drain unblocking & CCTV surveys

Blocked Drains London — Same-Day Engineers

Drain jetting, rodding and CCTV survey across all 33 London boroughs. We unblock kitchen sinks, bathroom drains, outside gullies and shared stacks in purpose-built flats — with transparent pricing and a 30-day guarantee on all clearances.

📞 Call 020 0000 0000 Get a Fixed Quote

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Gas Safe Registered

All gas engineers Gas Safe ID 123456

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24/7 Emergency

Plumbers available every day of the year

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No Call-Out Fee Over 2 Hours

£60 waived on jobs exceeding 2 hours

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30-Day Workmanship Guarantee

All repairs guaranteed in writing

What We Cover

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Kitchen Sink Blockages

Grease and food waste accumulate in the trap and waste pipe. We clear the blockage and advise on preventing a repeat — usually the same visit, without pulling the kitchen apart.

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Bathroom Drains (Hair & Soap)

Hair and soap scum build up in shower and bath wastes, often within 200mm of the plug. We clear using drain rods or a rotary tool and can fit a hair trap if recurring.

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Outside Drains & Gullies

External gully pots block with leaves, silt and debris. We jet-clear gullies and inspect for root intrusion or pipe collapse that might be causing the recurring blockage.

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Shared Drains in Flats

In purpose-built blocks, the shared soil stack or communal drain can affect multiple flats. We can clear the stack and advise on who is responsible for repair under Thames Water's rules.

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CCTV Drain Surveys

A camera survey shows exactly what's happening inside the pipe — root intrusion, pipe collapse, offset joints, grease build-up. Essential before buying a property or after repeated blockages.

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Tree Root Intrusion

Tree roots enter London's Victorian clay drainage pipes through open joints and cause persistent partial blockages. We can cut roots and advise on no-dig patch lining to seal the entry point.

Pricing Guide

Drain clearing prices depend on access difficulty and the method needed. We confirm the price before work starts — no surprises once the van is on your drive.

Job type	Typical cost	Notes
Manual rod / plunger clear (basic blockage)	£95–£145	Suitable for simple blockages within 3m of access point.
High-pressure water jetting	£165–£320	Clears grease, silt and root fragments. Most effective method for kitchen drains.
CCTV drain survey (with WinCan report)	£140–£260	Includes digital report and video footage — suitable for insurance and conveyancing.
Root cutting (mechanical or jetting)	£220–£480	Depends on root density and pipe depth. CCTV survey usually needed first.
Shared drain clearance (communal stack)	£180–£380	Includes access to communal areas. May require building management notification.

All prices include VAT. Out-of-hours work (evenings, weekends, bank holidays) attracts a £35 uplift on the above rates.

See our full pricing page →

How It Works

Call us

Tell us the symptom — slow drain, complete blockage, smell, multiple outlets affected. We'll give you an estimated arrival time and talk you through anything you can safely check in the meantime.

CCTV assessment (if needed)

For recurring blockages or suspected pipe damage, we pass a camera before starting to understand what we're dealing with. This avoids clearing a blockage only to have it recur within weeks.

Jet or rod clear

Most blockages clear with high-pressure jetting or rodding. We test water flow before leaving. If the blockage is structural (collapsed pipe, severe root intrusion), we'll show you the CCTV footage and discuss options.

Report and prevention advice

We leave a written job sheet. If a follow-up is needed (CCTV-identified pipe defect, recurring root intrusion) we'll quote separately and explain what happens if it's left.

Why London Drains Block More Often Than You'd Expect

London's drainage system is one of the oldest in the world. Much of inner London's sewer network dates from the 1860s Bazalgette scheme — Victorian clay pipes that are now 150+ years old. These pipes develop offset joints, cracks and root entry points over time, which means blockages aren't just about what goes down the drain. The pipe itself can be the problem.

In purpose-built flats — built in waves from the 1950s to the 1990s — the shared soil stack creates a different challenge. When a blockage develops in the communal drain below three flats, all three see the problem simultaneously. One person's kitchen waste is another person's flooding shower. These shared drain situations require co-ordination with the building management and sometimes Thames Water, depending on where the blockage sits relative to the highway boundary.

Wet wipes are the single biggest cause of blocked London drains we see. Despite 'flushable' labelling, most wipes don't break down and collect in sags in older pipework. A single wipe can catch on a joint and create a rag-effect blockage within weeks. If your drain blocks repeatedly despite professional clearing, it's worth a CCTV survey to establish whether the pipe has a structural defect that's collecting debris rather than the drain material itself being the problem.

Related guides:

Need help right now?

Gas Safe registered. No call-out fee over 2 hours. All 33 London boroughs.

