Drainlayer apprenticeships in New Zealand

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Drainlayers install, alter and repair pipes for water mains, sewers and drains.

Last checked 19 October 2026.

How long did your apprenticeship take?

Put it on the record. Anonymous, about two minutes.

How long is a drainlayer apprenticeship, and what does it pay?

A drainlayer apprenticeship in New Zealand takes 3–4 years. Once qualified, the job most commonly pays $64,000–$98,000 a year, starting at $50,000 a year and reaching $120,000 a year with experience. The work also requires registration with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.

How long it takes: 3–4 years
Pay when starting out: $50,000 a year
Most common pay: $64,000–$98,000 a year
Experienced: $120,000 a year
School qualifications: NCEA Level 2 is usually needed for the study or training.
Registration: Required. Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board

Those pay ranges are for the job, not for an apprentice. While you are training your legal floor is the training minimum wage of $19.16 an hour if you are 20 or over and your agreement requires at least 60 credits a year of industry training; otherwise it is the adult minimum of $23.95. Plenty of employers pay well above either. How apprentice pay works →

What is a drainlayer apprenticeship like?

Drainlaying is the part of plumbing that happens in the ground: laying sewer and stormwater lines, connecting new houses to the council network, and digging up and replacing drains that have cracked, blocked or collapsed. Expect excavators, trench shoring, laser levels and a lot of time outdoors in every season.

It is a registered trade, so you can only do the work under supervision until you are licensed by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. Because subdivisions and infrastructure renewal both need drainlayers, it is one of the trades where an apprentice who can also operate machinery is especially useful to an employer.

What do you need to start a drainlayer apprenticeship?

An employer willing to take you on, first of all — everything else follows the job. NCEA Level 2 is usually needed for the study or training. Beyond that, what a drainlayer apprenticeship asks for is:

An apprenticeship in drainlaying, usually towards the New Zealand Certificate in Drainlaying (Level 4).
A driver licence may be needed; many employers want heavier vehicle classes once you are operating diggers and trucks.

In every trade the order is the same: you find the employer first, then the training is arranged around the job. How to get an apprenticeship →

Which New Zealand employers take on drainlayer apprentices?

We have no verified employers listed in this trade yet. Tell us about one.

Pay, duration and entry requirements quoted from Tahatū Career Navigator — Drainlayer, read 2026-10-19. Wage floors from Employment New Zealand, checked 2026-09-18.