CCTV Surveys Services Across South East England
A CCTV drain survey is a non-invasive inspection that feeds a waterproof, high-resolution camera through your underground pipework so the exact condition inside can be seen, recorded and diagnosed — no digging, no guesswork. Our CCTV surveys services pinpoint blockages, cracks, displaced joints, root ingress and collapsed sections, then hand you the footage and a plain-English report you can actually act on. We work strictly on drainage across South East England, with no call-out fee and a fixed price agreed before any camera goes down the pipe.
- No call-out fee — ever, anywhere we cover
- Fixed price upfront — quoted before work starts
- Footage + written report — yours to keep
- 24/7 cover — 365 days a year
What a CCTV Drain Survey Actually Involves
Most drainage faults sit underground, out of sight, which is why people guess at them and pay for the wrong fix. A camera survey removes that problem. We locate the nearest manhole or access point, set up the rig, and feed a push-rod or crawler camera through the run while watching live footage on screen. As the camera travels, the engineer narrates what's on the monitor — a build-up here, a hairline fracture there, a joint that's dropped — and the whole pass is recorded.
The footage is the evidence. Instead of a vague "your drain's blocked", you get to see the offset joint at six metres, or the root mass that keeps re-blocking the line every spring. That's the difference between treating a symptom and fixing the cause. When a drain keeps backing up after it's been cleared, the survey almost always explains why — and stops you paying to clear the same blockage twice.
Access & setup
We lift the relevant inspection chambers and prepare the camera rig at ground level — clean, contained, no mess left behind.
Live camera pass
The camera travels the full run while the engineer reads the condition on screen in real time and records everything.
Diagnosis & report
You receive the footage, the engineer's observations and a clear recommendation — repair, reline, clean, or nothing needed.
Types of CCTV Survey — and Which One You Need
Not every survey is the same job. A quick condition check for your own peace of mind is a different task from a formatted report a solicitor will accept. Picking the right one saves you money, so here's how they compare and when each makes sense.
| Survey type | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Basic condition survey | A live camera inspection with the engineer's verbal findings on the day. | A quick check when you suspect a problem but don't need paperwork. |
| Full survey with report | Recorded footage, a written condition report and clear repair recommendations. | Recurring blockages, insurance claims, and most homeowners. |
| Pre-purchase / homebuyer survey | The full survey, formatted for solicitors and mortgage lenders. | Buying a property — standard home surveys ignore underground drains. |
| Drain mapping survey | A traced layout of the pipe runs showing depth, direction and connections. | Planning an extension or build-over near existing drains. |
| Reactive / emergency survey | A same-day inspection to find the cause of a sudden backup or flood. | A drain that's collapsed, flooded or backed up without warning. |
On price: we don't bury costs. There's no call-out fee on any drainage job we cover, and the price for your CCTV survey is fixed and agreed before the camera goes in. If your pipe is heavily silted and needs clearing before the camera can see anything, we tell you that first — never after — so there are no surprises on the invoice. See our contact page for a fixed quote.
What the Camera Finds Underground
In practice, the same handful of faults turn up again and again across the South East — and many of them are invisible until the camera reaches them. A CCTV drain survey is the only reliable way to tell which one you're actually dealing with.
Root ingress
Fine roots work through old clay joints chasing moisture, then knit into a mat that snags everything. Common in mature, leafy suburbs.
Displaced & open joints
Ground movement drops or opens a joint, so the pipe steps out of line. Debris catches on the lip and the run blocks repeatedly.
Cracks & fractures
Hairline cracks leak and let soil in; left alone they widen toward a full break. The camera catches them long before that.
Collapsed sections
An old or overloaded pipe gives way and chokes the run. Footage shows exactly where, so any dig is precise — or avoided with relining.
Fat, scale & silt build-up
Grease, limescale and washed-in silt narrow the bore over time. The survey shows whether a clean fixes it or the pipe is the real issue.
Pitch fibre & deformed pipe
Older pitch fibre drains blister and lose their round shape. The camera reveals the deformation that keeps catching debris.
Once we can see the fault, the route is obvious. Some lines just need a high-pressure jetting and flush; others need a targeted repair or no-dig reline. The survey decides — not a guess. New to terms like pitch fibre or displaced joints? Our drainage glossary explains them in plain English.
