Typical 2026 quotes
How much does emergency drain unblocking cost?
A drain unblocking callout runs £80–£150; high-pressure jetting £150–£250; a CCTV survey £150–£350. Digging up a collapsed run starts around £600 and can pass £2,500. Nights and weekends cost more. A blocked public sewer is the water company's job, free.
What drain work costs, 2026
Last updated
Typical quote ranges for domestic drain work across the UK in 2026. They are not fixed prices: access, depth, the blockage's cause and your postcode move the number, and London tops every range. Check whose drain it is before paying anyone. The water company clears public sewers and lateral drains at no cost to you.
Ranges reflect typical quotes for domestic drainage work observed across the UK market in 2026; they vary by region, access, depth and cause. The out-of-hours premium is expressed as an uplift because firms apply it differently, some as a higher callout, some as a multiplier. Excavation figures assume a single repair point; long runs, deep drains and work under driveways or floors cost more. Get exact prices for your job via the form above.
| Job | Typical price (2026 quotes) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Callout, unblock with rods or plunger | £80–£150 | Most one-off sink, toilet and gully blockages end here |
| High-pressure water jetting | £150–£250 | Grease, scale, silt and stubborn blockages; often priced by the hour |
| CCTV drain survey | £150–£350 | Finds the fault; the sensible step before any repair quote |
| Patch lining (no-dig repair) | £300–£1,500 per patch | Seals cracks and holes without digging; needs a survey first |
| Excavation and repair | £600–£2,500+ | Collapsed or badly damaged runs; depth and surface reinstatement drive the price |
| Out-of-hours emergency premium | Often 50–100% on top | Nights, weekends, bank holidays; ask the rate before they set off |
- A standard drain unblocking callout typically costs £80–£150 in 2026 quotes; high-pressure jetting typically £150–£250 (varies by region and access).
- Since 1 October 2011, lateral drains beyond the property boundary and shared sewers have belonged to the water and sewerage companies, which clear blockages in them at no cost to the householder.
- Excavation drain repairs typically start around £600 and commonly pass £2,500 where pipes are deep or under hard surfaces (typical 2026 quotes).
Cite this page
“What drain work costs, 2026”, Drain Prices, https://drainprices.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Ranges reflect typical quotes for domestic drainage work observed across the UK market in 2026; they vary by region, access, depth and cause. The out-of-hours premium is expressed as an uplift because firms apply it differently, some as a higher callout, some as a multiplier. Excavation figures assume a single repair point; long runs, deep drains and work under driveways or floors cost more. Get exact prices for your job via the form above.
Worth knowing
Every figure sourced and dated.
How much to unblock a drain: 2026 UK prices
How much does it cost to unblock a drain? £80–£150 for a standard visit, £150–£250 for jetting. Toilet and sink prices, sewage drains, and when you should not pay at all.
Blocked drains outside: who is responsible, you or the water company?
Since October 2011, lateral drains beyond your boundary and shared sewers belong to the water company. How to tell whose blockage it is before paying anyone.
CCTV drain survey cost: when the survey is worth it
CCTV drain survey cost, drain camera inspection and pre-purchase survey prices from firms that publish them, and when a survey is worth paying for.
What happens next
- Tell us what the drain is doing, how urgent it is and where the property is. A minute, no account.
- We pass your details to at most three local drainage engineers who cover your postcode, and to nobody else.
- They call you with a real price for your job, which you can set against the typical drain unblocking cost. Compare, book, or walk away.
Drain Prices is a free introduction service; we pass your details to relevant local drainage engineers who price the work directly. We may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not a drainage contractor and nothing here is professional or legal advice; cost figures are typical 2026 quote ranges that vary by region, access and complexity.
The questions we get
How much does drain unblocking cost?
Typical 2026 quotes: £80–£150 for a standard callout with rods, £150–£250 for high-pressure jetting, £150–£350 for a CCTV survey. Digging up and repairing a collapsed drain is £600–£2,500+. Out-of-hours emergencies commonly add 50–100%. Ranges vary by region and access.
Who pays to unblock a drain, me or the water company?
You pay for the drain serving only your property inside your boundary. Lateral drains beyond the boundary, and any pipe shared by two or more properties, have belonged to the water companies since 1 October 2011. They clear those at no charge. Check before booking anyone.
Is drain jetting worth the extra over rodding?
For grease, scale, silt and compacted blockages, yes: rods punch a hole, jetting cleans the pipe wall, so the blockage is less likely to re-form. For a simple soft blockage, rodding at £80–£150 usually does the job. A firm that quotes jetting for everything should be able to say why.
What does an emergency drain callout cost?
Expect the standard price plus 50–100% at nights, weekends and bank holidays (typical 2026 quotes). Always ask the out-of-hours rate on the phone before anyone sets off. If sewage is not actually entering the property, waiting for the day rate is usually cheaper.
Why does my drain keep blocking?
Repeat blockages almost always have a physical cause: root ingress, scale, a displaced joint, a bellied pipe holding water, or a partial collapse. Paying for clearance visit after visit treats the symptom. A CCTV survey at £150–£350 finds the cause and tells you what fixing it actually involves.
Is this price service really free?
Yes, free to you, no obligation to book anyone. We pass your details only to relevant local drainage engineers, who price the job directly; we may receive a fee from those firms, which is how the service is funded.
How do I get drainage quotes?
Tell us the job through the form: what is blocked or broken, where, and how urgent it is. Local drainage engineers price it directly, so the drainage quotes you get are for your job rather than a typical range, and there is no obligation to book anyone.
Sources
This site's own dataset, every figure quoted from its source and dated:
- The median published figure in the UK Drain Price Index is 100 GBP across 9 figures from 5 sources' own pages (range 60 to 250 GBP), read 11 November 2026.