How Much is a Drain Survey Cost?
In this guide, we will look at the prices you can expect to pay for a CCTV drain survey, including the tradesperson costs and any additional costs that may be involved with this type of work.
We will also look at the time it takes to complete a CCTV drain survey and the benefits of this type of work.
So, how much does a drain CCTV survey cost?
The cost of a CCTV drain survey will vary depending on the type of survey that is carried out. The average cost of a basic CCTV drain survey is around £85-£235.
There are several different types of drain surveys.
For an average CCTV drain survey, you can expect to pay around £100-£200. If you want a full CCTV drain survey with a report, you can expect to pay around £200-£350.
The price you pay will depend on the type of survey that you want, the condition and size of the drainage system, the ease of access, and your location in the UK. Those based in and around the London area can expect to pay more than those based in the North or other parts of the UK.
Labour costs tend to be higher in and around London.
CCTV Drainage Survey Prices
Below is a table highlighting the average CCTV drain survey prices in the UK:
| Job Description | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Basic CCTV Drain Survey | £85-£235 |
| Average CCTV Drain Survey | £100-£200 |
| Full CCTV Drain Survey with Report | £200-£350 |
What are the Additional Costs of a CCTV Drain Survey?
You may need to consider several additional costs with this type of work. Below is a list of the additional things that you may need to budget for when getting a drain CCTV survey:
Drainage Jobs
There are several drainage jobs that you may need to budget for, especially if you find issues with the system during your drain survey.
The cost for drainage jobs can vary depending on the job; however, here are some examples:
- Installing a soakaway drain - £700-£1,110
- Moving a drain - £4,000-£5,000
- Drain jetting - £70-£180
- Drain rodding - £80-£150
- Leaking drains repair - £600-£1,110
- Cracked drains repair - £150-£210
The overall cost for these jobs will depend on your location in the UK, the type of job that you are having done, the contractors that you choose, and the materials used for the job.
Guttering
If you find some problems with your drainage system, then this could well be due to your guttering. If you need to have your guttering replaced, the costs will vary depending on your location, the size of your home, and the materials used for the new guttering.
The average cost for new guttering on a terraced house is around £400-£500.
You may pay around £500-£700 for new guttering if you have a detached home. For more information about guttering jobs and prices, take a look at our guttering cost page here.
Home Survey
If you are getting a drain survey when moving into a new home, you may also need to get a home survey. The price you will pay for a home survey will depend on the type of survey, your location in the UK, and the size of the property.
A new-build survey cost around £260-£620, a condition report costs around £260-£620, a homebuyers report costs around £360-£620, and a home building survey costs around £460-£980.
New Bathroom
If your drains are getting you down, you may be interested in installing a new bathroom. The average cost of having a new bathroom installed is around £3,000-£6,000. However, the prices may be higher depending on the fixtures and fittings.
New bathrooms usually involve the installation of various fixtures and fittings, including a bathtub, a shower, a sink, and a toilet. New fixtures and fittings are less likely to develop blockages, so this may be a good investment if you are regularly experiencing blocked drains.
New Kitchen
Similarly, if you are frequently experiencing blockages in the kitchen, then it may be time for a new kitchen sink. If you want to up your game, then you may even be interested in having a new kitchen installed.
The average cost for a new kitchen is around £5,000-£12,000. This price will usually include the cost of new worktops, a new sink, and new cabinets. New sinks are less likely to develop blockages, so this may be a good investment if you are regularly experiencing blocked drains.
Tradesmen Costs for a CCTV Drain Survey
If you need a CCTV drain survey, you will have to hire a professional to carry out the work for you. It’s not something that can be done as a DIY job due to the specialist equipment and experience needed.
The average cost you can expect to pay for a drain camera inspection is around £100-£200. You can expect local drain experts to offer two types of drain surveys, and a basic CCTV drain survey will usually cost around £85-£235.
If you are looking for a full CCTV drain survey with a report, this will cost around £200-£350.
