CCTV drain surveying costs in your area

By Emily Rivers

Last updated 4th May 2023

How much does a CCTV drain survey cost?

If you're having problems with your drains and you seem to have tried everything to solve repeated blockages, it might be time to consider a CCTV drain survey. Once you've identified the problem, you should be able to move forward and get your drain unblocked.

The average cost of a full CCTV drain survey is £275, but it will vary depending on the size of your home, the type of survey and your location in the country. HaMuch has a large database of average prices based on your local area, but here is a breakdown of the average costs:

Job description	Duration	Average total labour cost
Basic CCTV drain survey to identify a blockage	1 hour	£160
Full CCTV drain survey with report	3-4 hours	£275
Full survey with robotic crawler CCTV cameras	1-3 hours	£350
Full survey with push CCTV drainage cameras	3-4 hours	£500
Ground excavation	1-3 hours	£200

What does a drain survey involve?

A drain survey involves passing CCTV cameras down your drains to do an inspection of your drainage system. The cameras provide a live feed of your drains, so the engineer can get an in-depth look of your drains and see if there are any problems.

A CCTV drain survey is a useful tool if you are having repeated blockages or you suspect there is damage to old pipework. It’s important to remember that a CCTV drain survey only identifies any problems and clears minor blockages - you will have to pay separately, and potentially another drain specialist, to clear any blockages or repair any collapsed drains.

Once an engineer has inspected your drains, they will tell you whether they have identified any problems and may recommend how to solve them. They may advise that you have your drains lined or have them rodded or jetted to clear blockages.

How long does a drainage survey take?

A drainage survey can take anywhere between 1 to 4 hours, depending on the type of investigation and how complex the job is. For example, larger houses tend to have a longer drainage system, so you should expect a basic CCTV drain survey to take longer than an hour if your property is large.

Basic CCTV drain survey

A basic drain survey will usually take around an hour to complete, and the engineer will tell you what the issues are once they’ve explored them. You won’t get a report or any of the footage, which is why it generally costs less and doesn't take as much time.

Full CCTV drain survey with report

A full CCTV drain survey can take between 3 and 4 hours. It includes an in-depth investigation of your drainage system and a detailed report of any issues the engineer found, along with a copy of the CCTV footage. The report will include a description of the condition of all the drains on your property as well as a map of all the drains.

Should you get a drain survey before buying a house?

If you're buying an old property, it is certainly worth considering getting a CCTV drain survey carried out before buying it. Older properties are susceptible to collapsed drains simply due to their age, as well as tree root ingress.

Generally, a full building survey will not include an inspection of the drains, but the surveyor may be able to tell you if they suspect any issues with the drains to help you decide whether you want to carry out a CCTV survey or not.

It is also worth having a look around the property yourself - can you see and access any manholes? Is there any damp on external walls near drain pipes, or can you smell anything that could indicate a blockage? If you notice any warning signs, it is probably worth getting a drain survey before finalising your purchase.

Is a drainage survey worth it?

If you suspect problems with your drains or you are already experiencing persistent blockages, a drainage survey is definitely worth it. A drainage survey will be able to identify whether the drains have collapsed, whether there are any blockages and will also tell you the condition of the drains so you know whether to expect any problems further down the line.

Although a full CCTV survey may seem like a big cost, it is important to remember that collapsed drains, if left untreated, can cause subsidence. The potential cost and hassle of subsidence to your property will be much more than the cost of a drain survey to identify any problems before they get too large.

Can I carry out a CCTV drain survey myself?

No, you cannot carry out a CCTV drain survey by yourself. You need specialist equipment to carry out the survey, and without proper training and experience you could damage your drains by trying to carry out a survey yourself. If you have already got a problem, you don't want to make it worse!

The best thing to do is to get a range of quotes from trusted drain specialists in your area. Use HaMuch to find local drain specialists who can give you a price for a CCTV drain survey at your property.

