What Does a CCTV Drain Survey Show?

A CCTV drain survey shows the internal condition of your underground drainage pipes — including cracks, root ingress, collapsed sections, displaced joints, blockages, and illegal connections. It produces a video recording and written report with the exact location of any faults found.

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What Can a CCTV Drain Survey Detect?

Root ingress

One of the most common findings in Yorkshire properties, particularly those with mature trees or established hedging nearby. Roots exploit tiny cracks or imperfect joints in clay pipes, growing inward over time until they restrict or block the flow entirely. CCTV footage shows the roots clearly and their precise location.

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Cracks and fractures

Pipes crack due to ground movement, subsidence, heavy vehicle loading above the pipe run, or simply age. Hairline cracks allow groundwater to enter (and foul water to leak out); larger fractures can progress to collapse if left untreated. The camera captures the extent and position of cracking so repairs can be targeted accurately.

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Pipe collapse

A partial or full collapse means the pipe has structurally failed — the crown has dropped in, the walls have buckled, or the pipe has broken into pieces. Collapsed sections cause severe blockages and can allow soil ingress. This requires replacement rather than lining. CCTV identifies exactly where and how extensive the collapse is.

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Displaced and offset joints

Pipes are laid in sections joined end-to-end. Over time, ground movement or settlement can push sections out of alignment, creating a step at the joint. This interrupts flow, traps debris, and accelerates blockage build-up. Offset joints are extremely common in older Yorkshire properties with clay or earthenware pipes.

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Sags and bellying

A "belly" is a low point in an otherwise level pipe run — caused by subsidence or poor original installation. Water pools in the sag rather than draining freely, and solids accumulate over time. Bellies are invisible from the surface but immediately obvious on CCTV footage.

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Blockages and build-up

The camera shows the nature and extent of any blockage — whether it's a grease or fat build-up, a silt deposit, foreign objects (wipes, sanitary products, children's toys), or debris from a partial collapse. This helps determine whether jetting will clear the issue or whether structural repairs are needed first.

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Incorrect and illegal connections

Sometimes drains are plumbed incorrectly — surface water (rainwater) connected to the foul sewer, or vice versa. This is a regulatory issue (water companies can issue fines) and a practical one (it overloads the foul sewer during heavy rain). CCTV can identify connection anomalies that confirm or rule out incorrect connections.

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Shared drainage

The survey can reveal whether your drainage system is shared with neighbouring properties — i.e., their waste flows through pipes within your boundary. This is common in terraced streets across Leeds, Bradford, and other Yorkshire towns. Knowing about shared drainage matters for maintenance responsibilities and any future build work.

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Build-over issues

If a previous owner has built an extension over a drain, CCTV will show whether the pipe has been damaged, crushed, or compromised by the construction above it. Water companies require a build-over agreement for this reason — the survey provides the baseline evidence.

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What Does a CCTV Drain Survey NOT Show?

There are a few things a standard CCTV survey can't assess:

• Pipe sections with no access point — if a section has no inspection chamber at either end, the camera can't enter it (uncommon in standard domestic drainage)
• External pipe condition — the camera shows the inside of the pipe; it can't assess ground conditions around the outside or whether a pipe is surrounded by voids
• Leakage confirmation — a crack is visible, but quantifying exactly how much water is leaking out requires a separate pressure test or dye test

For most residential surveys, these limitations rarely matter. The camera provides enough information to make informed decisions about any property.

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What Do You Get at the End?

After the survey you receive:

• Full video footage of the drainage run, timestamped and saved to share with solicitors, insurers, or contractors
• A written condition report with defect locations measured by distance from the access point
• Photographs of key findings extracted from the footage
• Recommendations — whether the drain needs monitoring, jetting, lining, or excavation and repair

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Book a CCTV Drain Survey in Yorkshire

We carry out CCTV drain surveys across Yorkshire — Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, Wakefield, York, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Doncaster, and surrounding areas.

Call us on 0113 734 2245 or request a quote online. Results typically within 24–48 hours.