The labour costs will vary depending on the tradespeople that you choose, the size of your drainage system, and your location in the UK. Those based in the London area can expect to pay more for the work than those based in the North or other parts of the UK.
How Long Does a CCTV Drain Survey Take?
The time it takes to complete a drain survey will vary depending on the length of the drainage system at your home. Larger houses will typically have longer drainage systems.
The longer the drainage system, the longer it will take to complete the survey, as the contractor will need to ensure that the drain CCTV camera has covered every part of the system for an extensive and thorough survey.
On average, you can expect the survey to take around 1-2 hours to complete. If your drainage system is particularly long or complex, then it may take slightly longer to complete. However, it should always be completed within a day.
Types of CCTV Drain Survey
When you are considering having a drain survey done, it's useful to know the extent of the survey. This will help you understand the potential costs involved and give you a better idea of which CCTV drain survey would be best for you.
There are two main CCTV drain surveys that your local drain specialists will offer to you – a basic CCTV drain survey and a full CCTV drain survey with a report. Below, we take a look at some more information about these two types of drain surveys.
Basic CCTV Drain Survey
A basic drain survey will involve an investigation along with the survey. The contractor will look over the drainage system with the camera, and the engineers will then describe any issues that they find during the survey.
This type of survey is effectively just an exploration of the drainage system. With this in mind, you won't get a report, and you won't receive any of the CCTV footage from the survey.
Pros:
- The contractor will be able to inform you of any issues you have with your drains
- Relatively quick to diagnose the problem
Cons:
- You won’t receive a report about the contractor findings
- Not as thorough as the full CCTV drain survey
Full CCTV Drain Survey With Report
The most thorough and comprehensive CCTV drain survey includes everything that you would get with the basic CCTV drain survey, along with some extras. The engineer will provide you with a detailed written report detailing everything that was found during the survey, and you will also receive a copy of the CCTV footage.
A full drain survey report will usually include a condition report for all of the drains at your property, a map of all of the drains, and some still images and video footage with details from the survey.
Pros:
- The contractor will be able to inform you of any issues you have with your drains
- Relatively quick to diagnose the problem
- You receive a report of the drain survey which usually includes the condition of your drains, images and video footage
Cons:
- It is more expensive than the basic survey
Benefits of a CCTV Drain Survey
There are many benefits to having a CCTV drain survey done. Below is a list of the main benefits of this type of work:
Fast Analysis
If you are experiencing problems with your drainage system, you'll want to identify the problem and get it fixed as quickly as possible. Problems in your drains can cause unbearable smells in the home, and blockages can be extremely inconvenient.
A CCTV drain survey is the fastest way to investigate and diagnose any issues with your drainage system. When the camera is lowered into your system, the contractor will be able to see everything in real-time on a screen.
This allows them to identify the problem very quickly, and they can often repair the problem there and then. This saves you a lot of time and means that you can get your drains up and running again in no time.
Accurate Diagnosis of Issues
When you hire a drainage expert to complete a CCTV drain survey for you, the expert will be able to see what the problem is right away. This means that you will get a very fast and accurate diagnosis of what's causing the issues with your drains.
Rather than making assumptions based on what they think the problem might be, a CCTV drain survey provides accurate videos so the contractor can diagnose the problem accurately straight away and come up with an appropriate solution to the problem.
Cost-Effective
If you don’t get an accurate diagnosis of the problem, then you may end up paying for more than one treatment or fix before the problem is actually rectified. This means that you may end up spending more money than necessary.
If you get a CCTV drain survey, you can save on that unnecessary spending. Due to the accuracy and precision that a CCTV drain survey provides, it is great value for money. Not only due to its accuracy but also because it takes less time to diagnose the problem.
Minimum Disruption
Along with saving a lot of money and time, a CCTV drain survey will also keep any disruption to an absolute minimum. The CCTV camera is small, which takes care of all of the work in diagnosing and locating any problems within the drain.
This means that, once the problem has been detected, the contractors can then carry out work on just that specific part of the drain. This prevents the need for a full-scale excavation in order to locate the issue.
