CCTV Drain Survey Costs (2026 UK Guide)

If your drains keep blocking, you are buying a house, or you suspect a leak or collapse, a CCTV drain survey is usually the smartest first step. But how much should you expect to pay, and what actually drives the price?

This guide breaks down typical UK costs in 2026. As a result, you can budget with confidence and avoid paying for a survey that tells you nothing useful.

What is a CCTV drain survey?

A CCTV drain survey sends a waterproof camera through your drainage system to record the exact condition of the pipes. Because the surveyor can see cracks, root ingress, displaced joints, scale and blockages, there is no need to guess or dig. The surveyor then logs each defect against the industry WRc coding standard.

The result is footage plus a written report. In short, it tells you what is wrong, where it is, and what needs doing.

Typical CCTV drain survey costs

Prices vary by region, access and the size of the system. However, as a rough guide, the following bands apply:

• Standard residential survey: a fixed, modest fee for a typical house with accessible inspection chambers.
• Homebuyer drain survey: a little more, because it is more thorough and produces a buyer-focused report — see our homebuyer drain survey service.
• Commercial survey: priced on the size and complexity of the network, often with out-of-hours options — see commercial drain surveys.

Always ask for a fixed price up front. Also, confirm that the written report is included rather than charged separately.

What changes the price?

1. Access. If the inspection chamber is easy to reach, the survey is quicker. Hard access, or no chamber at all, adds time.
2. System size. More pipe runs mean a longer survey.
3. Location. Prices differ across UK cities, so a survey in London may differ from one in Manchester or Leeds.
4. Extras. Drain tracing, mapping or jetting to clear the line before surveying can add to the cost — see drain mapping & tracing.

How to get value from a survey

A cheap survey with no report is a false economy. Therefore, to get real value, make sure you get:

• WRc-coded findings, not just raw footage.
• A written report you can share with insurers, solicitors or contractors — see drain survey reports.
• Plain-English recommendations so you know what (if anything) to do next.

If the survey finds a defect, the good news is that we can fix many faults without digging. For example, we often use no-dig drain repair and relining instead of excavation.

The bottom line

A CCTV drain survey is one of the cheapest ways to avoid an expensive mistake. Whether that is a recurring blockage you keep paying to clear, or a collapsed drain you only discover after buying a house, the survey usually pays for itself.

Get in touch with your postcode and we will give you a clear, fixed price for a survey in your area. Because we quote every job individually, you only ever pay for what you actually need.