Tree Roots in Your Pipes: Causes, Signs & Fixes

If your drains keep blocking no matter how many times you clear them, tree roots are a likely suspect, especially in older Perth suburbs. Roots are relentless. They're drawn to the moisture and nutrients inside your sewer line, and once they find the smallest crack or loose joint, they push their way in and keep growing.

The good news is that root intrusion is both diagnosable and fixable. Let's look at why it happens, the warning signs to watch for, and the modern methods used to clear roots and stop them coming back.

Why tree roots get into WA pipes

A lot of established homes across Canning Vale and Perth's south-east were plumbed with clay or earthenware sewer pipes. These older materials were the standard for decades and they do the job, but they have a weakness: the joints between sections aren't perfectly sealed, and the pipe itself can crack or shift over time as the ground moves.

To a tree root, a sewer pipe is an ideal target. It's full of water and nutrients, and it's warmer and more humid than the surrounding soil. Roots sense that moisture escaping from a tiny crack or joint and grow straight towards it. Once a hair-thin root gets through, it thrives inside the pipe, thickening into a dense mass that traps toilet paper, grease and debris, until flow slows to a trickle or stops entirely.

Fast-growing, water-loving species are the worst offenders. If you've got large trees or shrubs near your sewer line, you're more exposed to the problem.

Signs you've got roots in your drains

• Slow drains throughout the house, not just one fixture, since a sewer-line blockage affects everything downstream
• Gurgling sounds from toilets or drains when water goes down
• Recurring blockages that come back within weeks of being cleared
• Bad smells around drains or in the garden
• Wet or unusually green patches in the lawn above the sewer line
• Toilets that are slow to clear or back up

A one-off blockage might just be a wad of wet wipes. But if it keeps happening in the same spot, roots are high on the list. Our guide to the signs of a blocked drain goes into more detail on reading the symptoms.

How tree root blockages are diagnosed

You can't fix what you can't see, and guessing wastes money. That's why the first step is a CCTV drain inspection. A licensed plumber feeds a small waterproof camera down the drain and views the inside of the pipe in real time. This shows exactly where the roots are, how bad the intrusion is, and whether the pipe itself is cracked or collapsed.

A proper inspection means you're treating the actual problem rather than clearing the same blockage over and over. Our CCTV drain inspection and hydro jetting service covers both the diagnosis and the clearing in one visit.

How tree roots are cleared

Hydro jetting

Hydro jetting is the modern go-to for root removal. A high-pressure water jet, fed through a specialised nozzle, cuts through the root mass and scours the inside of the pipe clean, flushing debris away. Unlike a mechanical cutter that just bores a hole through the roots, jetting clears the full diameter of the pipe and removes the grease and scale that roots cling to, so the fix lasts longer.

Mechanical cutting

In some cases a motorised cutting head is used to grind through heavy root masses first, especially where the intrusion is thick and woody. This is often followed by jetting to finish the clean.

Pipe repair or relining

Clearing roots is only half the job if the pipe is cracked, because roots will simply grow back through the same fault. Where the damage is significant, the pipe may need repair, relining or replacement of the affected section. A follow-up CCTV check confirms the pipe is sound after clearing.

How to prevent roots coming back

Prevention is far cheaper than emergency after emergency. If you've got a known root problem, a scheduled maintenance jet every so often keeps the line flowing and saves you the stress of raw sewage backing up.

What about chemical root killers?

You'll see products marketed to kill roots in drains, and they have a place as a supplementary measure, but they're not a standalone fix. They can't clear an established root mass that's already blocking flow, and they don't repair the crack the roots came through, so roots regrow. Think of them as a maintenance aid after the line has been mechanically cleared and any pipe damage addressed, not a substitute for proper clearing and repair.

When to call a plumber

If you've cleared the same blockage more than once, or you're seeing several of the warning signs above, it's worth having the line inspected properly. Roots don't resolve themselves, and left alone they can crack the pipe further until you're up for a full replacement. Catching it early with a camera inspection is almost always the cheaper path. For general blockages of all kinds, our blocked drains service is the place to start.

Drains blocking again and again? Call our licensed Canning Vale plumbers for a CCTV inspection and hydro jet that gets to the root of the problem.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if tree roots are causing my blocked drain?

The clearest sign is a blockage that keeps coming back in the same spot, often with gurgling toilets and multiple slow drains at once. A CCTV camera inspection confirms it by showing the roots inside the pipe directly.

Can I remove tree roots from pipes myself?

Chemical root killers and DIY tools offer only temporary relief and won't clear a heavy root mass or fix the cracked pipe letting roots in. Professional hydro jetting clears the full pipe, and a camera check finds the underlying fault.

Will hydro jetting damage my old clay pipes?

When done by a licensed plumber who has first inspected the pipe by camera, jetting is safe for sound clay pipes. If the inspection reveals the pipe is already cracked or collapsed, the plumber will recommend repair or relining rather than jetting.

How can I stop tree roots coming back?

Repair or reline the cracked pipe sections roots are entering through, be careful about planting water-hungry trees near the sewer line, and schedule periodic maintenance jetting on known problem lines to keep them clear.