Guides & advice
Know your drains
What our engineers wish every London homeowner knew — about blocked drains, CCTV surveys, no-dig repair and the difference between a firm that digs and one that doesn't.
Pricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Do Plumbers Charge to Unblock Drains? Plumber vs Drainage Firm
Most plumbers bill drain work at their normal hourly rate, so the cost turns on where the blockage is and what kit they carry. Why an underground blockage can cost more through a plumber, and when a plumber is the right, cheaper call.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
How Much Does Sump Pump Servicing Cost? What You Are Paying For
A sump pump service should test the pump, floats, alarm and non-return valve and clean the chamber. What moves the price, when to repair or replace, who should do the work and what to check in a servicing contract.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
Grease Trap Repair or Replacement: Which Do You Need and What Does It Cost?
A failed seal, baffle or outlet pipe is usually a repair; a corroded, cracked or undersized trap is usually a replacement. What each job is priced on, what removal adds and the questions that make quotes comparable.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does Commercial Drain Unblocking Cost?
A blocked drain at a shop, office or restaurant usually costs more to clear than one at a house because the job is bigger, not because it is a business. What sets the price, which extras a quote should list, and when a contract or a repair is the cheaper answer.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
How Much Does Channel Drain Installation Cost? What Sets the Price
A channel drain is priced less by the channel than by where the water goes, the surface that has to be cut and put back, and the load class it must carry. What each item covers, what makes a quote cheap for the wrong reasons, and when a channel drain is not the fix.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Unblock a Sewage Drain?
A blocked sewage drain costs nothing to clear if it is the public sewer, and a normal clearance price if the pipe is yours. What decides which, what pushes the bill up, and how clean-up and CCTV are priced separately.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
Drainage Search vs Drain Survey: What Each Costs and Tells You
The drainage and water search your conveyancer orders shows what a house is connected to; a CCTV drain survey shows what state the pipes are in. What each one costs you, what it answers and when paying for both makes sense.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
Overcharged by a Drainage Company? How to Check and Dispute the Bill
How to tell a genuinely inflated drainage bill from an expensive but fair one, what the law says when no price was agreed, and the steps to dispute the invoice or get money back through your card provider.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
How Much Does Drain Tracing Cost? What Sets the Price
Drain tracing is priced by the method, the number of runs to follow and how easy the access points are to reach. What a trace includes, what makes one cost more, and when free records answer the question instead.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does Drain Cleaning Cost? What a Planned Clean Includes
Drain cleaning is priced by how many runs are cleaned, what has built up inside them and whether the work is checked with a camera. What a planned clean should include, what it costs more for, and when a house does not need one.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
Why Does Drainage Work Cost More in Central London?
The drain itself is no harder to clear in the City or the West End. What costs more is getting to it: parking, the congestion charge, building access rules, restricted working hours and permits for work in the street.
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Pricing Guides · 7 min read
How Much Does Manhole Repair Cost? What Decides the Price
A manhole repair can mean a new cover, a re-bedded frame, repaired benching or a rebuilt chamber. Each is a different job with a different price. How to tell which one you need, what moves the cost, and when the repair is not yours to pay for.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
Gully Emptying: What It Costs and How Often Your Site Needs It
Car park, yard and loading bay gullies fill with silt, leaves and litter until the surface floods. What gully emptying involves, what sets the price, how often a site needs it and what to look for in a planned contract.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
Drain Maintenance Packages: What to Compare Before You Sign
Drain maintenance packages differ far more in what they include than in their headline price. How to compare visits, CCTV inspections, emergency call-out terms and exclusions, how a package compares with paying per job or home emergency cover, and when you do not need one at all.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
Fixed Price or Hourly Rate: Which Is Cheaper for Drain Unblocking?
Drainage companies charge for unblocking in one of a few ways: a fixed price for the job, an hourly rate, or a call-out fee plus time. How each one works, where the extra costs sit, and which is cheaper for the blockage you have.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
What Are Drainage Works and What Do They Cost? A Plain Guide
"Drainage works" covers five very different jobs, from clearing a blockage to laying a new connection to the public sewer. What each one involves, what drives its price, and which ones need permission before a spade goes in.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Unblock a Shower Drain?
