Do I need management company permission before calling a drain contractor?

For in-unit work (inside your front door), no — you can call any licensed contractor. For common-area work (corridor floor drain, shared stack access, podium drainage), yes — management company sign-off is needed. We tell you which it is on-site before quoting.

Will the management company refund me if it turns out to be a common-area issue?

Sometimes — depends on the estate's deed of mutual covenant (DMC). We provide a written diagnostic with photos and timestamp; you submit to management with a refund request. Many estates honour this for documented common-area faults. We do not promise specific refund outcomes.

What is the difference between management company contractor and an outside firm?

Management-listed contractors are pre-vetted and often have estate-wide ID access. They typically have higher residential rates and slower response (queued by management). Outside firms like us require a one-time visitor pass from security but quote written prices up front and respond within 120 min typical. Both are legal for in-unit work.

Tenant or landlord — who pays in an estate flat?

In-unit, use-caused: tenant. Pre-existing / first-month: usually landlord. Common-area, documented: management / OC under DMC. We provide written diagnostic to support whichever direction the cost should flow.

Same-day in Taikoo Shing / Mei Foo / Whampoa / Heng Fa Chuen?

120-min typical response for HK Island / Kowloon dense estates. NT estates (Tin Shui Wai, Tseung Kwan O) similar. We confirm ETA in writing on WhatsApp before dispatch. Out-of-hours +HKD 200.

Estate Drain Unblocking HK (屋苑) — Management Company-Compliant

What makes estate drainage unique

1. Management company sits between you and the drain

Most HK estates are run by a professional management company (Hong Yip, Goodwell, Kai Shing, Synergis, Jones Lang LaSalle, Savills PM, Urban Group, MTR Properties Management etc). They maintain common-area drainage — corridor floor drains, podium drains, light wells, basement carpark sumps — and they have a panel of pre-listed contractors for these jobs. For anything inside your front door, you can use any licensed contractor.

2. Common-area vs in-unit — different liability

Your unit's lateral pipes (toilet, kitchen sink, bathroom floor drain) up to where they enter the shared vertical stack are your responsibility. The shared vertical stack, podium drainage, common-area floor drains, and rooftop drainage are management/OC responsibility under the estate's Deed of Mutual Covenant (DMC). The exact dividing line varies by DMC — read it once and you will save many disputes later.

3. Visitor pass + security protocol

Outside contractors need a visitor pass from estate security. We carry HKID, professional indemnity, and certificate of incorporation for verification. Estates that require pre-registration of contractors (Taikoo Shing, some Cheung Kong estates) may have a 1-2 hour delay at the gate for new vendors — we tell you in advance if you tell us the estate name.

Common estate drain problems — and who pays

In-unit toilet block (hair, wipes, foreign object) — you/tenant pay. Lateral pipe inside your front door. Any licensed contractor, written quote first. From HKD 800.

Kitchen sink slow drain — usually you pay. Lateral pipe. Same as above. From HKD 800.

Floor drain bubbling when neighbours flush — management. Vertical stack restriction; you provide written diagnostic, they commission stack works.

Corridor floor drain or basement sump overflowing — management. Common-area infrastructure. You report; they act.

Podium drainage flooding during black rain — management. Stormwater system. Their problem, but document with photos in case insurance is needed.

AC drip line from upstairs neighbour — neighbour first, then management. Lateral pipe at unit level. See AC condensate guide.

When to call DrainFix vs. when to call management

Call us directly if: the blockage is inside your unit. We respond 120-min typical, written quote first, from HKD 800. Visitor pass via your estate security.

Call management first if: the blockage is in a common area (corridor, lift lobby, podium, basement, light well). They commission their listed contractor; you do not pay.

Call us with the management's quote in hand if: management says the issue is "your unit" but you suspect common-area. We do a written diagnostic (HKD 500 standalone, free with paid clearing) — and if it confirms common-area, you submit that to management for refund / cost transfer.

OC (法團) escalation if: management refuses to commission documented common-area works. Cap 344 obliges OCs to act.

Tenant vs landlord — who pays in an estate flat?

Estate flats follow standard HK tenancy norms (not legal advice):

Tenant: use-caused in-unit blockages (hair, wipes, kitchen grease, foreign objects).
Landlord: pre-existing blockages discovered in first 30 days; lateral pipe failure from old age (scale, corrosion); appliance-related fixture issues if appliances were provided.
Management / OC: shared stack, common-area, podium, basement — paid via owner's management fee, not directly from tenant.

Our tenant vs landlord guide has paste-ready WhatsApp templates for HKID-protected photo evidence and dispute-prevention.

Pricing — starting HKD 800

In-unit drain clear in estate flat (toilet / kitchen / bathroom / washing machine / floor drain): from HKD 800. Includes diagnostic, mechanical clearing, full re-test before we leave, before/after WhatsApp photos timestamped and geotagged for any management dispute.

120-min typical response window. Visitor pass time (1-2 hours pre-registration for some estates) disclosed in advance if you give us the estate name on WhatsApp. Out-of-hours (23:00-06:00) +HKD 200.

Written diagnostic for management dispute: HKD 0 add-on with a paid in-unit job. Standalone diagnostic (no clearing) HKD 500.

Common-area works: not our scope unless management commissions us via their tendering process. Happy to quote against the incumbent.

No fixed-price guarantee. No 7-day re-block guarantee. On-site re-test before we leave is the warranty. See full price list.

How we work in an estate

Method (typical estate flat) WhatsApp confirmation of estate name + management → we tell you visitor-pass procedure → arrive at security with HKID + professional documents → diagnostic of in-unit drain → written quote on WhatsApp → mechanical clearing → full re-test → before/after photos, timestamped, geotagged. Standard 30-50 min on-site.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need management permission to call you?: For in-unit work, no. For common-area, yes. We tell you on-site which it is.
Will management refund me if it turns out to be common-area?: Sometimes — depends on DMC. We provide written diagnostic with photos; you submit. We do not promise specific refund outcomes.
Management-listed contractor vs outside firm — which is better?: Both legal for in-unit. Outside firms (us) tend to respond faster with written quotes. Listed contractors have estate-wide access for common-area. Pick by which you need.
Tenant or landlord — who pays?: Use-caused: tenant. Pre-existing / pipe failure: landlord. Common-area: management / OC. See our guide.
Same-day in Taikoo Shing / Mei Foo / Whampoa?: 120-min typical. Confirmed in writing before dispatch.

🏢 Why estate (屋苑) drains involve more parties