Watch your drain on screen, before anyone digs.
Updated
Our free CCTV drain survey puts a small camera inside your drains and shows the picture on a screen in front of you. You see the problem, keep the footage and get a written price for any work.
- Free, with no obligation
- Footage and findings you keep
- Price based on what the camera shows
- PipeClay, cracked joint
- RootsLight ingress
- AdvicePatch repair
9.93/1010-year written guaranteeFree drone and CCTV surveysLeaks treated as a priorityWhat a CCTV drain survey shows.
- BlockagesFat, wipes, silt and debris, and exactly where they sit.
- Cracks and fracturesBreaks in the pipe wall that let water out or soil in.
- Displaced jointsPipe sections that have shifted out of line.
- Root ingressRoots that have grown in through the joints.
- Collapse or deformationPipes crushed, sagging or out of shape.
- Dips and backfallsLow spots where water and waste sit.
When people book a drain survey.
Blocking, smells or damp, and you want the cause.
A closer look at the pipes, to share with your own surveyor.
Check the drains before an extension goes over them.
How the drain survey works.
- 1Call backWe talk it through
Pick a time online, or call us.
- 2AccessWe lift a cover
From an inspection chamber, gully or rodding point.
- 3WatchCamera in the pipe
You watch on screen as we explain what we see.
- 4AfterFindings in writing
Footage and notes yours to keep, quote if needed.
What happens on a CCTV drain survey.
We lift the cover of an inspection chamber, or use a gully or rodding point, and feed a waterproof camera on a flexible rod into the drain. The camera has its own light, and the picture shows on a screen at the top. As it travels along the pipe we can see the pipe wall, the joints and anything sitting in the bottom, and a counter shows how far along each problem is.
That distance matters. It tells us where the problem is in your garden or under your drive, so a repair can be targeted at one spot rather than a long trench. If there is a blockage, we can usually clear it first so the camera can see the pipe behind it.
You watch the survey with us and we explain what you are seeing as we go. Afterwards you get the footage and a plain-English summary of what we found, with any problems listed by location. If work is needed, we give you a written price based on the footage.
Drain surveys and moving home.
Under the RICS Level 2 standard, a home surveyor lifts accessible inspection chamber covers and looks inside, but does not put a camera through the pipes. A CCTV drain survey shows the pipes themselves: whether they are cracked, whether roots have got in and whether any part has collapsed. Some people buying older homes with clay pipes, or homes with large trees near the drains, choose to have one.
We report what the camera shows. We do not advise on whether to buy or sell, or on price. The footage and written findings are factual information you can pass to your own surveyor or conveyancer, who can tell you what they mean for your move.
Before building an extension.
If you plan to build over or near a drain, it makes sense to know its condition first. A drain that is already cracked is far easier to repair before an extension goes on top of it. Building over a public sewer may also need approval from your water company.
1Chamber 1 before clearing2Camera in at chamber 1| 0 to 3 m | Clear, pipe soundClear |
| At 3.4 m | Displaced joint, roots coming inAction |
| 3.4 to 9 m | Fat build-up on the pipe wallsCheck |
| At 11 m | Joins the shared drain at the boundaryNoted |
What the CCTV drain survey costs.
The survey is free. Here is what that means.
- No charge
- The camera survey and the findings cost nothing.
- No obligation
- You do not have to book any work with us.
- Yours to keep
- Share the footage with a seller, insurer or another firm.
- Quotes in writing
- If work is needed, the price is written down first.
out of 10 · 5 reviewsI cannot speak highly enough of Clearline Roofing & Drainage. From the very first call through to the final tidying up, the whole team were absolutely excellent — professional, polite, punctual, and a credit to their trade. We had a combination of roof repairs and drainage issues needing attention, and they handled everything with real expertise and care. They took the time to explain exactly what work was needed, kept us fully informed…
CCTV drain survey questions.
Anything else, just call. You'll speak to someone who knows roofs.
Call us07888 868356Is the CCTV drain survey really free?
Yes. There is no charge for the camera survey or the written findings, and no obligation to book any work. We offer it because a camera is the only reliable way to see inside a drain, and it means any price we give you for clearing or repairing it is based on what the footage showed rather than a guess.
Do I need a drain survey when buying a house?
It is not a requirement, and whether it is worthwhile is a question for you and your own surveyor or conveyancer. Under the RICS Level 2 standard, a surveyor lifts accessible chamber covers but does not put a camera through the pipes. Some buyers of older homes with clay pipes or mature trees nearby choose a CCTV survey for a closer look.
Will the survey make a mess?
No. We work from existing inspection chambers, gullies or rodding points, so there is no digging. The camera goes in through the opening and comes back out the same way. If a chamber cover is stuck or hidden under paving, we will tell you before we try to lift it and agree what to do.
What if the camera cannot get through?
If a blockage stops the camera, we can usually clear it so the survey can carry on. If the pipe has collapsed, the camera shows exactly where, which is useful in itself because it tells us where a repair is needed. You still get the footage and findings for everything the camera could reach.
Where this information comes from.
- RICS: scope of inspection for a Home Survey Level 2
- GOV.UK: private sewers and shared drains transferred to water companies (2011)
General information, not legal, financial or mortgage advice. Lender, insurer and council rules vary and change, so check with them or a qualified adviser.
See inside your drain. It costs nothing.
Schedule a call back. The CCTV survey is free, and you keep the footage, quote or no quote.