Most blocked showers are blocked in the trap, which is a cheap fix and often a free one. The price rises when the blockage is in a boxed-in waste pipe, a wet room gully or a pumped waste. How to tell which you have before you pay anyone.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
Do Drainage Companies Charge a Call-Out Fee? What It Should Cover
Nearly every drainage firm charges for turning up; the difference is whether they call it a call-out fee, a minimum charge or part of a fixed job price. What each one should cover and the questions that stop it becoming a surprise.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
How Often Should Commercial Drains Be Cleaned? Setting a Schedule
There is no single legal interval for cleaning commercial drains. The right frequency comes from what your site sends down the pipe, how the drains are laid and what a baseline survey shows, and it decides most of what a maintenance contract costs.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does Gutter Clearing Cost? What Sets the Price
What drives a gutter clearing quote: how high the gutters are, how they can be reached, how much guttering there is and whether the downpipes are blocked too. Plus when clearing is the wrong answer and how to compare two quotes.
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Drainage Responsibility · 6 min read
Does Home Insurance Cover Blocked Drains? What You Still Pay
Most buildings policies treat a blocked drain as maintenance, not a claim. What home insurance usually does and does not pay for, how home emergency cover differs, and how to tell whether a claim is worth more than your excess.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does Septic Tank Emptying Cost? What Sets the Price
What you pay to empty a septic tank or cesspit is set by the volume removed, the type of system, tanker access and how overdue the tank is. How to read a quote, what it should include, and why frequency matters more than the price per visit.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Unblock an Outside Drain?
The price of unblocking an outside drain is set by where the blockage sits: the gully, the inspection chamber and pipe run, or the public sewer, which the water company clears. How to tell which you have before you pay anyone.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Unblock a Toilet? What Sets the Price
The price of unblocking a toilet is decided by where the blockage is, what caused it and when you book. How to read that before you call anyone, and how to tell a toilet problem from a drain problem.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Remove Tree Roots From a Drain?
Cutting roots out of a drain is one price; stopping them coming back is another. What drives the cost of root removal, what a proper quote should separate out, and when the tree's owner may be liable.
Read guidePricing Guides · 7 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Move a Manhole? What the Price Covers
People ask what it costs to move a manhole when they plan an extension, a driveway or a new patio. The honest answer starts with what the chamber serves and who owns it, because that decides the price and the paperwork.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Unblock a Sink? Kitchen vs Bathroom
Most blocked sinks are cleared at the trap, and many can be fixed without an engineer. Where the price comes from when they cannot, why kitchen sinks cost more to fix properly than basins, and what to ask before you book.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
How Much Does Drain Jetting Cost? What Sets the Price
What drives a drain jetting quote: the time band, what is in the pipe, how long the run is and which machine turns up. Plus when jetting is the wrong answer and the questions that make two quotes comparable.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
Choosing a Grease Trap: How Type and Size Shape the Quote
A grease trap price depends far more on which unit your kitchen needs and where it has to go than on the trap itself. How each type is sized, what adds cost and what it costs to run once fitted.
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Pricing Guides · 6 min read
How Soakaway Size and Soil Change the Installation Bill
A soakaway price is set by the area it drains, how well your ground absorbs water and how hard the site is to dig and reinstate. Why London clay changes the maths, and when a soakaway is the wrong answer.
Read guidePricing Guides · 6 min read
Collapsed Drain Repair Quotes: Who Pays and How to Compare Them
Depth and what sits on top of the pipe usually matter more than the pipe itself. How to confirm a collapse, check whether it is yours to pay for, and tell a like-for-like repair quote from a guess.
Read guideDrainage Responsibility · 8 min read
Who Pays for a Blocked Drain in London: You, Thames Water or the Freeholder?
The cheapest drainage job is the one you were never liable for. How to work out in two minutes whether a blocked drain belongs to you, the sewerage undertaker, a freeholder or the council — before you book anyone.
Read guidePricing Guides · 5 min read
How to Choose a Drainage Company in London: A Guide Focused on Price Transparency
Choosing the right drainage company in London means finding one that offers clear, upfront pricing. This guide explains how to compare quotes and avoid hidden fees.
Read guidePricing Guide · 3 min read
How Much Does Drain Unblocking Cost in London? The Real Price of Cheap
How much it costs to unblock a drain in London depends on what the price includes. What a fair drain unblocking or jetting price should cover, and the per-metre and per-minute add-ons that make a cheap quote expensive.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
No Clear, No Charge Drain Clearance Explained: Our Upfront Pricing Promise
Our 'No Clear, No Charge' policy is our straightforward guarantee: if our engineers don't successfully clear your drain blockage, you pay nothing for the attempt.
Read guidePricing Guides · 4 min read
CCTV Drainage Surveys for Insurance Claims: A Step-by-Step Guide
Insurers want evidence, not a description. How a CCTV drainage survey supports an insurance claim, what the report for your insurer should contain, and what each stage costs you.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
Clear Signs of a Blocked Drain at Home and What to Expect to Pay
Spotting a blocked drain early can prevent bigger problems. We explain the key signs and our clear, upfront pricing for common drain clearance services.
