What you need to know
Not all drainage runs where you'd expect, especially in older Yorkshire properties where extensions, alterations and DIY plumbing have happened over many decades. Before breaking ground on an extension, new build, garden room, conservatory or driveway, you need to know exactly where your underground pipes are — their routes, depths and connections. Drain tracing gives you that information without any excavation.
We use professional electromagnetic locating equipment alongside CCTV cameras to trace the exact path of your drainage system underground. A transmitter sonde is passed through the pipes via the CCTV camera, and our surface receiver equipment pinpoints its position and depth at every point along the route. The result is a precise scaled drainage plan you can hand to your architect, structural engineer or Building Control officer.
Whether you need drain tracing for a planning application, a Build Over Agreement with Yorkshire Water, a boundary dispute, a soakaway assessment for SuDS compliance, or simply to understand your property's drainage layout before starting any work — Yorkshire Drain Survey delivers accurate, professional results across the whole of Yorkshire. The plan is yours to keep and is suitable for re-use across multiple projects.
The most common reason clients book us is for extensions and conversions where the design either crosses a known drain or is too close to it for comfort. Building over a public sewer typically requires a formal Build Over Agreement, which in turn requires an accurate plan showing pipe position, depth and condition. We routinely produce the documentation packages used to support these applications, and we've worked with the standard architectural practices across Leeds, Sheffield, Harrogate and York for years — so the plans drop straight into their workflow.
Tracing is also essential when there is no existing record of the drainage. Many older Yorkshire properties have lost their as-built drawings (or never had them) and the water company plans only show public sewers, not private drainage on the property. In those cases we're producing your only authoritative drainage plan — useful not just for current works but also for future maintenance, repairs and resale.
Tracing & Mapping Package
Electromagnetic Pipe Tracing
Precision sonde and receiver equipment to trace pipe routes from the surface without any digging. 33kHz and 512Hz sondes for surface and deep-pipe location.
Depth Measurement
Accurate depth readings at key points along the drainage route, critical for foundation and building works.
Drainage Mapping Plan
Professional scaled plan showing all traced drainage routes, connections and access points. Drawn as PDF and CAD-compatible format on request.
GPS Coordinates
GPS-referenced data points for accurate positioning on site plans and OS maps. Useful for larger sites or compliance documentation.
As-Built Drawings
Detailed drawings suitable for architects, structural engineers and Building Control. Compatible with most CAD workflows.
Planning Documentation
Reports and plans formatted for submission with planning applications, Build Over Agreements and building regulations.
Combined CCTV Survey
Tracing is always combined with a CCTV inspection of the pipe — so you know not just where it is, but what condition it's in.
Soakaway & Surface Water Tracing
We can identify surface water destinations including soakaways and rainwater outfalls — useful for SuDS compliance and drainage strategy work.
Why Yorkshire Drain Survey
Precision Equipment
We use industry-leading electromagnetic tracing equipment (Radiodetection and equivalent) for accurate results you can build on — literally.
Combined CCTV & Tracing
We combine CCTV survey with tracing for the most complete picture of your drainage system. The two together cost less than booking each separately.
Architect & Planner Friendly
Our mapping plans and reports are designed to meet the requirements of architects, engineers and Yorkshire planning authorities. CAD-format output available on request.
Build Over Agreement Specialists
We regularly produce the documentation packages used for Yorkshire Water Build Over Agreement applications and have worked through plenty of them with local architects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Services
Book your survey today
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