Plumbing that calls back when it's promised
RTL Trades runs a small enough team that the plumber who quoted you is usually the plumber who does the work. We commit to a quote turnaround within one business day and an actual booking time we'll keep. When we can't (weather, an earlier job overran), we call ahead — not after the appointment time.
Hot water & gas
We hold both water-side QBCC plumbing and gas-fitting licences. That means hot water installs (gas, electric, instantaneous, heat pump, solar), gas line work for renos, gas cooktops and appliances, and gas leak repairs are all in scope under one trade. Hot water replacements when units fail are often same-day.
Drains & leak detection
Mechanical drain clearing for blockages, CCTV camera inspection so you can see what caused it, and thermal/acoustic leak detection for slab and cavity leaks. We don't push pipe relining unless the camera footage genuinely warrants it — most blockages clear and don't recur.
Who we work with
Residential
Burst pipes, blocked drains, hot water systems, taps, toilets, bathroom and kitchen renos.
Commercial
Fitouts, sanitary plumbing, backflow prevention, sensor taps, TMV servicing.
Body Corp
Scheduled inspections, multi-unit hot water, common-area leaks, owner-corp reporting.
Questions, answered.
Six to eight evergreen Q&As — the things customers actually ask before booking us for plumber.
Do you cover Hawthorne and the inner-east Brisbane suburbs?
Yes — Hawthorne, Bulimba, Morningside, Balmoral, Norman Park, Hawthorne and the rest of the inner east are core territory for us. We also cover the inner north (Wilston, Newmarket, Clayfield), south (Coorparoo, Carindale, Camp Hill, Greenslopes), bayside (Manly, Wynnum) and most suburbs west out to Indooroopilly and Kenmore. If your suburb isn't on the list, ask — we cover around 180 in total.
What plumbing emergencies do you handle after hours?
Burst pipes, major leaks that are damaging the floor or ceiling, blocked sewer drains that are backing up into the house, no hot water across the whole property, and gas leaks — those are the genuine emergencies that warrant the after-hours call-out rate. A leaking tap or a slow drain is better booked for the next business day at standard rates. When you call, tell whoever answers what's actually happening and they'll tell you honestly whether it needs a same-night response.
Are you licensed to work on gas as well as water?
Yes — we hold the QBCC licences required for both water-side plumbing and gas-fitting work in Queensland. That covers gas hot water installs, gas cooktops, gas heater servicing, gas leak repairs, and gas pipework for renovations and new builds. Gas work in Queensland legally has to be done by a licensed gas-fitter — anyone telling you otherwise is doing you and themselves a disservice.
Can you help with a bathroom or kitchen renovation?
Yes — we do the plumbing rough-in and fit-off for bathroom, kitchen and laundry renos, and because we run multiple trades we can usually coordinate the electrical (downlights, exhaust fans, hot water unit changeovers) and any carpentry through the same booking. We work with builders and homeowners directly. The earlier you get us in to scope the plumbing, the more options you'll have on tap placements, drainage and which walls actually carry pipework.
What about hot water systems — repair, replacement, or new install?
All three. We service and repair electric, gas storage, instantaneous gas, solar and heat pump systems. When repair isn't economical (most systems past 10–12 years), we quote a like-for-like replacement and an upgrade path — instantaneous gas, heat pump, or solar — so you can see the running-cost picture, not just the upfront. Same-day replacement is usually possible if we have the right unit in stock and the access is straightforward.
How do you handle blocked drains?
Mechanical clearing first (the standard rod-and-cutter approach for tree-root blockages and soap-or-fat build-ups), then a CCTV camera inspection so you can see what was causing it and whether the pipe itself needs work. We'll talk you through what the camera shows and recommend whether it's a clear-and-forget job, a maintenance routine (camera every 12 months on a known problem line), or a relining repair. We don't push pipe replacement unless the footage genuinely warrants it.
Do you do preventative maintenance plans for landlords or body corps?
Yes — many of our long-term clients are property managers and body corporates who book scheduled annual or six-monthly inspections across a portfolio. Typical scope is a tap/cistern check, hot water unit health-check, gutter and downpipe look, and a smoke alarm test (which we tie in through our electrical side). Bundling it through one trade contact saves the coordination and admin time compared with separate plumber/sparky/roofer call-outs.