What the camera finds
- Blockages, and what is causing them.
- Cracks, fractures and open or displaced joints.
- Root ingress and where the roots entered.
- Deformed, partly collapsed and fully collapsed sections.
- Standing water showing a loss of fall or a dip in the pipe.
- Scale, fat and grease build-up narrowing the bore.
- Unmapped connections, redundant runs and mis-connections.
- Silting and general condition of chambers and gullies.
How long it takes
A standard domestic survey usually takes between one and two hours on site. If the run has to be jetted before the camera can see anything, allow longer. Larger commercial sites and long shared runs take a half day or more depending on the number of chambers.
What the report includes
- Video footage of the inspection.
- Still images of any defects found.
- The location of each defect, measured from the chamber, with depth where relevant.
- A plain English explanation of what each defect means in practice.
- Our recommendation, and costed repair options where work is needed.
What affects the price
The main factors are the size of the property and the length of the run, how many chambers there are, whether access is straightforward, and whether the drain needs jetting or cleaning before the camera can produce a usable image. A single domestic run with an accessible chamber is at the lower end. A large commercial site with multiple runs and restricted access is at the upper end.
We quote before we attend, and there is no call-out charge. Ring with the property type and the reason for the survey and we will give you a price.
What happens if the survey finds a problem
You get the evidence and the options, and no pressure. Many defects are minor and simply worth monitoring. Where repair is needed we set out whether a patch liner, a full liner or excavation is appropriate, with a price for each. Because we carry out the repairs ourselves, there is no second survey and no second contractor to bring up to speed.
Questions we get asked
Do I get to keep the footage?
Yes. Footage and a report are supplied with every survey, and you can pass them to a solicitor, a surveyor, an insurer or a seller.
Do I need to be at home?
It helps if we can talk you through what we find, but it is not essential provided we have access to the chambers. We can report remotely afterwards.
Will a survey work if the drain is currently blocked?
The drain has to be clear for the camera to see. We can jet it first and survey immediately afterwards in the same visit, which is usually the most efficient way to do it.