Need help with CCTV Drain Surveys?
Imagine going about your day, having no idea what’s lurking beneath your feet. Scary, right?
The thing is, just like you, I used to view drain maintenance as a mysterious and dangerous affair. Hidden beneath my property, out of sight and out of mind.
Thankfully, there’s a better way, and that’s with professional CCTV drain surveys from Smart Drain UK.
The Smart Drain UK Blog is here to talk about why CCTV drain surveys are essential for modern homes.
This is a collaborative post.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Modern Homes Need CCTV Drain Surveys
- What Makes CCTV Technology Different
- 5 Warning Signs You Need a CCTV Survey
- How Much CCTV Surveys Actually Cost
Why Modern Homes Need CCTV Drain Surveys
CCTV drain surveys have some serious benefits for homeowners.
If you’re a new homeowner and you’ve never had one, or you’ve never considered it, here are three reasons you should.
Prevent Costly Emergency Repairs
CCTV surveys are basically a health check-up for your drains and pipework.
Why? Well, because most problems are hidden from sight, and the more time they’re left the more expensive they become to fix.
The sooner you spot an issue with a CCTV camera inspection, the more affordable the repair cost.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that detecting issues early can save you serious money in the long run. Take a look at the stats.
Recent data shows the average cost to repair a collapsed drain is just over £850. But the cost for a CCTV survey that detects the problem before it’s too late is only £275 for a full CCTV drain survey with a report.
Makes sense, right? Paying out for a £275 survey is almost certainly going to save you hundreds in future repair costs.
Protect Your Property Investment
Something that a lot of people don’t realize is that your home’s drainage system is literally part of its structural foundations.
When drains fail, they can cause major issues for your property, including damp, subsidence and structural problems.
Recent statistics reveal that over 80% of homeowners overspent on home renovations by at least £500 in 2023. A big cause of the overspend was due to finding underlying drainage issues while other works were being carried out.
CCTV drain surveys protect your property investment by giving you total visibility into what’s happening in your drains.
Building insurance policies rarely cover the gradual deterioration of drains. Having regular CCTV surveys can help to provide evidence of maintenance should you ever need to make a claim.
Essential for Property Transactions
The most underrated use of CCTV drain surveys is when it comes to purchasing a property.
A standard building survey doesn’t usually include a drainage inspection. Meaning you could be buying a house with compromised drains and never even know until it’s too late.
Which would put you in a massive financial position.
Say you find out about major drainage issues post-completion. You’d have to foot the bill for thousands in repair costs with no way of reclaiming the money from the seller.
What Makes CCTV Technology Different?
The other thing that’s worth mentioning is what makes CCTV drain surveys so different to traditional methods.
Previously, surveying your drains meant getting the builders in and digging up your garden or pavement.
The only way you could see what was going on with your drainage system was by getting dirty!
These days, thanks to the wonders of CCTV camera technology, there’s a much better way to go about it. You see, with CCTV, you can inspect your drains with zero excavation.
It’s simple: a tiny waterproof camera on the end of a flexible rod is inserted into your drainage system and then fed through the pipework. As the camera is moved through the network, it transmits live high-definition video to a monitor.
This footage gives you a full internal view of your drains, revealing:
- Obstructions and the exact locations where they are occurring.
- Damage, cracks or collapses to pipes.
- Tree root intrusion.
- Pipe joint issues.
- Scale buildup or corrosion.
Here’s another big advantage…
If a problem is detected, then engineers know precisely where to dig. So there’s no more guesswork or costly and unnecessary excavations.
5 Warning Signs You Need a CCTV Survey
If your drains are trying to send you a message…
What are the warning signs that they’re about to give up the ghost?
Here are five red flags that it might be time for a CCTV drain survey:
Frequent Blockages
One of the main signs of structural issues within your drainage system is repeated blocked drains.
If you find you’re constantly dealing with unblocking drains despite routine maintenance, then you may have bigger problems.
A CCTV drain survey will pinpoint the exact cause of the persistent blockages.
Slow Drainage
Water taking longer than usual to drain away can be an early indicator of partial pipe collapses or significant obstructions.
Take action before it becomes a major problem.
Bad Smells
If you notice unpleasant odours coming from your drains, especially outdoors, it can mean there are broken pipes allowing sewage to escape into the surrounding ground.
Needless to say, a CCTV survey can identify any underground leaks before they get worse.
Damp Spots
Have you noticed unexplained damp or wet patches in your garden or around your property? This can also indicate broken drainage pipes.
Look out for signs of waterlogging and arrange a CCTV survey.
Gurgling Noises
Strange gurgling noises coming from your drains can often indicate air becoming trapped in the system as a result of blockages or pipe damage.
Any of these five warning signs is a good reason to get a CCTV drain survey.
How Much CCTV Surveys Actually Cost
The question I get asked most is how much CCTV drain surveys actually cost.
CCTV drain survey costs will vary depending on your needs, but in general they’re very affordable when you consider the problems they can prevent.
Standard Drain Surveys
The basic “look and see” type CCTV drain survey comes in at around £85-£235. It will give you instant visual feedback on your drainage system’s current condition.
Full Drain Surveys with Reports
The more comprehensive CCTV drain surveys that include a full written report and video footage cost in the region of £250-£350.
Full reports include a technical survey of the drainage system’s condition, the exact location of any defects, detailed repair recommendations, and copies of video footage from the inspection. Plus any technical drawings of the property’s drainage layout.
Factors That Affect the Price
As with most things, there are several factors that affect CCTV survey costs.
The size of the property, accessibility of drains and complexity of the system all impact the price. Plus, the depth of the survey you need (some jobs require more in-depth investigation).
Where you live also has a big impact. Urban areas tend to charge higher rates than rural ones.
But it’s worth keeping in mind that even the most expensive CCTV survey is cheaper than a single emergency repair. It’s essentially your drainage system insurance.
Wrap Up
CCTV drain surveys aren’t some optional add-on for modern homeowners.
They’re essential and form an important part of a preventative maintenance regime.
Hidden drainage problems can cost you thousands to repair. CCTV surveys give you total transparency into your subterranean drainage system, and identify issues before they become major emergencies.
Whether you’re buying a property, have drainage problems or just want to have piece of mind about your home’s hidden infrastructure. CCTV drain surveys have the answers.
The best drainage strategy is proactive prevention. Paying for a £275 survey now is a drop in the ocean compared to the thousands you could pay for emergency repair bills later.
Don’t wait for warning signs to appear, book your CCTV drain survey today and take back control of your property’s hidden pipework.
Your future self will thank you.