CCTV drain survey

What is a CCTV drain survey?

A CCTV drain survey is the only way to see exactly what's happening inside your underground pipework. Our crawler cameras and push-rod units produce HD colour footage. We supply this on a USB alongside a WinCan-compliant written report. Surveys are ideal for pre-purchase homebuyer checks, recurring blockage diagnostics, insurance claims and build-over agreements. Every survey includes mapping, defect grading and an honest recommendation on whether remedial work is actually required.

A survey also gives you a permanent visual record. You can compare this year's footage against future surveys to track how a known defect is changing. For property purchases, insurance disputes, and Building Regs sign-off, written evidence beats verbal accounts every time. So, solicitors and insurers accept our reports as formal records.

When do you need a CCTV survey?

• Buying a property. If the property is over 25 years old, has mature trees in the garden, or is on clay soil, a pre-purchase drain survey is essential. It's far cheaper than the repair it might prevent you paying for.
• Recurring blockages. If the same drain blocks every few months despite professional clearance, a structural defect is catching debris. CCTV identifies exactly what and where.
• Build-over agreements. Building Regs require a survey before any work over or near a drain. We produce the reports that water companies and building control need.
• Insurance claims. All major UK insurers accept our WinCan-compliant reports as evidence for trace-and-access and drain-damage claims.
• Pre-reline assessment. Before installing a CIPP resin lining, we assess the pipe condition fully. We then produce the specification for the relining contractor.

What's in the report?

Every CCTV survey we carry out produces a WinCan-compliant report. A written report gives you something concrete to share with solicitors, insurers, and contractors. Verbal accounts of what an engineer saw on site are rarely accepted. You also have a baseline to compare against future surveys. For recurring blockages, that comparison often confirms a structural fault rather than a maintenance issue.

The report is sent as a PDF. Footage arrives separately on a USB stick for evidence purposes. You can forward the PDF immediately to a third party. Meanwhile, the original media stays preserved as a primary source.

• HD footage of the full pipe run on a USB drive
• Photo stills of every defect found, with a reference number
• Each defect graded D1–D5 using the WRc standard severity scale
• A pipe-run plan showing locations and measurements
• Plain-English summary of findings and honest recommendations
• Our engineer's contact details for follow-up questions

Understanding the WRc defect grading scale

The WRc grading scale is the UK industry standard for classifying pipe defects. The grade determines how urgent the repair is and which repair method fits. Knowing your drain's grade helps you plan work and budget before a minor defect becomes a major failure. Furthermore, insurers and property solicitors recognise WRc grades as objective evidence. A graded report carries far more weight in a claim or property deal than a verbal account.