Book today, surveyed today · 7 days, 8am–8pm · £225 fixed price, no extras
01925 357132 Fixed price · Same day · 7 days
A survey van with its side door open on a 1970s open-plan estate in Birchwood, cable running to an open inspection chamber in the pavement
Drain Camera Surveys · Birchwood

The pipe under a Birchwood garden is fifty years old. Nobody has ever looked inside it.

A camera through every accessible run, a graded report and the full footage — yours before we leave. £225 fixed. Someone can be with you in Birchwood today.

Call 01925 357132
£225 fixed — no call-out fee Report & footage the same day
Every run, on camera
Every run, on cameraFrom the first accessible cover to the boundary, including the shared rear runs the Birchwood estates were built with.
The material named
The material namedPitch fibre, clay or plastic. It is the single fact that decides what a repair would cost, and it belongs in the report.
Yours the same day
Yours the same dayWritten report coded to MSCC5 and the full narrated video, sent before the evening — not a summary a week later.
How we work

We do not fix drains.That is deliberate.

No repair quote at the end of the visit, no liner in the van, no digger arriving on Monday. We are paid to find out what is wrong and to tell you — and nothing about what we find changes what we earn.

Looking is the cheap part

What a survey saves you

Four ways people end up dealing with drain trouble, ordered from cheapest to most costly. The first is the only one that starts with evidence.

Camera survey to identify the fault, then a repair aimed at the right spotFind it first. Then fix what's actually broken.
£225
Calling out a jetter every few months when it blocks againMoney spent clearing a symptom, not solving a cause.
£80 each time
Breaking ground without knowing where the fault isDig, discover the pipe is intact, make good and start over.
£2,000+
Inheriting the defect when you complete on a purchaseNo survey before exchange means no leverage after it.
£4,000–£12,000
Most drainage firms in WA3 will not publish a price at all. We publish ours, and we quote it before we attend.
£225 · One visit, one price Quoted before we attend

✓ What that buys

This is the full scope. There are no add-ons and no invoices to follow.

  • Complete CCTV survey of every accessible drain line
  • Written findings with annotated colour stills from the footage
  • Drainage layout plan showing runs, junctions and cover positions
  • Grading of pipe condition in line with MSCC5 criteria
  • Summary of recommended next steps where defects are found

— What you never get

Nothing extra on the day, nothing billed separately, nothing afterwards.

  • No attendance or call-out charge on top of the quote
  • No additional fee for repeat passes with the camera
  • No out-of-hours or weekend supplement
  • No separate charge for report preparation or delivery
  • No travel surcharge for addresses in Birchwood

All reports conform to WRc standards and are recognised by solicitors, conveyancers and the UK's principal mortgage lenders. Take it to any contractor you like.

Why people ring us

Call us if this sounds familiar

You don't need a diagnosis. You just need to spot something that doesn't look or feel normal.

Before you buy

Before you buy

Standard property surveys stop at ground level. A collapsed section or root damage in the drainage won't show up until you own it. A pre-purchase CCTV survey gives you a clear picture underground before contracts are exchanged.

Blocked again

Blocked again

Recurring blockages mean something structural is holding waste up — a fractured pipe, a dip in the line, or an offset joint. Clearing it buys time but nothing more. The camera shows the real issue so you can fix it once.

Strange smell

Strange smell

A persistent drain odour indoors often comes from a cracked pipe or a failed connection beneath the floor slab. It can surface metres from the actual break. We put the camera in and track it to the source.

The ground is moving

The ground is moving

When a drain leaks below ground, it washes away the surrounding soil and creates a void. That void eventually shows at the surface as a dip or sag. The survey confirms the pipe's role before you spend anything on groundwork.

Rats in the house

Rats in the house

If rats are entering the property, a damaged drain is the most likely path. They only need a small gap at a joint or fracture. The CCTV survey identifies every opening so each one can be sealed properly.

Damp or cracks

Damp or cracks

Ongoing damp at the foot of a wall or hairline cracks near ground level can indicate a leaking drain saturating the soil beside the foundations. The camera survey traces the pipe and locates the fault without any need to dig.

Also worth a call: water backing up in sinks or showers, a toilet that gurgles when you flush, one part of the garden that's always lush, damp ground around a drain cover, or an inspection chamber that stays topped up.
Call 01925 357132
A frosty morning on a residential street in Birchwood, survey van at the kerb and an inspection chamber open in the footpath
Birchwood's drains

Birchwood's drainage was laid decades before most of its current owners arrived.

Birchwood was built almost from scratch in the 1970s on the old Risley ordnance site, and that single fact decides what is under most gardens here. The estates went in fast, during the years when pitch fibre was the cheap alternative to clay — and pitch fibre has a service life, not a fault.

Older clay pipes develop cracks, joints work loose, and roots force their way in. A single camera visit tells you the condition of the entire network.

Nothing dug up

What happens on the day

Arrange the survey
1

Arrange the survey

Give us the address and a brief idea of what's prompted the survey. We'll respond with a fixed price and an available slot, typically within a day or two.

Camera inspection on site
2

Camera inspection on site

Our engineer works a high-definition camera through every accessible run, recording as they go. You're welcome to watch the live feed. Visits in Birchwood generally wrap up in under two hours.