Estimates for common drain specialist jobs;

Rates for other trades

CCTV drain survey cost in the UK

CCTV drain survey cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UK	CCTV drain survey cost
CCTV drain survey near London	£116
CCTV drain survey near Birmingham	£86
CCTV drain survey near Glasgow	£80
CCTV drain survey near Leeds	£82
CCTV drain survey near Liverpool	£82
CCTV drain survey near Sheffield	£82
CCTV drain survey near Edinburgh	£80
CCTV drain survey near Manchester	£86
CCTV drain survey near Belfast	£72
CCTV drain survey near Bristol	£90
CCTV drain survey near Leicester	£80
CCTV drain survey near Cardiff	£72
CCTV drain survey near Coventry	£82
CCTV drain survey near Bradford	£84
CCTV drain survey near Nottingham	£82
CCTV drain survey near Newcastle Upon Tyne	£80
CCTV drain survey near Brighton and Hove	£90
CCTV drain survey near Derby	£88
CCTV drain survey near Hull	£114
CCTV drain survey near Plymouth	£60
CCTV drain survey near Stoke-on-Trent	£84
CCTV drain survey near Southampton	£84
CCTV drain survey near Northampton	£104
CCTV drain survey near Wolverhampton	£86
CCTV drain survey near Luton	£108
CCTV drain survey near Portsmouth	£86
CCTV drain survey near Reading	£104
CCTV drain survey near Norwich	£78
CCTV drain survey near Milton Keynes	£104
CCTV drain survey near Bournemouth	£92
CCTV drain survey near Aberdeen	£72
CCTV drain survey near Peterborough	£80
CCTV drain survey near Bolton	£86
CCTV drain survey near Swindon	£160
CCTV drain survey near Southend-on-Sea	£84
CCTV drain survey near Warrington	£82
CCTV drain survey near Oxford	£104
CCTV drain survey near Swansea	£76
CCTV drain survey near Sunderland	£80
CCTV drain survey near Slough	£110
CCTV drain survey near Kingswood	£92
CCTV drain survey near Telford	£90
CCTV drain survey near Cambridge	£98
CCTV drain survey near Ipswich	£116
CCTV drain survey near Blackpool	£80
CCTV drain survey near Middlesbrough	£78
CCTV drain survey near Dundee	£82
CCTV drain survey near Huddersfield	£82
CCTV drain survey near York	£58
CCTV drain survey near Poole	£92
CCTV drain survey near Watford	£114
CCTV drain survey near Newport	£68
CCTV drain survey near Colchester	£96
CCTV drain survey near Exeter	£90
CCTV drain survey near Blackburn	£82
CCTV drain survey near Crawley	£94
CCTV drain survey near Gloucester	£78
CCTV drain survey near Stockport	£90
CCTV drain survey near Basingstoke	£104
CCTV drain survey near Basildon	£96
CCTV drain survey near Cheltenham	£88
CCTV drain survey near Gateshead	£82
CCTV drain survey near Worthing	£88
CCTV drain survey near Rochdale	£90
CCTV drain survey near Oldham	£86
CCTV drain survey near Chelmsford	£88
CCTV drain survey near Birkenhead	£76
CCTV drain survey near Maidstone	£92
CCTV drain survey near Gillingham	£94
CCTV drain survey near Salford	£84
CCTV drain survey near Solihull	£86
CCTV drain survey near St Helens	£80
CCTV drain survey near Worcester	£88
CCTV drain survey near Lincoln	£68
CCTV drain survey near West Bromwich	£84
CCTV drain survey near Eastbourne	£94
CCTV drain survey near Wakefield	£80
CCTV drain survey near Wythenshawe	£86
CCTV drain survey near Bedford	£100
CCTV drain survey near Hemel Hempstead	£110
CCTV drain survey near Preston	£78
CCTV drain survey near Stevenage	£110
CCTV drain survey near Southport	£82
CCTV drain survey near Bath	£92
CCTV drain survey near Harlow	£112
CCTV drain survey near Sutton Coldfield	£84
CCTV drain survey near Darlington	£82
CCTV drain survey near Chester	£80
CCTV drain survey near Hastings	£88
CCTV drain survey near Nuneaton	£76
CCTV drain survey near Halifax	£82
CCTV drain survey near Hartlepool	£76
CCTV drain survey near Aylesbury	£108
CCTV drain survey near Doncaster	£76
CCTV drain survey near Grimsby	£52
CCTV drain survey near Wallasey	£76
CCTV drain survey near Londonderry	£50
CCTV drain survey near Stockton-on-Tees	£78
CCTV drain survey near Weston-super-Mare	£80
