Drain Unblocking Coventry
Drain Survey CCTV
Purchasing a new property? Or experiencing issues with one you currently own? Our CCTV drain surveys are perfect for carrying out an in depth inspection of your drainage system.
Buying a new home is one of the biggest steps in life we take, it’s an exciting new chapter we look forwards to but will also potentially be the most expensive thing we purchase.
The greatest disappointment comes when the reality of our dreams doesn’t quite live up our expectations, such as when we find out the new home, we’ve purchased requires a great expense to fix a drain related issue that was identified after raw sewage overspilled onto our newly installed carpets, the disappointment we feel is unexplainable.
When we buy a new home, we see bricks and mortar, plaster, kitchens and bathrooms. What we don’t see is the drainage system that lurks beneath and the potential havoc it could wreak on our lives if the poor condition it’s in hasn’t been identified via the standard home survey.
How much do our drain cctv surveys cost? Starting from just £220 + VAT we provide you with absolute peace of mind by bringing to light what can’t be seen.
What do our CCTV Drain Survey's Include?
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When carrying out a drain survey we focus on 8 fundamental points which will lead us to any issues (large or small) that we can the explore further should the findings require it.
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Damaged drainpipes, broken sewer pipes and damaged manholes
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Tree roots breaching any part of the drainage system
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Sewage blockages or a backup of waste product
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Leaks from unions / joins where drainpipes connect
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Major blockages caused by fats & oils, raw sewage or things like children’s toys that have entered the drainage system via being placed down the toilet
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Drainpipe collapses or heavy erosion that could soon lead to the breakdown of a pipe
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Poorly installed drains or old drains which are collapsing that may lead to subsidence
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Investigation of foul smells to locate the reason as to why
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By exploring these fundamental 8 steps we can cover all areas of the drainage system and the major issues they can present.
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How much can a drain survey cost?
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A recent survey of the costliest home repairs identified three out of the ten issues to be drainage related, you reference thezebra.com or home.howstuffworks.com to read couple or articles related to this but we’ve included 3 of the main points raised below:
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1: The Foundations - Foundations can lead to subsidence which can be one of the costliest home repairs going, the cost of resolving a subsidence issue can be anywhere between £7,000 - £35,000 as was found in a recent study by Edge.
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Poorly installed or old drainage systems which are eroding away can be a cause of subsidence, so it’s worth checking below ground with a full drain CCTV survey before completing on your new property to guarantee this issue won’t raise its ugly head from below after you’ve moved in and made your new house your home.
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2: The Water or Sewer Lines - Typically these large drainage pipes are buried deep beneath the ground (usually several feet below if installed correctly). Assuming you don’t have a septic tank then these pipes will connect your home to the main public water and sewage systems.
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The liability for these systems starts from your boundary (edge of the drive / garden etc) all the way throughout the property you own. The cost of replacing a damaged sewer pipe can vary from anywhere between £1000 - £6000 (it can sometimes be slightly more or less depending on the severity / complexity of your property but between that range is your typical average).
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Not taking into consideration the post damage it can cause with flood water / raw sewage affecting your garden & home after a pipe has broken or ruptured.
3: Septic tanks - If you live out in the country and aren’t in a position to have your home connected to the public water / sewage system by the traditional method then your property will be serviced by a septic tank.
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These tanks work by separating the solids and fats from household waste and allows the leftover product to seep into a drain field where bacteria will then take over to complete the process. If these tanks aren’t maintained properly or the wrong chemicals are flushed into the system, then it could end up with a system breakdown.
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Installing a new septic tank system can range anywhere between £2000 - £13000 depending on your home and the property needs.
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Taking all of the above into consideration, it’s well worth airing on the side of caution when it comes to your drainage system and going that extra step further above a traditional survey to explore what lies beneath and to make sure that your new house becomes the home you’ve always dreamed of rather than the home from hell!
Home Buyer Drain Surveys From £220 + VAT
Why should I have a Pre-Purchase Survey?
