inspection or acoustic leak detection costs more up front but can prevent paying for the wrong repair.

Compliance. Work that needs a compliance certificate includes the certificate cost, the plumber’s insurance and the time to lodge it with the Building and Plumbing Commission. That is part of a proper price, not padding.

Travel. Craigieburn is on the northern edge of Melbourne. Providers based further in may add travel time, especially to acreage in Mickleham or the north end of Kalkallo.

What to look for on a Craigieburn plumbing quote

Before you accept a quote for work on your Craigieburn property, check that it sets out in writing:

• the scope in plain words, including what is not included
• whether the price is fixed for that scope or an estimate based on hourly rates
• the call-out fee and whether it is waived if you go ahead
• the parts, with brand and model for any appliance or tapware
• removal and disposal of old fittings or the old hot water unit
• making good afterwards: patching walls, relaying pavers, reinstating turf
• whether a compliance certificate will be issued
• the warranty on workmanship and on the product

For hot water, also ask whether the price is before or after any Solar Homes rebate or Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, and who is lodging the rebate paperwork. The hot water guide explains the rebate rules.

What is usually charged as extra?

• concreting, tiling or carpentry to make good after access
• electrical work for a new hot water circuit or heat pump, which needs a licensed electrician
• a gas meter upgrade or new gas line for a larger appliance
• excavation and pipe replacement found during a drain camera inspection
• council or water authority fees where a job needs a permit or consent; these are set by the authority, not the plumber, so ask the plumber to list them separately

How do you compare plumbing quotes fairly?

Ask each plumber to quote the same scope. If one includes a pressure limiting valve, a new tempering valve and removal of the old unit, and another does not, the cheaper quote is not cheaper. Put the quotes side by side against the list above.

Check each business on the BPC register before you choose. The BPC practitioner search shows the classes a plumber is registered or licensed in, any conditions, and links to the compliance and enforcement register. A licensed plumber must hold insurance before the BPC will issue or renew the licence, which is extra protection compared with a registered-only plumber.

Red flags

• a price given over the phone for a hidden leak or a recurring blockage with no inspection
• a large deposit demanded before any work starts on a small repair
• no mention of a compliance certificate on work that clearly needs one, such as a gas appliance or a below-ground drain
• pressure to replace a whole drain line without camera footage
• an offer to install a gas hot water system in an existing home after 1 March 2027
• cash-only pricing with no business name, ABN or licence number on the paperwork
• a plumber who cannot show a BPC practitioner identity card listing the class of work

Typical totals for common jobs

Using the published ranges, a cistern valve replacement during business hours is usually a toilet repair figure with a call-out fee on top or included. A drain that blocks for the first time is usually a standard clearing; a drain that keeps blocking moves into the camera and jetting range, and possibly a repair quote after that. A burst pipe in the evening costs the after-hours visit and labour rate rather than the daytime rate. The service guides for blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks, gas fitting and toilets and taps explain what each job involves.

Get prices for your own job

The ranges above cannot price your house. Request a plumbing quote with the job, your suburb, photos and the best access times, and compare what comes back against this page.

Send a job enquiry