Lasers for Plumbers — Grade. Align. Lay.
Two product groups for one trade. Grade rotating lasers for setting fall on long drainage runs and datum across a site, plus specialised pipe lasers for laying pipe to grade inside the trench. Pick the right one — or run both — and the laser handles the geometry.
Grade laser or pipe laser?
Both set grade. They do it in different places, with different references, for different jobs. Most plumbing fit-outs lean on one. Drainage and pipe-laying contractors often run both.
Rotary laser, sets fall across a site
Sits on a tripod above the work. Projects a continuous rotating reference plane that holds the slope you’ve set. Pair with a millimetre receiver on a staff to read fall at any point along the run.
Best for:
- Setting fall over long drainage runs (50m+)
- Establishing datum / RL across a site
- Marking GPO and tap heights for bathroom fit-out
- Pre-pour slab or screed prep on commercial work
- Any job where the laser sits on a tripod and you walk to the staff
Specialised dot laser, sits inside the pipe
A laser dot projects from the back of the laser straight down the pipe run, hitting a target plate in the next pipe length. You see the dot inside the pipe — no chasing a receiver, no second-guessing.
Best for:
- Laying sewer / stormwater pipe to a precise grade
- Alignment and gradient at the same time, in one step
- Working inside the trench with a visible reference
- Setting grades by percentage directly (1.667%, 2%, etc.)
Grade rotating lasers for plumbers
Six rotating laser levels with grade — entry-level Manual Grade through to flagship Digital Dial-a-Grade. All work with a millimetre tracking receiver, every model sits on a tripod and reads to a staff. Pick by how you want to set the grade.
How to choose: first decision is single grade (one slope direction) versus dual grade (compound slopes). Most plumbing work is single grade. Second decision is the grade-setting method: Manual (slope remote tilts the beam), Auto Grade Match (1-button match to receiver height), or Digital Dial-a-Grade (type the percentage). See the full Grade Lasers page for an in-depth comparison.
Pipe lasers for drainage
Four pipe lasers — PL650 / PL650G general-purpose, DR100 / DR100G heat-rated to 50°C for hot sites. Class 3 brightness, all-in-box (feet sets, targets, batteries, charger, calibration certificate), pick by beam colour and operating temperature.
Plumbing jobs a laser handles better
Where a laser pays for itself on plumbing work — most of these are jobs you’d otherwise rope in an off-sider for, or do twice with a string line.
Sewer & stormwater fall
Set a 1-in-60 fall (or 1-in-100, or whatever the drawing calls for) and the laser holds it for the whole run. Single grade laser for straight runs; dual grade if your drainage system needs cross-fall too.
Pipe alignment + invert level
The pipe laser does both at once — alignment along the bore plus invert grade. The dot lands inside the target on the next pipe length, telling you the pipe is laid true and to grade in one glance.
Bathroom fit-out heights
Tap, GPO, towel-rail and accessory heights all hit the same datum. Rotating laser on a tripod, mm receiver on a staff — every point comes off the same reading.
Wet-area fall to drain
Bathroom and laundry slab falls to the floor waste. Dual grade laser (or careful single-grade work in two passes) so the slab sheds water from every direction to the right point.
Datum / RL across a site
Run a benchmark off the survey peg, set instrument height, and every reading on the site comes off that datum. One person, one staff, no rope, no string lines.
Convert any 1-in-X to a percentage
Plumbers usually get given grades as “1 in 60” or “1 in 100”. Digital grade lasers want a percentage. Quick maths: divide first by second, times 100. Or use our free Slope & Fall Calculator.
The RedBack difference
Anyone can sell a laser. Few back it properly.
Specialist range, not filler
We sell laser levels and measurement tools — that’s it. Every product on this page is one we’ve used and chosen because it works for plumbers, not because it fills a catalogue page.
Built to last, built to be repaired
Solid construction, built for the long term. RedBack provides in-house repair and calibration services for all RedBack lasers and most other laser brands.
Real support, real people
Call us and you’ll speak to someone who knows the products. No scripts, no call centre, no runaround — just straight answers from people who’ve worked with these tools for 25 years.
Accessories for plumbing work
Tripods and staffs to set up the rotating laser, plus machine receivers for plumbing-related earthmoving (trench digging on excavators) so the operator can dig to depth from the cab.
Plumbing Laser Questions
What’s the difference between a grade laser and a pipe laser for plumbers?
Do I need single grade or dual grade for plumbing?
How do I work out the percentage grade for a 1-in-60 fall?
Can a pipe laser work in any pipe size?
What’s Auto Grade Match and how does it help plumbers?
Do RedBack lasers work outdoors?
Setting up a new kit, or stuck on an unusual fall?
Talk to someone who’s worked through the same problem before. 25 years of laser-level experience on the other end of the phone — straight answer on the right setup for your jobs.