Planning an Extension? Build-Over Surveys & Water Authority Rules
If you're building an extension, a garden room or anything that sits over or within three metres of a public sewer, your water authority will usually want a build-over agreement — and that means a CCTV survey of the drain before and often after the work. In our region that's typically Thames Water across the London and Surrey boroughs, and Southern Water along the Sussex coast. Skipping this step is how people end up tearing out finished work months later.
A drain mapping survey gives the authority exactly what it asks for: the line, depth and condition of the pipe under the proposed footprint. We produce footage and a report formatted to share with your architect, building control or the water company, so the agreement goes through without your project stalling. It's far cheaper to confirm the drain is sound before you build than to discover a problem under a new slab.
From the Vans: A Recurring Blockage That Wasn't a Blockage
A common pattern we see: a homeowner has paid two or three times to clear the "same" blocked drain over a year, and it keeps coming back within weeks. On one job the kitchen line had been rodded repeatedly with no lasting result. The CCTV survey told the real story in under ten minutes — a cracked joint about four metres out had dropped, and every clean just reset the clock until debris caught on the lip again.
Because the footage pinpointed the exact spot and depth, the fix was a short, targeted no-dig repair rather than digging up the whole run. That's the value of seeing before doing: the survey paid for itself by stopping the cycle of repeat call-outs. We see versions of this across Croydon, Sutton, Purley and the wider South East most weeks — older properties on clay drainage are especially prone to it.
If your drain keeps blocking despite being cleared, that's the textbook reason to book a survey. You can read more about the underlying problem in our guide to spotting a collapsed drain, or about tree roots in drains, which is the single most common hidden cause we record on camera.
Why Homeowners Book Their CCTV Surveys Services With Us
Drainage is all we do
We don't dabble in boilers or general plumbing. Drains and blockages are the entire job, so the diagnosis is sharper.
No call-out fee, fixed price
You know the cost before the camera goes in. No hourly meter, no "while we're here" extras added afterwards.
Evidence, not opinions
Every survey hands you footage and a written report. If we recommend a repair, you can see exactly why on screen.
Local engineers, fast response
DBS-checked, insured engineers covering the whole region, available around the clock including weekends and bank holidays.
Rated 9.83 on Checkatrade and 5.0 on Google across 820+ verified reviews, and approved on TrustATrader — independent proof the work holds up. More about the team is on our About Us page.
After the Survey: What Comes Next
A survey is a diagnosis, not a repair — but it tells us precisely which of our services your drain needs. Depending on what the camera shows, the next step is usually one of these:
Not sure where to start? Our full list of drainage services explains each one, and you can book a survey or ask a question through our contact page.
CCTV Drain Survey — Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CCTV drain survey used for?
It inspects underground pipework with a camera to find the real cause of blockages, leaks, smells or recurring problems, and to confirm a drain's condition before buying a property or building over it — all without excavation.
How long does a CCTV survey take?
A typical home survey takes one to two hours, depending on how long and complex the drainage system is and how easy the access points are to reach. Larger or more intricate systems can take longer, but most are done in a single visit.
Do I need a CCTV survey when buying a house?
It's strongly recommended. A standard homebuyer survey doesn't look underground, so a pre-purchase drain survey reveals collapsed pipes, root ingress or shared-drain issues a normal survey misses — and it's far cheaper than discovering them after you've moved in.
Will I get footage and a report afterwards?
Yes. A full survey includes the recorded footage, the engineer's written observations and clear recommendations. You keep all of it, and it can be formatted for solicitors, insurers or your water authority when needed.
Is a CCTV drain survey disruptive or messy?
No. The camera enters through existing access points at ground level, so there's no digging and no damage to your property. We lift and reseat the chambers cleanly and leave the area as we found it.
Do you charge a call-out fee for a CCTV survey?
No. There's no call-out fee on any drainage job we cover across South East England. The price for your survey is fixed and agreed upfront, so you know exactly what you'll pay before the camera goes down the drain.
My drain keeps blocking after clearing — will a survey help?
Almost always. A drain that re-blocks soon after being cleared usually has a structural fault — a cracked or displaced joint, roots or a collapse — that no amount of clearing will cure. The survey finds it so the right repair can be done once.
Book a CCTV Survey Across South East England
Stop paying to clear the same drain twice. A CCTV survey shows you exactly what's wrong underground — with no call-out fee and a fixed price agreed before we start. Tell us what's happening and we'll get an engineer to you.