Receive your report
3

Receive your report

A detailed PDF covering every defect found, with colour stills, a drainage plan and MSCC5 grading. Most reports land in your inbox within a working day of the visit.

It's your decision
4

It's your decision

Armed with the findings, you can obtain targeted repair quotes, renegotiate a property price, or lodge an insurance claim. There is no obligation and no sales follow-up from us.

Inside a WA3 drain

What the camera actually finds

Pitch fibre, delaminating. The bitumen-and-woodpulp wall peels away in layers and collapses inwards — the defining find under 1970s housing. REC
Pitch fibre, delaminating. The bitumen-and-woodpulp wall peels away in layers and collapses inwards — the defining find under 1970s housing.
The same pipe further along, the wall lifting off in sheets. Rodding tears it further. Nothing rods pitch fibre back into shape. REC
The same pipe further along, the wall lifting off in sheets. Rodding tears it further. Nothing rods pitch fibre back into shape.
A joint that has dropped and opened. Everything passing catches on the step, and the run silts up behind it. REC
A joint that has dropped and opened. Everything passing catches on the step, and the run silts up behind it.
The kit in the van — reels, monitor, generator. Everything needed for a full run is on board before we arrive.
The kit in the van — reels, monitor, generator. Everything needed for a full run is on board before we arrive.
Three covers, three eras. Finding your chamber is half the job on an estate where the drives were relaid twice.
Three covers, three eras. Finding your chamber is half the job on an estate where the drives were relaid twice.
The screen on the tripod at the chamber. You see each defect as we reach it, and the footage is yours the same day.
The screen on the tripod at the chamber. You see each defect as we reach it, and the footage is yours the same day.

Already had a survey and been quoted thousands?

Phone us and we'll give you an honest, no-charge opinion on whether the repair you have been quoted for is really needed. If the company never gave you video footage, that should raise a red flag.

Call 01925 357132
Birchwood and the WA3 side of Warrington

Birchwood areas we cover

WA1

Woolston· Martinscroft

WA3

Birchwood· Gorse Covert· Oakwood· Locking Stumps· Risley· Croft· Culcheth· Glazebury· Rixton· Hollins Green

All of WA3, plus the WA1 edge at Woolston and Martinscroft. Anywhere in WA3 we can usually be with you the same day.

Before you ring

Questions we get asked

Is the drain mine or United Utilities'?
As a rule, drains that serve only your property are your responsibility — from the house to where they join the public sewer, which United Utilities maintains. Part of the survey is identifying that exact boundary so there is no ambiguity about who is liable for what.
How long does it take?
The survey itself is usually about an hour for a typical Birchwood semi or terrace. Allow 90 minutes for larger properties or multiple access points.
Do you dig anything up?
No. We insert the camera through an existing manhole cover, gully or, when required, the toilet. Nothing is excavated, removed or broken. There is zero mess left behind.
What exactly do I get?
An MSCC5-coded written report identifying every defect by location to the metre, severity grade and recommended action. Plus the full narrated HD video and defect photographs. It all reaches your phone the same day.
Will I get a copy of the video?
Yes — it is your footage. We send it to your phone or email on the day of the survey. Use it to get quotes from other contractors, hand it to your solicitor, or simply keep it for future reference.
I'm buying a house — is it worth it?
A RICS HomeBuyer survey does not inspect drains. After completion, any drain problem is entirely yours. For £225 before exchange, you avoid the risk of facing a repair bill between £4,000 and £12,000 once you have moved in.
What if nothing is found — is it still worth £225?
Yes. A clean survey means peace of mind if you are purchasing, or proof that a recurring blockage is down to maintenance and not a structural fault. The baseline video also gives you something to compare against if problems arise later.
Can you put the camera down the toilet?
Yes. If there is no manhole we can reach, or the pipe run is only accessible from indoors, we feed the camera through the toilet pan. It is an established access method and leaves absolutely no trace.
Do I need to prepare anything?
No preparation needed. Simply make sure the manhole or access point is clear — move any covers, plant pots or stored belongings. If the drain is fully blocked, tell us in advance so we bring the right kit.
Can it find tree roots?
Yes — root penetration is one of the things we find most often, particularly in pre-war clay drainage. The camera pinpoints where roots have entered the pipe and how far they extend.
What if I need a repair?
We identify the problem, mark its position to the metre, and give you an approximate repair cost. The report and footage are yours — take them to us or to any other contractor. Nothing is excavated until you have reviewed the evidence yourself.
Can I use your report to get quotes from other firms?
Yes. The report is produced to MSCC5 — the industry standard — and is recognised by solicitors, conveyancers and mortgage lenders. Any drainage firm can quote from it without conducting a separate survey.
How much can a drain repair cost?
Broad guide: a patch liner typically costs £500–£1,200. A localised excavation and repair runs to £1,500–£4,000. A full lateral replacement is £5,000 upward. The survey establishes which — if any — you need.
Are there any extra charges?
No. £225 covers everything. No call-out fee, no travel charge, no additional cost for locating or marking. One fixed price, confirmed before we attend.
How much does a CCTV drain survey cost in Birchwood?
It is £225, fixed, nothing on top. The price includes surveying every accessible run by camera, a report coded to MSCC5, and the full narrated footage sent to you the same day.

Look inside the pipe before you break the ground.

£225 fixed. Same day. The footage is yours.

Call 01925 357132
Call 01925 357132