You've got a drain that keeps blocking, a smell that won't shift, or a solicitor asking for a drainage report before exchange. A CCTV drain survey gives you a straight answer. Camera goes in, the fault comes up on screen, and you get the location pinpointed to the metre.
We run surveys across Farnborough seven days a week. Residential, commercial, pre-purchase, or insurance-led, the process is the same: a push-rod or crawler camera into the drain, live footage reviewed on site, and a written report with stills sent to you the same day.
What the Survey Involves
The camera is fed into the drain through the nearest accessible manhole or clean-out point. As it travels through the pipe, everything is recorded. Cracks, root ingress, displaced joints, collapsed sections, build-up, incorrect falls, and illegal connections all show up clearly.
While the camera is running, we log the depth and distance of each defect. That means when the report lands in your inbox, it doesn't just say "there's a crack somewhere". It tells you the pipe material, the defect type, and exactly how far from the access point the problem sits. That level of detail matters if you're getting quotes for repairs, dealing with a neighbour dispute about a shared drain, or making a case to your insurer.
For most residential properties in Farnborough, a single-drain survey takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. Larger or more complex systems take longer. We'll tell you what to expect before we start.
When You Need One
Some people book a survey because something is already wrong. Others book one to avoid something going wrong. Both are sensible.
Common reasons we get called out:
- A drain that's been jetted more than once but blocks again within weeks
- Subsidence or sinking in a garden or driveway, with drainage suspected as the cause
- Buying a property and wanting to know the drain condition before contracts are signed
- A building insurer asking for evidence of the defect before agreeing to a claim
- Foul smells inside the property that haven't been traced to an obvious source
- A landlord needing documented proof of drain condition at the start or end of a tenancy
- Planning a rear extension and needing to know exactly where the drains run
If you're in the middle of buying a house, a pre-purchase drain survey is worth doing alongside the structural survey. The structural surveyor won't open a manhole. We will.
What the Report Covers
Every survey produces a written report with the footage reference, a log of findings, photographs of each defect, and a plain-English summary of what it all means. If remedial work is needed, we'll tell you what and why, and we can quote separately for that work.
The report is formatted to satisfy most solicitors, mortgage lenders, and loss adjusters. If you need a specific format for a particular purpose, say so when you book and we'll confirm whether we can accommodate it.
Where we carry out remedial work following a survey, such as drain relining, pipe replacement, or patch repairs, that work carries a 20-year guarantee covering the repair itself. The survey identifies the problem. What happens next is your call.
Common Findings in Farnborough Drains
Farnborough's drainage stock is a mixed bag. Older properties in North Camp, Farnborough Street, and around the original town centre often have clay or pitch-fibre pipes that have been in the ground since the fifties and sixties. Pitch-fibre degrades over time: it delaminates and the bore gradually reduces, causing recurring blockages that jetting alone won't fix permanently. Clay joints crack and attract root ingress, particularly on roads with mature street trees.
Newer estates, including parts of Southwood and Farnborough Park, typically have plastic drainage that's in better condition but not immune to problems. Poorly backfilled trenches, ground movement, or tree roots from garden planting can cause joint displacement years after the original build.
Properties in Cove, West Heath, and along the Hawley Lane corridor often sit on sandy or made-up ground, which shifts more than clay subsoil. That movement transfers to the pipes beneath. We cover Mytchett, Ash Vale, Frimley, Frimley Green, Aldershot, and Camberley under the same service.
In GU14 specifically, shared drains running under rear gardens are a recurring source of uncertainty, especially when neighbours disagree about who's responsible for what. A survey with a written report and footage settles those conversations quickly.
Booking and What to Expect
You don't need to prepare anything special. If you know where your manholes are, that's useful. If you don't, we'll find them. Bring us the address, tell us what's prompted the survey, and we'll take it from there.
The job is priced individually. You'll get a clear figure agreed on the phone before we arrive, with no call-out fee on top. Engineers are uniformed and fully insured.
Engineers are on call across GU14 and the surrounding area around the clock. Call 01252 986012 to book or to talk through what you need.