📞 Call 020 0000 0000

Recent Jobs Across London

Brixton, SW9 · Victorian terrace

Kitchen sink blocked for 2 weeks — plunger and shop chemicals failed to clear

Grease accumulation 4m from the trap in a 40mm waste pipe. High-pressure jetting cleared in 45 minutes.

£145

Wimbledon, SW19 · Detached 4-bed

Outside gully blocked and backing up onto patio — recurring every 6 months

CCTV survey revealed tree root intrusion through an open clay pipe joint. Root cut and joint patched. First clear in 18 months.

£520 (CCTV + root cut + patch)

Shoreditch, E1 · Purpose-built block (3 flats affected)

Ground floor flat flooded from communal drain — 3 tenants affected simultaneously

Communal drain cleanout at ground level. Compacted wipes and grease mass jetted clear. Building management notified.

£280

Camden, NW1 · Victorian conversion flat

Persistent slow drain in bathroom — smelling despite clearing attempts

CCTV found partial collapse in 100mm clay pipe below garden. Pipe relined (no-dig). Flow and smell resolved.

£1,480 (CCTV + patch lining)

Standards & Compliance

Gas Safe

All gas work carried out by Gas Safe Registered engineers (Reg. 123456). We can provide copies of our Gas Safe certificates on request.

Water Regs 1999

All plumbing installations comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, including notification to the water undertaker for notifiable work.

Building Regs

Domestic plumbing and heating installations comply with Approved Document G (Sanitation, hot water safety) and Approved Document J (heat-producing appliances).

We Cover All 33 London Boroughs

Engineers are stationed across London for fast response in every borough. Click your area for local information.

Barking & DagenhamIG11 BarnetEN4–5 BexleyDA1 BrentHA0 BromleyBR1–6 CamdenN6 City of LondonEC1–4 CroydonCR0–9 EalingUB1 EnfieldEN1–3 GreenwichSE3 HackneyE2 Hammersmith & FulhamSW6 HaringeyN4 HarrowHA1–3 HaveringRM1–7 HillingdonUB3–10 HounslowTW3–6 IslingtonEC1 Kensington & ChelseaSW1 Kingston upon ThamesKT1–3 LambethSE1 LewishamBR1 MertonSM4 NewhamE6–7 RedbridgeE11 Richmond upon ThamesTW1–2 SouthwarkSE1 SuttonSM1–3 Tower HamletsE1–3 Waltham ForestE4 WandsworthSW11–12 WestminsterSW1

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is responsible for a blocked drain in a London property?

If the blockage is within your property boundary — in your private drain — it's your responsibility. If the blockage is in a shared sewer (serving more than one property) that runs under a public highway, Thames Water is responsible. Shared sewers that are entirely within private land (serving a block of flats, for example) are usually the freeholder's responsibility. If you're unsure, call us — we can help you work out where the blockage is before incurring unnecessary cost.

My drain smells even though water flows freely. Do I have a blockage?

Not necessarily. A drain that flows freely but smells is usually a dry trap (the water seal in the U-bend has evaporated, allowing sewer gas through) or a partially blocked vent pipe. Running water down the drain to refill the trap is the first thing to try. If the smell persists, it may be a partially blocked or damaged section of drain that retains some flow — a CCTV survey will show this clearly.

Can you clear a shared drain in a purpose-built flat?

Yes. We carry equipment suitable for shared soil stacks and communal drain access points. We may need to access communal areas of the building, which sometimes requires advance notice to building management. For complex multi-flat blockages, we can write a report for the freeholder or managing agent explaining what was found and what repair is needed.

Is a CCTV drain survey worth it?

For a one-off blockage that hasn't recurred, probably not. For a drain that blocks every 3–6 months, yes — a survey will usually identify a structural defect (pipe sag, root entry, partial collapse) that makes the drain prone to re-blocking. It's also strongly recommended before purchasing any London property, where drainage defects are common and expensive to repair after completion.

Will high-pressure jetting damage my pipes?

Not if done correctly. Modern jetting equipment is calibrated to the pipe material and diameter. Victorian clay drains, UPVC plastic waste pipes and cast iron stacks all have appropriate pressure settings. The risk of damage from proper jetting is very low — the risk of leaving a blockage in place (pipe corrosion from standing water, vermin attraction from blocked gullies) is higher.

Can you deal with a drain that has tree roots growing through it?

Yes. Mechanical root cutting or jetting can clear root mass to restore flow. However, unless the entry point is sealed (typically through no-dig patch lining), the roots will regrow in 6–18 months. After cutting we can CCTV the pipe to identify the joint where roots are entering and quote for sealing it. Patch lining is less disruptive and cheaper than excavation for most London properties.