Read guidePricing Guides · 4 min read
How Drain Clearance Works: Methods Explained & Our Transparent Pricing
We explain the common methods for clearing blocked drains, from simple rodding to high-pressure jetting, and how the technique used directly affects our transparent pricing.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
What Causes a Blocked Drain? A Guide to Causes & Clear Pricing
A clear, plain-spoken guide to what really blocks drains, from grease to tree roots, and what you can expect to pay for a professional, upfront-priced clearance.
Read guidePricing Guides · 5 min read
How to Unblock a Drain Yourself vs. Calling a Professional
A blocked drain isn't a simple DIY-or-pro decision. We break down the real costs—tools, time, and risk—versus our transparent, fixed-price professional clearance.
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Pricing Guides · 4 min read
Fatberg Explained: What It Is, How to Prevent One, and What It Costs to Remove
A fatberg is a solid mass of fats, oils, and non-flushable waste clogging sewers. Preventing one saves you from expensive, disruptive removal costs.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
Why Is My Toilet Gurgling? Causes and How Each One Is Fixed
A gurgling toilet often signals a blocked vent or drain issue. We explain the likely causes and our transparent, itemised pricing for diagnosis and repair.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
Why Is My Sink Draining Slowly? Common Causes and Diagnosis
We explain the typical reasons for a slow-draining sink, from simple clogs to deeper pipe issues, and give you a transparent look at the repair approaches and what you can expect to pay.
Read guidePricing Guides · 4 min read
Tree Roots in Drains: How to Tell and What to Do
Tree roots can silently damage drains. We explain how to spot the problem and detail our honest, upfront pricing for investigation and clearance.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
What is a CCTV Drain Survey and Do I Need One?
A CCTV drain survey uses a camera to inspect your underground pipes. We explain what it involves, our straightforward pricing, and the clear signs you might need one.
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Pricing Guides · 4 min read
No-Dig Drain Repair vs Excavation: Which Is Right for Your Problem?
A clear comparison of no-dig relining and traditional excavation for drain repairs, with transparent pricing structures for each method.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
How Long Does Drain Relining Take? An Honest Look at Timelines
Drain relining is a permanent repair, but how long does the process take? We detail the stages from CCTV survey to completion and how our transparent pricing works.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
Manhole Cover Cracked or Collapsed: What to Do First
A damaged manhole cover is a serious safety and drainage risk. Here’s our clear guide on the immediate actions to take and our transparent pricing for repair or replacement.
Read guidePricing Guides · 4 min read
Why Your Soakaway Isn't Draining: Common Causes & Repair Costs
We explain the typical reasons a soakaway stops working, from simple blockages to full system failure, and detail the clear costs for diagnosing and fixing each issue.
Read guidePricing Guides · 4 min read
A Clear-Cost Septic Tank Maintenance Checklist for London Homeowners
A straightforward, cost-transparent checklist for essential septic tank maintenance, outlining what services you need and what they typically involve.
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Pricing Guides · 3 min read
A Bad Smell From Your Drain: What It Means & What It Will Cost to Fix
A bad smell from your drain is a common warning sign. We explain what it typically means, the fixes required, and our transparent pricing for each type of repair.
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Drainage Responsibility · 4 min read
Blocked Shared Drain: Reporting It and Splitting the Cost
A blocked shared drain can be a stressful and confusing problem. We explain who is legally responsible for clearing it and what you should expect to pay.
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Pricing Guides · 3 min read
Buying a House: Should You Get a Drain Survey?
We explain why a pre-purchase drain survey is a critical investment, detailing what problems it can uncover and the substantial repair costs it can help you avoid.
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Pricing Guides · 4 min read
Landlord Drainage Responsibilities Explained: A Guide to Costs & Legal Duties
We explain a landlord's legal drainage responsibilities, from blockages to repairs, with transparent pricing structures to help you budget and avoid disputes.
Read guidePricing Guides · 4 min read
A Plain Guide to Commercial Kitchen Grease Trap Maintenance Costs
A straightforward guide to the costs and schedule for commercial kitchen grease trap cleaning and maintenance, based on our published, itemised pricing.
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Pricing Guides · 4 min read
Winter Drain Problems: Frozen Pipes and Blockages - What They Cost to Fix
Winter brings specific drain problems like frozen pipes and fatberg blockages. Here, we explain what these jobs typically involve and what you can expect to pay for a fix.
Read guidePricing Guides · 3 min read
How Much Does a CCTV Drain Survey Cost? Our Upfront Pricing
We publish our itemised CCTV drain survey pricing. This guide explains our fixed and variable costs, so you know exactly what to expect.
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