Drain Unblocking
Blocked sinks, toilets and outside drains cleared, with dig and no-dig drain repair when the pipe itself has failed.
See Inside Your Drains Before You Commit
A camera run through the drains shows cracks, roots, displaced joints and build-up, with a recording and a written report from the man who ran it.
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Camera Evidence for Buyers, Insurers and Neighbours
A camera run through your drains shows cracks, roots, displaced joints and build-up. You get a recording and a written report from Norbert, the man who ran the camera.
Signs It Is Time To Call
- You are buying a house and want to know the drains
- The same drain has blocked more than once
- An insurer or loss adjuster has asked for evidence
- A neighbour dispute over whose drain is damaged
- Subsidence, sunken paving or a persistent drain smell
- Planning an extension near an existing drain run
Who asks for a drain survey
Most people who need a drain survey already know why. Across Kent, Surrey, Sussex and south-east London, the reasons fall into a few clear groups.
- Home buyers checking older clay drains or nearby trees before exchange
- Homeowners whose same drain keeps blocking and backing up
- Insurers and loss adjusters needing evidence of subsidence or a damaged pipe
- Neighbours who need something both sides can look at
What the camera shows
Norbert feeds a push-rod camera along each run from manholes, gullies and rodding eyes, watching the live picture. If a run is too blocked to pass, it is cleared first, with rods or drain jetting.
- Cracked or fractured sections and joints that have opened or slipped
- Roots pushing through and fat or scale narrowing the bore
- Dips where water lies and sections that have collapsed
What the report is for
You get a recording of each run and a written report on what was inspected, the pipe’s condition and where any defects sit. Norbert owns and runs the camera, so the report comes from the person who watched.
- For a buyer, a negotiating tool
- For an insurer, evidence
- For a homeowner, the basis for clearing, lining or digging up
From survey to repair
The survey tells you what comes next. Any repair Norbert carries out comes with his one year warranty on parts and labour.
- A blockage, not a defect, means drain unblocking, usually on the same visit
- Damage gets a clear answer: no-dig patch, liner or excavation
- Excavation only where a section has collapsed or moved out of line
Why people ring Norbert
20+
Years in plumbing1 year
Warranty on parts and labour24/7
Emergency call-out1
Plumber, start to finish
What the job covers
Camera inspection of runs
A push-rod camera fed along each accessible drain run from manholes, gullies and rodding eyes.
Recording of the footage
The video of each run, so you or a third party can see exactly what the camera saw.
Written report
What was inspected, the condition of each run and any defects, with their approximate position along the pipe.
Recommendations
Where a defect is found, a plain account of whether it needs clearing, a no-dig repair or excavation.
Clearing before surveying
If a run is too blocked for the camera to pass, it can be cleared first so the pipe itself can be seen.
Not sure what you need?
Quick Quote Online
CCTV Drain Surveys in pictures
How a job with Norbert runs
No call centre and no hand-offs. The same man takes the call, quotes the work and does it.
- 01
You call or send the form
Tell Norbert what is happening. He rings back himself to ask the questions that matter before anyone drives out.
- 02
He comes out and quotes
He looks at the job, explains what has failed and what the fix involves, and gives you the quote before work starts.
- 03
The work is done and tested
Fixed, tested and cleaned up, with a one year warranty on parts and labour for the work he has done.
Often needed alongside cctv drain surveys
High Pressure Drain Jetting
High-pressure water jetting for hardened fat, scale, root growth and silt that ordinary rodding leaves behind.
Leak Detection
Hidden water leaks located with thermal imaging and acoustic equipment, so the repair starts in the right place.
CCTV Drain Surveys: questions answered
01Should I get a drain survey before buying a house?
It is worth it for older houses, homes with large trees nearby, or any property where the homebuyer's report mentions drainage. A standard survey does not look inside the drains, and faults such as root ingress, cracked clay pipe or a collapsed section can be expensive to put right. Knowing before exchange gives you the chance to renegotiate or ask the seller to fix it.
02What defects can a CCTV drain inspection find?
The camera shows cracks and fractures, displaced or open joints, root ingress, collapsed or deformed sections, build-up of fat and scale, belly sections where water sits, and debris or foreign objects. It also shows where pipes change material or diameter, and where connections join the main run. Each defect is noted with its approximate distance from the access point.
03What is the drain survey report used for?
It gives you an independent record of the condition of the drains on a given date. Buyers use it to negotiate, homeowners use it to decide between repairs, and insurers and loss adjusters use it as evidence when assessing a claim. In disputes with a neighbour or a water company, it shows where the fault sits and whose pipe it is in.
04How long does a CCTV drain survey take?
A typical house with two or three access points is usually surveyed within a couple of hours on site, depending on how many runs there are and how easy the manholes are to lift. If a run is blocked and needs clearing before the camera can pass, that adds time. The written report follows the visit.
05Does the survey mean my drains will be dug up?
No. The survey itself is non-invasive and uses the existing access points. If it finds a fault, the report says what kind of repair it needs. Many cracks and open joints can be repaired from inside the pipe with a patch or liner, and excavation is only recommended where a section has collapsed or moved too far out of line.
06Who carries out the survey and writes the report?
Norbert does both. He owns and operates the camera himself, so the footage and the report come from the person who was there, watching the screen as the camera went down the pipe. If you have a question about something in the report, you are asking the man who saw it, not an office that received a file.
Tell Norbert what needs doing
A line about the job is enough. Norbert reads every enquiry himself and rings you back to talk it through before he quotes.
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Call-out
24 hours, for emergencies
Further reading
CCTV drain surveys in Sevenoaks with footage and a written report on every run, for house purchases, repeat blockages and disputes. His own survey camera.
CCTV Drain Surveys in Sevenoaks