CCTV Drain Survey in London — From £149+VAT, Same-Day Report

A standard CCTV drain survey in London typically costs between £139 and £325  depending on property size and report depth. At ASAP Drainage, a standard 2–4 bed house is £149  flat, with a full custom report emailed within 24 hours. Pre-purchase, insurance-grade and Build-Over Agreement surveys are priced separately. See our pricing table above.

A CCTV drain survey uses a waterproof camera on a push rod or crawler unit to inspect the inside of underground drains and sewers. It records HD video and still photos, and a trained surveyor produces a written report with MSCC5-coded defect classification.

Most domestic CCTV drain surveys take 45 minutes to 2 hours on site, with the written report delivered within 24 hours. Commercial and build-over surveys may take longer.

A drain survey is strongly recommended for properties built before 1970, properties with trees within 3 metres of the boundary, any property that has been extended, and any property that has been unoccupied for over 12 months. In 20–30% of older UK homes a defect is found, and those findings are routinely used in sale-price renegotiation.

Yes, particularly for Victorian, Edwardian and period properties (most of central and inner London), where clay drainage is common and prone to root ingress and displaced joints. The survey often pays for itself many times over via price renegotiation.

The buyer typically pays. Occasionally a seller commissions one upfront to speed up a sale on an older property.

They’re the same thing. “Drain survey” is the category, while “CCTV drain survey” refers to the inspection method using a camera, which is the UK standard approach.

Tree roots, fractured / cracked / displaced pipes, pipe collapses, FOG (fat/grease) build-up, pipe bellies, rat ingress runs, cross-connections (foul into surface water or vice versa), build-over breaches, scale / silt build-up, and the overall MSCC5 condition rating of each run.

A CCTV drain survey can identify drainage faults that cause or contribute to subsidence, including leaking joints, fractured pipes and pipe bellies. That’s why insurers require one on subsidence claims. It doesn’t diagnose subsidence itself (that’s a structural engineer’s job), but it provides the drainage evidence.

Sometimes, typically when it’s part of an active subsidence, escape-of-water, or trace-and-access claim. Your insurer will usually confirm in writing before we attend. Call us on 0800 955 4549 and we’ll tell you whether the insurer you named is likely to cover it. We handle the major UK insurers weekly.

Yes, at no extra cost. Just give us the email when you book and we’ll CC your nominated recipient on the report email.

Yes. Every report is compiled in-house by the ASAP team using MSCC5 (Manual of Sewer Condition Classification, 5th edition) defect coding and follows WRc and SRM (Sewerage Risk Management) standards. 

Yes on our Homebuyer pack. The six-section Drain Report 6 format (Section 1: Property details · Section 2: Survey purpose · Section 3: Executive summary · Section 4: Manhole-by-manhole log · Section 5: Defects & MSCC5 coding · Section 6: Recommendations) is built into every pre-purchase survey we do.

A build-over agreement is permission from the sewer authority (Thames Water, Affinity, SES Water) to build within 3 metres of a public sewer. A CCTV drain survey of the affected pipework is typically required before construction starts, and often again after to confirm no damage. We handle the whole application.

No. The fixed price in the table above is the full fee. No hidden call-out charge, no mileage, no surcharges for weekend slots.

No. We accept keys or lockbox codes and attend unaccompanied. Photos and the report are emailed within 24 hours.

Yes, that’s the whole point. A CCTV drain survey is completely non-invasive. The camera enters through existing manholes, rodding eyes, or cleanout points. We never need to break ground to complete a survey.

Yes, if you’re in W, SW, TW, KT, UB, HA, SL or RG postcodes and call before 11am, we’ll usually attend the same day. Call 0800 955 4549 to confirm the next slot.