What drain surveys involves
A drain survey sends a small waterproof camera along the pipes under and around a property, recording what it sees as it goes. The footage shows cracks, root intrusion, collapsed sections, displaced joints and build-ups that cannot be spotted from a manhole lid.
It is worth booking when a drain keeps blocking, when damp near a soil pipe or gully suggests a leak below ground, before building an extension close to a drain run, or when buying an older home with pipework of unknown age.
How drain surveys works with us
Lift covers
The specialist locates and opens the manholes and inspection chambers that give access to the system.
Camera run
A camera on a push rod or crawler is fed along each accessible pipe, recording the full length.
Footage review
The recording is checked frame by frame and defects are logged with their position and severity.
Report issued
You receive the written findings, the footage and a note of any repairs the specialist suggests.
Is this the right survey for you?
- Sinks, baths or outside gullies that empty slowly or back up again
- A damp patch low on a wall close to a drain or soil stack
- A sewage smell in the garden or yard
- Rats or other pests appearing near the house
- Plans to build over or beside an existing drain run
- Buying a property where nobody knows the state of the drains
Book your damp survey today
Pick the survey you need, send the address and a few details, and a specialist will get back to you to set a date.
- Damp, mould, drain and cavity wall surveys
- Visits across all six counties
- Price fixed before you book
What's included
- Opening of accessible manholes and inspection chambers
- Camera inspection along reachable pipework
- Recorded footage of the runs surveyed
- Written report noting defects and their positions
- Rough sketch of the drain layout where it can be traced
Most domestic drain surveys typically take one to three hours on site, depending on the number of chambers and how easily the camera travels along the pipes.
Reasons to book your survey across Northern Ireland
Price set before booking. The specialist firm's set price is in writing before the visit is confirmed.
Findings you can keep. The specialist firm sets out readings, causes and next steps in a written report.
Specialists who know the area. Specialists working across Northern Ireland see the same housing and weather week in, week out.
Your call on what follows. Any repair advice is yours to act on or leave; nobody chases you to proceed.
Why footage beats guesswork
Inside the pipe
The camera shows the condition of each length, so a defect can be pinpointed by distance from the chamber rather than dug for blind.
Drains and damp
A cracked or leaking pipe can soak the ground beside a wall for years. Linking the drain survey to damp readings can explain wet floors and walls that other checks miss.
Recorded for later
The footage and report can be passed to a drainage contractor, a buyer's solicitor or a building control officer, so the problem is described once and clearly.
Drain surveys across Northern Ireland
Bookings for a drain surveys are taken from Antrim · Armagh · Ballyclare · Ballymena · Ballymoney · Ballynahinch · Banbridge · Bangor, along with many more areas throughout Northern Ireland, and the specialist covering each one arranges the visit.
Related damp survey services
Cavity wall surveys
Cavity wall surveys across Northern Ireland.
Condensation surveys
Condensation surveys across Northern Ireland.
Damp surveys
Damp surveys across Northern Ireland.
Mould surveys
Mould surveys across Northern Ireland.
Penetrating damp surveys
Penetrating damp surveys across Northern Ireland.
Pre-purchase damp surveys
Pre-purchase damp surveys across Northern Ireland.
Rising damp surveys
Rising damp surveys across Northern Ireland.
Answers first
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What does a CCTV drain survey show?
It shows the inside of the accessible pipework: cracks, fractures, roots, sagging sections that hold water, misaligned joints and debris, along with roughly where each fault sits.
Does the drain need clearing before the camera goes in?
If a drain is fully blocked the camera may not be able to travel along it. Mention any known blockage when booking so the specialist arrives prepared for it.
Will the survey show whose responsibility the drain is?
The report traces the run where possible, including where it seems to join a shared or public sewer, which helps when discussing repairs with NI Water or a neighbour.