The short answer
Yes, McDermott Plumbing covers Guildford, South Guildford, Woodbridge and Viveash for licensed plumbing and gas: burst pipes, blocked drains, hot water repairs and replacements, leak detection, gas fitting and bathroom work in older homes. Call (08) 6187 3999 or text 0406 882 648. Guildford is a short run south of our Ellenbrook base, and we’ll give you a real ETA when you ring. In the Guildford and Woodbridge heritage areas, check with the City of Swan before planned work that changes the house.
Plumbing on a heritage house in Guildford
Guildford is one of only three towns in the Perth metro area on the National Trust’s register. St Matthew’s Church (1836), the railway station precinct (1881) and Guildford Grammar School (1896) are among more than 200 places on the State Register. The City of Swan says development approval is needed before any works in Guildford/Mandoon, because it’s both a State Heritage Listed Place and a Local Heritage Area. If you plan to demolish, extend or build new in Guildford/Mandoon or Woodbridge, the City asks you to book in with its senior planning staff first.
An emergency repair to stop a leak can’t wait. Planned plumbing that changes the house is different: a hot water unit moved to a street-facing wall, new pipework on the front of the house, or plumbing for a new bathroom in an addition. Ask the City about it before you commit. We can give you the plumbing details they’ll want, and we’ll plan pipe runs and unit positions so they stay out of sight from the street where we can.
South Guildford, Woodbridge and Viveash
South Guildford sits across the Helena River from the old town. Woodbridge used to be part of Midland, known informally as West Midland, until its name was gazetted in 2001. Woodbridge House, a National Trust museum on the Swan, is there, and the City of Swan has a Woodbridge Heritage Area where alterations and additions will most likely need development approval.
Viveash is newer. Midland Brick subdivided it in 1967 and, the next year, asked for it to be named after Samuel Viveash, who owned the land in the 1840s. Homes from the late 1960s and ’70s are now old enough to need original hot water units, copper and sewer lines looked at.
What we see around Guildford
The jobs follow how old the house is and how much of it has been changed over the years:
- Heritage-era homes whose pipework has been patched and replaced in stages over the decades, often with little record of what was done or when. We check what’s actually there before quoting a fix.
- Older sewer lines under big established trees, well past the 15-year mark that Water Corporation says makes PVC pipe less likely and tree roots more likely: slow drains, gurgling toilets and a gully that fills up.
- Bathroom and laundry renovations in older houses, where the wet areas have often been added or moved since the house was built.
- Viveash and Woodbridge homes from the 1960s and ’70s: original copper, tired isolation valves, and hot water units on their second or third replacement.
- Hot water units sited where they’ll be seen from the street in a heritage area. We’ll talk through a better spot before the new one goes in.
Jobs we do around Guildford and Woodbridge
- 24/7 burst pipe and leak call-outs
- Blocked drains, toilets and gullies
- Hot water repairs and replacements (gas, electric, continuous flow)
- Leak detection and high water bill checks
- Gas fitting and gas leak checks
- Bathroom renovations in older homes
Common questions
- Which suburbs does this page cover?
- Guildford, South Guildford, Woodbridge and Viveash. Midland has its own page, and so do Swan View and Midvale, Bassendean, and the Swan Valley. If you’re not sure, call (08) 6187 3999 with the street.
- Do I need City of Swan approval for plumbing on a Guildford heritage house?
- The City of Swan says development approval is required before any works in Guildford/Mandoon, and alterations in the Woodbridge Heritage Area will most likely need approval too. Don’t hold off an emergency repair, but for planned work that changes the house, such as a new hot water position, external pipework or an addition, ask the City’s planning staff first. We can give you the plumbing details they need.
- Is Guildford far from your base?
- No, it’s a short run south of Ellenbrook. We’ll still give you a real ETA when you ring, because it depends on where we are at the time.
- Can you work on the old pipes in a heritage home?
- Yes. We find the leak or blockage, tell you what the pipework is made of and what state it’s in, and repair or replace sections to suit the house. If a bigger re-pipe makes sense, we’ll explain why before anything starts.
- Our Viveash house still has its original hot water system. Is that a problem?
- If it’s still working, it may be fine for now, but storage units don’t last forever. Water at the base, rusty hot water or a relief valve that runs constantly are signs it’s time. Replacing it on your schedule is better than doing it after a failure.
Nearby
Northern suburbs next to this one.
The jobs we get called for most here.
Related pages
Official sources
Last updated 7 October 2026. General information only. Every property is different, so call us to talk about yours.