Expect to pay between £60 to £140 for either a look and see report or a recorded survey. A full report and recorded survey will typically cost between £70 and £200, but can go far higher depending on the contractor, whether jetting is included and the pipe network itself.
Average Cost
The quotes below are for 1 inspection chamber and exclude VAT. Remember that this is just for the inspection, not any remedial work such as water jetting.
Almost all of the prices we received for blockage identification included up to one hour of drain inspection time with additional charges per hour or per half hour.
We received one quote that could be potentially as high as up to £550, so although the prices below were typical, beware that it may be more depending on amount of time the survey takes.
| Type of CCTV Drain Survey | Average | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Look & See Survey | £75 | £60 – £140 |
| Recorded Survey | £100 | £65 – £150 |
| Full Report & Recorded Survey | £130 | £70 – £220 |
Factors That Affect the Cost
Is Jetting Work Needed?
The line cannot be surveyed if it is dirty or blocked. In that case, cleaning is required through the use of high pressure jetting initially either by tanker or jet van depending on the size of the line.
Most will add jetting work on top of the quote if required. However, some will include jetting work within the fee itself, though these quotes will tend to be a bit higher.
Generally, you’re looking to pay an extra £80 – £100 excluding VAT if jetting work is required and isn’t included within their initial quote.
How Detailed Does the Survey Need to Be?
if you require a coded survey depicting all defects within the line accompanied by a DVD this will be extra depending on how many lines you require surveying.
Size and Complexity of Pipe Network
Drainage systems will differ depending on the pipe network itself.
If there are several inspection chambers or more than one drainage system then prices could rise further outside of the typical range figures. This is usually the case for larger properties.
If the drainage pipes are wider, then a bigger camera is needed to cover all the pipes and this can cost more.
Access to Drains
Access issues always complicate things for engineers and their ability to conduct the CCTV survey. Any time delays will add extra labour costs.
Location
Labour costs in London and the south of England are generally more expensive than elsewhere.
If the contractor needs to travel beyond a certain radius, then they may add an extra fee on top. Although there are plenty of firms that conduct CCTV drain surveys, you may need to hire a contractor further afield if you live in very rural areas.
Differences Between a Look & See Survey vs CCTV Drain Survey
Typically, jetting is used to remove any blockages or problems and then a CCTV camera can be sent down the drain and can look to see why the issue arose in the first place.
A full CCTV drain survey will then be useful so that the condition of the drainage system can be viewed in full. CCTV drain surveys are useful for buyers of homes so that the drainage system can be inspected in full.
A full report and recorded CCTV drain survey can map the drains and is useful for when there is more than just one single blockage. Within one, you can expect to find a map of all the drains within a property and a condition report. This will likely include both still images and video footage.
A drainage professional will usually suggest which procedure is needed to either tackle a problem or form a comprehensive drainage report.
What to Look for When Hiring a Contractor
Some of the certifications to look out for when considering contractors for the job include:
- NADC – National Association Drainage Contractors
- WJA – Water Jetting Association
- CHAS – Contractor Health and Safety Assessment Scheme
- Achilles UVDB – Utility Vendor Database (UK)
Why You Can Trust This Data
We conducted our own original research and contacted 16 firms for quotes on a CCTV drain survey. Most contractors quoted for the full report and recorded CCTV drain survey, also known as a home buyers CCTV drain survey.
Most of the quotes we received had a set price for the drain survey with up to 1 – 2 hours allowed to survey the drains themselves before charging extra.
The extra charges are usually per hour or per half an hour. We then collected all the costs and separated them out depending on what was offered. We then took an average and gave typical ranges.
Get Pricing on CCTV Drain Surveys Near You
We’ve done our best to give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay for a CCTV drain survey.
However, our guides are not a substitute for a fixed quote specifically for you.
We work with all the best drain surveyors ready to price your job. Get free, no-obligation quotes in your local area and compare prices using the form below.
- Compare Multiple Quotes & Save Up to 40%
- Certified & Vetted Drain Surveyors
- Free & No Obligation
- Local CCTV Drain Specialists Near You