Identifying any one of the issues listed above can potentially save you hundreds of pounds, if not thousands (which you’d no doubt rather use towards a summer holiday). By locating any one of these issues before you complete on your new property you’ve put the onus on the seller to either have these works completed before the sale of the property is completed or to negotiate a reduced sale rate where you can use the money saved to carry out the necessary repairs.
Once the contracts that been exchanged and the sale is completed, the seller holds no obligation to contribute to any repair works as it’s the responsibility of the buyer to ensure the proper surveys have been conducted prior to completion.
Due to the expense drainage issues can create certain mortgage lenders may request a full drain survey is carried out before contracts are exchanged. The reports we compile are in line with what solicitors accept and are easy to read and understand.
Insurance companies haven’t always got a clear plan on the current state of your drainage system once the policy is taken out. Having a report may help to negotiate a slightly cheaper premium and if supplied once the policy is taken out, there’ll be no doubts that the insurance company will cover the damage (if included within your policy) as they’ll know at the time the policy was taken out, the drains were healthy and in good working order.
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Why choose Smart Drain UK?
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Unlike many other large drainage companies, ours was founded on a family run business which has grown over the years, so we understand the importance of a family home and how much it means to complete on a property that’s fit for purpose. You’ll find all our engineers will go the extra mile to ensure everything is completed to a high standard each time we complete a new Home Buyer Drain Survey.
Reliable friendly service. If we give a date and a time for an appointment, you can be sure we’ll be there and on will be on hand throughout the appointment to help answer any questions / queries you may have.
Over 20 years of experience within the drainage industry. We only recruit engineers with the same values our company prides itself on, any engineers trained through Smart Drain UK also have the same values installed within them. We’ve got a wide range of experience in dealing with drainage systems on both commercial & industrial properties. We’ve also worked on mains drain / sewer systems so have an incredibly good understanding of the whole process which rapidly helps us identify issues and to know who the responsibility lays with.
We use the latest equipment, whether it’s a CCTV drain survey, patch lining to replace & repair a damaged pipe without excavating it underneath precious flooring or to cut away tree roots from within a pipe using our mechanical rotary cutting device, not only can we identify issues, we can fix and resolve any one we’re faced with.
We undertake a great deal of commercial and domestic insurance work which is ideal when it comes to dealing with Home Buyer Drain Surveys as we can rapidly identify and locate any potential issues and have a great understanding of the associated costs, we know what insurer are liable for and what they aren’t and also the processes involved once a claim has been made through an insurance company which we can talk the buyer through should they wish to discuss the details further.
What will you receive from us?
So, for a start as mentioned above you’ll receive a full examination of your drainage system which covers the main 8 fundamentals as listed above, we’ll conduct a full drainage CCTV survey and identify another 4 key areas along the way which are:
Drainage System Ownership
When experiencing a drainage issue, it’s not always clear who’s responsible for organising the work and who unfortunately falls unlucky when it comes to collecting the bill. Our Home Buyer Drain Surveys come complete with a detailed plan which maps out information on drain ownerships and who’s responsible for each area of the drainage system when it comes to you, your new soon to be neighbours and the service providers.
Drain Mapping
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Our detailed survey will create a map of your drainage system which we’ll leave copy of with you. This helps to locate any service points, hidden manholes and the layout of pipes and where they are. This becomes incredibly handy when you’re planning that new extension and the builder needs to locate pipes (to ensure they aren’t dug up by mistake) or if you experience a sewage block up years later and need to identify the best place to access a service hatch.
Structural condition
Covered within our 8 fundamentals we’ll report exactly on the current condition of the drainage system on your proposed new home. Any damaged pipes or pipe erosion that need immediate repair or are likely to need repair in the near future will be identified. This makes the negotiation for your property slightly different as it puts you in a stronger position when it comes to agreeing on a final sale price, given remedial works will need to be carried out to the drainage system of the property.
If you’re looking for a reputable company to conduct a Home Buyer Drain Survey on your new property, then contact us today to find out how we can help. For added peace of mind you can also check out our customer reviews via Checkatrade or Trust Pilot here.
Please feel free to get in touch today with any drainage related questions / queries you may have, and a member of our team will be more than happy to assist you.