HERTFORDSHIRE, BEDFORDSHIRE & CAMBRIDGESHIRE
CCTV Drain Surveys See Exactly What's Going On
A camera through the run, the recording and a written report that tells you whether you need a clear, a lining or a repair. Accepted by insurers, loss adjusters, solicitors and mortgage lenders.
When Do You Need a CCTV Survey?
Before buying a property
Recurring blockages that keep coming back
Suspected root ingress or structural damage
Insurance claim : Full written report provided
Unexplained damp or subsidence
Pre-build drainage checks
Get a fixed price before we start
Call and talk to an engineer, or send us the details and we will come back to you with a price.
What a CCTV drain survey involves
We start at an accessible inspection chamber and feed a camera on a flexible rod through the run, recording as it goes. The footage shows the condition of the pipe along its whole length rather than just the section causing trouble, which is usually how a recurring blockage turns out to have a structural cause further down.
You get the recording and a written report setting out what we found and where we found it along the run. If we cannot get access from an existing chamber we will tell you before we start rather than after.
What we are looking for
Most drainage faults fall into a small number of categories, and the survey is about establishing which one you have before anyone starts digging.
Root ingress. Roots find their way in through joints and then catch anything passing. Common on older clay runs near mature trees and hedging.
Displaced or open joints. Ground movement pulls sections slightly apart, so the run stops carrying properly and starts collecting.
Cracked or collapsed sections. The difference matters, because a crack can often be lined and a collapse usually cannot.
Fat, scale and debris build-up. Frequently the whole problem, and frequently cleared without any repair at all.
Standing water where the fall is wrong. Either the run was laid badly or it has settled since.
Recorded and reported, not guessed at
You get the footage as well as the report, so anything we tell you can be checked.
What happens once we have the footage
The survey tells you which of those you are dealing with, and the honest answer is that a good proportion of surveys end with a clean rather than a repair. Where work is needed the usual routes are:
Clearing the blockage where the pipe itself is sound.
Lining where the run is cracked but still in one piece, which avoids digging up the garden or the drive.
Excavation and repair where a section has genuinely collapsed and there is no way round it.
We will tell you which of those applies and why, and you will have the footage to check it against. If a cheaper option will hold, we will say so.
Buying a property in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire or Cambridgeshire
A standard homebuyer survey does not include the drains. On older housing stock that is a real gap, because drainage repairs are one of the few problems that can run into serious money after completion and are not visible from inside the house.
Our reports are formatted for insurance purposes and are accepted by solicitors and mortgage lenders, so a survey carried out before exchange can be used in the negotiation rather than becoming your problem afterwards.
★★★★★
Rated 4.9 on Google by the people we work for
Why choose Vantage
Rated 4.9 on Google from more than 750 reviews across Google, Checkatrade and Trustatrader. Qualified, accredited engineers, a fixed price before any work begins and a labour guarantee on every job, from an established local company with an office team you can actually reach. No job too small.
Gas Safe registered
Company registration 956889. Every gas engineer carries their own Gas Safe ID card, and you can ask to see it.
Refcom F-Gas certified
REF1024550. Legally required for air conditioning installation and servicing, and we hold it.
CHAS Elite accredited
Veriforce CHAS assessed for health and safety, which is why commercial clients and landlords use us.
City & Guilds and BPEC qualified
Qualified, insured engineers on every job. No subcontracted strangers.
750+ reviews, 4.9 on Google
Across Google, Checkatrade and Trustatrader. Read them before you book.
Labour guarantee on every job
12 months on repairs, installations and everything else. Two years on a full bathroom refit. If anything we did develops a fault, we come back and put it right.
Fixed price before we start
The price is agreed with you before any work begins. No hidden extras on the invoice.
24/7, answered by a person
The emergency line is answered every day of the year by someone who can send an engineer, not a call centre.
Fully stocked vans
Five vans carrying the parts that fail most often, so most jobs are fixed on the first visit.
An office team behind every job
An established local business with multiple engineers and a dedicated office team to keep you informed.
Vaillant myREWARDS and Ideal Max accredited
Accredited installer status means extended manufacturer warranties on the boilers we fit.
Emergency response within the hour
Our average response to an emergency call is under an hour across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Trusted & Accredited Professionals
Frequently asked questions
Will you need to dig anything up to carry out the survey?
No. The survey is carried out through an existing inspection chamber. Digging only comes into it if the survey finds something that cannot be repaired from the inside.
Do I get the footage or just a report?
Both. You get the recording as well as the written report, so anything we tell you can be checked.
Can the survey be used for an insurance claim?
Yes. We work with all major insurers and loss adjusters and our reports are formatted for that purpose.
What if the survey does not find anything wrong?
That is a useful result, particularly before a purchase. It also rules out the expensive possibilities before anyone spends money on them.
Book a CCTV drain survey
Call 01462 506 374 and we will talk through what you are seeing before booking anything. We cover Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, there is no call-out fee in hours, and every job we carry out comes with a 12 month labour guarantee.
Related services
Blockages, CCTV and repairs
Cleared the same day
Kitchen, bathroom and outside
Found without the digging
Compliance on one account
Every rate, published
CCTV drain surveys by town
Also worth knowing
How much does a CCTV drain survey cost?
CCTV drain surveys start from £180. The price depends on the length and access of the drain run, and you get the recording, a plan of the run and a written report you can pass to a buyer, an insurer or a solicitor.
Who is responsible for a blocked drain or sewer?
Since October 2011 the water company owns the shared sewers and the lateral drain beyond your property boundary, and you own the private drains inside your boundary that serve only your home. If the blockage is in a shared pipe you can report it to Thames Water or Anglian Water for free. If it is on your side, that is where we come in, and a CCTV survey shows exactly which it is.
Before you choose, read our guides