The short answer
Yes, McDermott Plumbing covers Karrinyup, Carine, Gwelup, Hamersley, North Beach and Watermans Bay for licensed plumbing and gas: blocked drains and toilets, hot water repairs and replacements, burst pipes and leaks, leak detection and gas fitting. Call (08) 6187 3999 or text 0406 882 648. It’s a run west from our Ellenbrook base toward the coast, and we’ll give you a real ETA when you ring.
Karrinyup and Carine
The name Karrinyup comes from Careniup, a Noongar name for a local swamp that surveyors recorded in the 1840s; the City of Stirling notes rapid residential growth from 1957, with most dwellings now single detached homes and a western strip of duplexes and units. Many houses are two-storey brick and tile. Karrinyup Shopping Centre opened in 1973 and, after a major expansion finished in 2021, is the largest suburban centre in Perth by retail floor space. The Mitchell Freeway reaching Karrinyup Road in 1983–84 turned the area into a coastal–freeway hub.
Carine was once part of the Hamersley family’s coastal holdings. The streets south of Reid Highway went in during the early 1970s, Carine High School opened in 1973, and the last residential stages west of Osmaston Road and around Lake Carine Gardens were finished in 1987. That puts most of the suburb’s original plumbing firmly in middle age.
Gwelup, Hamersley, North Beach and Watermans Bay
Gwelup kept market gardens along North Beach Road well into the late twentieth century. Lake Gwelup Primary dates to 1914, but the modern residential suburb grew from the 1970s once the Mitchell Freeway was pushed north. Some of the later estates sit on land that was drained wetland; the older triangle near the lake and Porter Street opened for urban development in 1967.
Hamersley was one of the first Perth suburbs laid out on cul-de-sac principles under the 1968 Hamersley Development Scheme, and building was essentially finished by 1981. North Beach and Watermans Bay are the coastal end of the same historic Hamersley land: summer houses and fishing-shack country that became permanent homes, now living with sea spray on outdoor fittings.
What we see around Karrinyup and Carine
Age, renos and the coast decide most of the jobs here:
- 1950s–80s sewer lines under established gardens. Water Corporation says homes over 15 years old are less likely to have PVC sewer pipe and more at risk from tree roots, and these streets are decades past that. Slow drains, a gurgling toilet and an overflow relief gully that fills up are the early signs.
- Bathroom and kitchen renovations that join new pipework to the original house drain. We check what’s behind the wall before quoting a fix, so you’re not surprised halfway through.
- Outdoor hot water and gas units facing the coast: salt air shortens the life of cabinets, flue terminals and exposed copper. Units from the first Carine and Hamersley builds are often on a second or third replacement.
- Duplexes and units in western Karrinyup, and strata blocks near the shopping centre: shared drains and after-hours access. Tell us about parking and how we get to the meter.
- Original flexi hoses and isolation valves under sinks and toilets that have done forty-plus years. When one lets go, it floods a room quickly.
Jobs we do around Karrinyup and Carine
- Blocked drains, toilets and gullies
- Hot water repairs and replacements (gas, electric, solar and continuous flow)
- 24/7 burst pipe and leak call-outs
- Leak detection and high water bill checks
- Gas fitting and gas leak checks
- Bathroom renovation plumbing and rental maintenance
Common questions
- Which suburbs does this page cover?
- Karrinyup, Carine, Gwelup, Hamersley, North Beach and Watermans Bay. Scarborough, Doubleview and Innaloo have their own page, and so do Duncraig, Hillarys, and Osborne Park. If you’re not sure, call (08) 6187 3999 with the street.
- Our Carine house is from the 1970s and the drains keep blocking. What’s going on?
- In houses this age, roots getting into older sewer pipe are a common cause, especially with big trees nearby. We clear it and tell you where the blockage was and what caused it. Our tree roots page explains more.
- The outdoor hot water unit at our North Beach place is rusting. Repair or replace?
- Salt air is hard on outdoor cabinets and fittings. If the tank itself is leaking, replacement is usually the honest answer. If it’s a fitting, flue or valve, a repair may be enough. We look at it and give you a straight view.
- Do you work on duplexes and units near Karrinyup Shopping Centre?
- Yes. Shared drains, hot water and leaks in duplexes and strata. Tell us about access and who should get the invoice when you book.
- How far is Karrinyup from your base?
- It’s a run west from Ellenbrook toward the coast. The ETA depends on where we are and the traffic when you ring, and we’ll give you a real time rather than a guess.
Nearby
Northern suburbs next to this one.
The jobs we get called for most here.
Related pages
Official sources
Last updated 9 October 2026. General information only. Every property is different, so call us to talk about yours.