Great For New Property Owners
If you are purchasing a new property, it's very important to have the drainage system checked over and analysed before proceeding with the purchase. A CCTV drain survey provides an accurate assessment of the entire drainage system for the property.
A CCTV drain survey turns what would ordinarily be a long and expensive task into a very quick and accurate job. The survey will also cut down some of the costs during the very expensive process of buying a new property.
FAQs
Q: Do I need a CCTV drain survey?
A: There are many instances when a CCTV drain survey may be beneficial. If your home is regularly experiencing blockages in the drains, a CCTV drain survey can be very beneficial in diagnosing the problem.
If you’re planning an extension on your home and you would like a map of the drain and pipe system, a CCTV drain survey can help to provide this. If you suspect that one of your pipes may be broken and you want to know the exact location of the breakage, then a CCTV drain survey will help to identify the location of the broken pipe.
Also, if a pipe in your system needs relining and you want to know the route and length of the pipe, a CCTV drain survey can provide this information for you.
Q: What’s involved in a CCTV drain survey?
A: A CCTV drain survey works by placing a camera through a manhole near your property, a rodding eye, or a rodding cap, and then pressing the camera through your pipe system.
The camera will then capture live images and video footage of the inner workings of your drainage system. This process can be performed either manually or mechanically.
During the camera's journey through your drain system, it will record footage along the way, and it will also keep a record of the overall distance that it has travelled.
If anything of interest pops up during the survey, the engineer will take a note of the distance, and a still image of the problem will be taken. This will help the engineer formulate the best solution in cases where work needs to be carried out.
Q: What equipment is used in a CCTV drain survey?
A: When a CCTV drain survey is carried out, your engineer will need several pieces of equipment to get it completed. Below is a list of the pieces of equipment that a drain surveyor will bring with them for the job:
- Cameras – The contractor will bring state-of-the-art waterproof cameras to provide high-quality images from within flowing water in the system. These cameras can provide a clear view of the drain, including areas that would otherwise be very difficult to see.
- Access rods – These are extremely flexible rods that are used to push the camera through the drainage system. The flexibility of these rods allows the camera to easily manoeuvre around corners and turns and allows the camera to provide images of every single part of the system.
- Crawlers – Remote-controlled crawlers are designed to provide very quick visual access to the state of the drainage system. These provide the engineer with great mobility and can even manoeuvre through obstructed pipes.
- Sonar – Sonar units are used for filled pipes. These provide insight into the condition of a pipe where it is impossible to get visual images.
Q: What issues can a CCTV drain survey find?
A: CCTV drain surveys are designed to provide an extensive review of the drainage system. Some of the most common issues that a CCTV drain survey can identify are the following:
- Collapsed drains
- Blockages
- Corrosion
- Leaking pipes
- Burst pipes
- Animal intrusions
- Tree root infiltration
- Evidence of displacements or poor installation
Q: How can I prevent future blockages in my drains?
A: There are many common reasons for blocked drains; however, if you know how to prevent them, you can save a lot of money in the long run. Below is a list of some of the best ways to prevent drain blockages:
- Do not flush non-biodegradable products down the pipes. Some wipes may be advertised as flushable. However, you should also avoid these as it can take a while for them to degrade, so they can build up quite quickly if flushed often.
- You should not pour oil, fats, or grease down the drain. Instead, these should be disposed of in an appropriate manner. You can contact your local water authority for advice on the best ways to dispose of these.
- Use a plug screen over your kitchen and bathroom plugholes to prevent and unwanted food, hair, or other debris from entering and blocking the drain pipes.
- Use a drain unblocking product regularly to remove any small blockages in the pipes. This will prevent them from building up and becoming an even bigger problem.
Sources
- https://www.jlhdrains.co.uk/domestic-drain-services/drain-pipe-cctv-surveys/five-benefits-cctv-drain-surveys
- https://www.bkpgroup.com/en-gb/blog/bkp-group-news/what-comprises-a-cctv-drainage-survey
