CCTV drain survey cost: when the survey is worth it

Drain survey cost: what firms publish

Most drainage firms do not publish a survey price. Those that do, read from each firm's own page on 11 October 2026:

• Cofton DJS: from £85 for a look-and-see, or £250 for a full written report (Cofton DJS).
• Aspect: from £225 plus VAT for a property with up to four manholes (Aspect).
• London Drains Direct: from £160 plus VAT for a residential property (London Drains Direct).
• Sewerfix: from £834 including VAT for a full run with video and a coded report (Sewerfix).

A drainage survey cost rises with the number of runs, the chambers, and whether the pipe needs jetting before the camera can see.

Pre-purchase drain survey cost

A survey for a house purchase carries a written report the buyer can rely on. Chester Drain Services quotes a home buyers drain survey from £199 plus VAT (Chester Drain Services).

BN Drainage quotes a pre-purchase survey from £220 plus VAT, putting a full survey with a written report at around £200 to £400 (BN Drainage).

Drain camera inspection cost and drain mapping cost

A drain camera inspection is a CCTV survey by another name. A quick look without a report costs less than the figures above. Cofton DJS lists a standalone CCTV survey from £250 beside its unblocking prices (Cofton DJS).

Drain mapping, tracing where the runs go, is not published as a separate price by any firm we read. Ask for it to be quoted with the survey, with the plan part of the report.

Worth it

• Before agreeing any dig or reline. Never accept a £600–£2,500+ excavation quote based on someone's opinion of what is down there. The survey shows the actual defect, its position and its depth, and turns a guess into a fixed-scope job you can price against other firms.
• Recurring blockages. A drain that blocks every few months has a cause: roots, scale, a displaced joint, a sag holding water. Paying £100 a visit forever is dearer than finding it once.
• Persistent smells or rats. Both usually mean a defect, rats exploit broken pipes. The camera finds the entry point.
• Buying an older property. A survey before exchange tells you about repairs the seller's paperwork won't.

Not worth it

• A first-time, one-off blockage that rods out in twenty minutes. Clear it, note it, move on.
• A blockage in a public sewer or lateral drain. That investigation is the water company's to run and pay for, see who is responsible.
• As a free extra you didn't ask for. "While we're here, the camera shows you need a reline" is a sales technique. A survey you commission, with a written report, is evidence; a glance at a monitor is not.

What the £150–£350 should buy

1. A camera run through the drain runs in question, usually after a clean or jet so the lens can actually see the pipe wall.
2. A written report with footage, defects logged with their position and depth, not a verbal summary from the van.
3. Recommendations priced separately from the survey, so you are free to take the report to any firm you like for the repair.

Prices here are typical 2026 quotes, varying by region and by how much cleaning the drain needs before the camera goes in. A report for a house purchase or a water company build-over application must meet that audience's expectations. Ask for that in writing when you get prices.