CCTV drain survey near High Wycombe	£114
CCTV drain survey near Ashford	£102
CCTV drain survey near Redditch	£84
CCTV drain survey near Wigan	£84
CCTV drain survey near Scunthorpe	£118
CCTV drain survey near Bury	£86
CCTV drain survey near Paisley	£82
CCTV drain survey near Bracknell	£108
CCTV drain survey near Burnley	£82
CCTV drain survey near Rugby	£86
CCTV drain survey near Guildford	£106
CCTV drain survey near Carlisle	£56
CCTV drain survey near Chatham	£96
CCTV drain survey near East Kilbride	£74
CCTV drain survey near Newcastle-under-Lyme	£84
CCTV drain survey near Chesterfield	£84
CCTV drain survey near Burton upon Trent	£80
CCTV drain survey near Tamworth	£82
CCTV drain survey near Shrewsbury	£76
CCTV drain survey near Woking	£108
CCTV drain survey near St Albans	£110
CCTV drain survey near Harrogate	£70
CCTV drain survey near Crewe	£82
CCTV drain survey near South Shields	£80
CCTV drain survey near Craigavon	£68
CCTV drain survey near Stafford	£80
CCTV drain survey near Rotherham	£78
CCTV drain survey near Barnsley	£78
CCTV drain survey near Lowestoft	£60
CCTV drain survey near Walsall	£84
CCTV drain survey near Gosport	£84
CCTV drain survey near Dartford	£112
CCTV drain survey near Bognor Regis	£96
CCTV drain survey near Corby	£82
CCTV drain survey near Paignton	£84
CCTV drain survey near Maidenhead	£110
CCTV drain survey near Rochester	£96
CCTV drain survey near Ellesmere Port	£80
CCTV drain survey near Loughborough	£86
CCTV drain survey near Dudley	£84
CCTV drain survey near Bangor	£74
CCTV drain survey near Dewsbury	£80
CCTV drain survey near Mansfield	£82
CCTV drain survey near Margate	£86
CCTV drain survey near Kettering	£92
CCTV drain survey near Cannock	£84
CCTV drain survey near Sale	£88
CCTV drain survey near Taunton	£62
CCTV drain survey near Runcorn	£82
CCTV drain survey near Farnborough	£106
CCTV drain survey near Tynemouth	£80
CCTV drain survey near Hereford	£94
CCTV drain survey near Halesowen	£86
CCTV drain survey near Widnes	£78
CCTV drain survey near Huyton with Roby	£78
CCTV drain survey near Scarborough	£70
CCTV drain survey near Gravesend	£102
CCTV drain survey near Bebington	£80
CCTV drain survey near Kidderminster	£84
CCTV drain survey near Stourbridge	£86
CCTV drain survey near Barry	£78
CCTV drain survey near Smethwick	£84
CCTV drain survey near Dunfermline	£82
CCTV drain survey near Livingston	£84
CCTV drain survey near Weymouth	£74
CCTV drain survey near Brentwood	£104
CCTV drain survey near Barrow-in-Furness	£80
CCTV drain survey near Hamilton	£80
CCTV drain survey near Canterbury	£84
CCTV drain survey near Wellingborough	£98
CCTV drain survey near Sittingbourne	£92
CCTV drain survey near Macclesfield	£76
CCTV drain survey near Bootle	£80
CCTV drain survey near Carlton	£84
CCTV drain survey near Esher	£118
CCTV drain survey near Clacton-on-Sea	£108
CCTV drain survey near Lancaster	£96
CCTV drain survey near Beeston	£82
CCTV drain survey near Banbury	£88
CCTV drain survey near Torquay	£82
CCTV drain survey near Folkestone	£102
CCTV drain survey near Kingswinford	£88
CCTV drain survey near Bloxwich	£84
CCTV drain survey near Bridgend	£76
CCTV drain survey near Welwyn Garden City	£106
CCTV drain survey near Lisburn	£72
CCTV drain survey near Leamington Spa	£84
CCTV drain survey near Washington	£80
CCTV drain survey near Tunbridge Wells	£92
CCTV drain survey near Kirkcaldy	£84
CCTV drain survey near Hinckley	£80
CCTV drain survey near Durham	£80
CCTV drain survey near Cumbernauld	£80
CCTV drain survey near Wokingham	£108
CCTV drain survey near Horsham	£90
CCTV drain survey near Crosby	£76
CCTV drain survey near Yeovil	£72
CCTV drain survey near Thundersley	£88
CCTV drain survey near Altrincham	£88
CCTV drain survey near Willenhall	£86
CCTV drain survey near Christchurch	£92

	Job	Estimate
	Cost to unblock a drain	£400
	Cost to reline a drain	£170 square meter
	Cost for a CCTV drain survey	£275