Typical 2026 quotes
How much does a CCTV drain survey cost?
£150–£350 for a standard domestic survey. £200–£400 when it's a homebuyer survey with a formal written report. Drain mapping and root cutting are priced on top. What you are buying is not the camera's time, it is the recording and the report: evidence of what is down there, where, and how bad, before you commit to a purchase, a build-over application or a repair bill. Tell us why you need one and local survey engineers will quote your job.
How it works
- Tell us why you need the survey, the property type and your timescale. A minute of questions.
- Your details go to local drain survey engineers covering that postcode, and to no one else.
- They quote you their price and turnaround for the report. Compare, book, or walk away.
CCTV Drain Survey Cost is a free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd; we pass your details to local CCTV drain survey engineers who quote you directly. We may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not a drainage or surveying firm and nothing here is professional, legal or structural advice; cost figures are typical 2026 quote ranges that vary by region, drain length and condition.
CCTV drain survey costs, 2026
Last updated
Typical prices for CCTV drain surveys across the UK in 2026. The spread within each range comes down to the length and number of drain runs, how much cleaning the camera needs to see the pipe wall, and region, London and the South East price at the top. A survey bought for a purpose (house purchase, build-over application) costs slightly more because the written report has to stand up to a third party reading it.
Ranges reflect typical quotes for domestic CCTV drain survey work observed across the UK market in 2026; they vary by region, drain length and condition. Homebuyer figures assume a standard house with accessible chambers. Mapping and root cutting are add-ons whose pricing differs noticeably between firms, treat those rows as indicative and have every quote itemised. Get exact quotes for your property via the form above.
| Survey | Typical cost (2026 quotes) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard domestic CCTV survey | £150–£350 | Camera run with recorded footage; jetting first if the drain is dirty |
| Homebuyer drain survey with written report | £200–£400 | Formal report for pre-exchange decisions; fast turnaround available |
| Drain mapping added to a survey | Typically £50–£150 extra | Sonde-traced plan of runs and depths; water companies often want it for build-overs |
| Root cutting or mechanical cleaning found necessary | £150–£400 | Quoted after the camera shows the extent; confirm before work proceeds |
| Same-day or out-of-hours survey | Premium on standard price | Ask the uplift when booking; rarely needed outside emergencies |
- A standard domestic CCTV drain survey typically costs £150–£350 in 2026 quotes; a homebuyer survey with a formal written report typically £200–£400 (varies by region and drain length).
- Building over or within 3 metres of a public sewer requires a build-over agreement with the water company, which commonly asks for CCTV surveys before and after the works.
- Since the 2011 private sewer transfer, shared drains and pipes beyond the property boundary are public sewers, so more gardens contain water company assets than their owners realise.
Cite this page
“CCTV drain survey costs, 2026”, CCTV Drain Survey Cost, https://cctvdrainsurveycost.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Ranges reflect typical quotes for domestic CCTV drain survey work observed across the UK market in 2026; they vary by region, drain length and condition. Homebuyer figures assume a standard house with accessible chambers. Mapping and root cutting are add-ons whose pricing differs noticeably between firms, treat those rows as indicative and have every quote itemised. Get exact quotes for your property via the form above.
Go deeper
Sourced, dated, kept current.
Homebuyer drain survey: is it worth £200–£400 before you exchange?
A homebuyer drain survey costs £200–£400 and covers pipes no standard home survey inspects. With drain repairs at £600–£2,500+, buyers of older homes pay for one.
Build-over agreements: the drain survey your water company asks for
Building over or within 3 metres of a public sewer needs a build-over agreement, and water companies routinely require CCTV surveys before and after the works.
What a CCTV drain survey shows: footage, defect codes, the report
A CCTV drain survey produces recorded footage and a written report: defects coded to a standard scheme with position and depth, plus repair recommendations.
Questions, answered directly
How much does a CCTV drain survey cost?
Typical 2026 quotes: £150–£350 for a standard domestic survey, £200–£400 for a homebuyer survey with a formal written report. Drain mapping typically adds £50–£150 and root cutting found necessary runs £150–£400. Prices vary by region, drain length and how much cleaning the pipes need first.
Is a CCTV drain survey worth it when buying a house?
For older, extended or tree-lined properties, generally yes: standard home surveys do not inspect underground drainage, excavated repairs cost £600–£2,500+, and insurers can decline cover for pre-existing defects. A £200–£400 report found before exchange becomes negotiating leverage rather than your bill.
Do water companies require CCTV surveys for build-over agreements?
Routinely, yes. Building over or within 3 metres of a public sewer needs the water company's agreement under Approved Document H, and applications commonly need a CCTV survey of the pipe beforehand, often with a second survey after the works proving the sewer is undamaged.
What's the difference between a standard and a homebuyer drain survey?
The camera work is similar; the report is not. A homebuyer survey (£200–£400 in typical 2026 quotes) delivers a formal written report a solicitor, seller or insurer can act on, with coded defects, photographs and repair estimates, usually on a turnaround that fits an exchange timetable.
Who pays for a drain survey, buyer or seller?
The party who wants the information, in practice the buyer, since it is the buyer taking on the drains. If the survey finds defects, the cost question flips: buyers typically use the report to negotiate the repair off the purchase price, which is why the survey is usually commissioned before exchange, not after.
Is this quote service really free?
Yes, free to you, with no obligation to book anyone. We pass your details only to local CCTV drain survey engineers, who quote you directly; we may receive a fee from those providers, which is how the service is funded.