Blocked Outside Drains — Ratho
We keep a van on this side of City of Edinburgh specifically so Ratho calls do not sit in a queue behind city work. Confined-space and high-pressure jetting tickets are held by every engineer on the vans.
The quick version — we're a local family firm, we don't charge to turn up in Ratho, and you'll be told exactly what the blocked outside drains job involves before you commit. Family-run since day one, with the same engineers on the vans.
- 1You ring and speak to an engineer, not an answering service.
- 2We tell you honestly when we can be with you in Ratho and what it is likely to cost.
- 3We jet or rod the drain, clear it, then show you the cause on camera before we leave.
When Ratho customers call us
- A buyer or seller who needs the drainage condition confirmed in writing
- A factor or managing agent needing evidence before splitting a shared cost
- A gully overflowing onto a shared path or driveway off the M8 J2
- A holiday-let or short-stay property needing a same-day turnaround
- A shared City of Edinburgh run where two neighbours disagree about the cause
The Ratho picture
Ratho's canal-side village property and the industrial ground at nearby Newbridge mean we swap between small domestic runs and heavy commercial interceptors on the same day.
Limited public sewer capacity means village systems surcharge in heavy rain rather than genuinely blocking. Once you know that, the repeat blockages usually make sense.
On canal-side village housing and rural steadings the access chambers are usually where you would expect; on hospitality premises they very often are not. We plan Ratho jobs around it rather than treating every drain as identical.
Ratho work splits between hospitality, rural homeowners, warehouses, and we cover Ratho village as part of the same round. Ratho sits in the round we cover daily, so this is routine rather than a special trip.
Because the A71 skirts Ratho, night call-outs get an almost clear road. That keeps the price for Ratho the same as anywhere else on our patch.
8 miles from Edinburgh puts Ratho within a comfortable emergency radius, day or night. Ratho sits in the round we cover daily, so this is routine rather than a special trip.
An outside drain that holds water is telling you the run below it is not taking flow away. We clear the chamber, jet the run and confirm where the water is actually going.
A gully that empties slowly after rain and a gully that never empties are two different faults, and the second one usually means a defect downstream. None of that adds to the price of the visit.
What backs the work in Ratho
- No call-out charge anywhere in Ratho, including nights, weekends and public holidays. The camera settles it either way, and the footage is yours to keep.
- Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 27 MyBuilder reviews at the time of writing. The camera settles it either way, and the footage is yours to keep.
- No call-out charge anywhere in Ratho, including nights, weekends and public holidays. Older and newer property in Ratho fail in different ways, and the fix follows the cause.
How a Ratho job runs
- 1
Trace
Covers lifted along the run to find where flow stops and where it still moves.
- 2
Empty
Standing water and silt removed so the pipe can be worked on properly.
- 3
Jet
High-pressure jetting to strip the bore rather than punch a hole through the debris.
- 4
Prove
Water run through from the highest point so you can see the whole run take it.
How we do the work in Ratho
Root cutting uses a rotating chain or milling head rather than chemicals, so nothing goes into the watercourse. Catching it at that stage is the difference between a clearance and a repair.
Full relining is an option on longer Ratho runs — a felt liner inverted through the pipe and cured to form a new wall inside the old one. That keeps the price for Ratho the same as anywhere else on our patch.
What's included
- Yard, garden and driveway gullies
- External manholes and inspection chambers
- Rainwater and surface water runs
- Silt, leaf and grit removal
- Camera check where blockages repeat
- Domestic and commercial external drainage
Photographs and camera footage come as standard on Ratho work, so you can see the state of the pipe rather than take our word for it. Card, transfer and invoice-on-account are all fine.
Common causes we find in Ratho
- Silt, grit and leaf litter packing a gully pot
- Rainwater downpipes discharging into a blocked run
- Driveway channels laid with too little fall
- Root ingress in older clay pipework outside
- Surcharging chambers after prolonged heavy rain
Nearby areas we also cover
Ratho sits inside our core City of Edinburgh patch, so the same van covers these neighbouring areas on the same run:
Ratho drainage FAQs
Do you provide a written report for Ratho landlords and factors?
We do — photographs, camera footage and a plain-English summary of the cause, which is usually what a factor or insurer needs before agreeing a City of Edinburgh shared cost. It is worth mentioning when you describe the problem to us.
What should I do before you arrive in Ratho?
Stop using water in the property if it is backing up, clear access to the chamber if you can find it, and take a photo of the overflow — it helps us bring the right kit to Ratho first time. It is worth mentioning when you describe the problem to us.
How long does a typical Ratho visit take?
A straightforward clearance is usually under an hour. A survey of a full run takes longer because we record the footage properly. Either way you are told the likely duration before we set off for EH28. Photos or a short video help us answer that more precisely.
Can you find the drain if I do not know where the chamber is?
That is routine. We trace the run with a camera and sonde, mark the chamber position, and leave you with a note of where it sits — useful information for any future Ratho owner. Photos or a short video help us answer that more precisely.
Why does my outside drain only overflow when it rains?
The run is coping with everyday flow but not storm flow, which usually means a partial blockage or a length of pipe that has lost its fall.
Can I clear a gully myself?
Lifting the grate and scooping out the silt is safe enough and sometimes enough. If the pot refills and holds water afterwards, the blockage is beyond the gully and needs jetting.
Is an outside drain my responsibility?
Pipework serving only your property is normally yours to maintain. Once it joins a shared or public sewer, responsibility usually passes on, and Scottish Water can confirm the position for your address.
Get a callback about your Ratho drain
Other services in Ratho
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