Drainage in Kent
Blocked drains cleared
fast, cleanly and
without ripping up the garden
High-pressure jetting, CCTV diagnosis and no-dig repairs across Kent and the Home Counties. We find the cause, prove it on camera, and quote a fixed price before we lift a manhole cover.
What it covers
Domestic and commercial drainage — clear it, find the cause, fix it properly
A blocked drain is rarely just a blocked drain. It's a slow-flushing toilet that's been ignored for weeks, a kitchen sink that gurgles after the dishwasher runs, or a manhole quietly backing up at the bottom of the garden. By the time it's an emergency, the root cause has usually been telling you for months.
Our drainage work covers every stage of that timeline. Same-day unblocking with high-pressure jetting, CCTV surveys to show you the actual condition of the pipework, root cutting, descaling, drain repairs by patch lining or excavation, soakaway and gully clearance, and full new drainage runs for extensions and outbuildings.
Every job ends with a clear answer. If the blockage is one-off, we tell you. If it's a cracked clay pipe, a collapsed connection or roots in a joint, we show you on camera and quote a proper fix. No vague 'might need digging up' — you'll know exactly what's wrong and what it costs.
What happens if you wait
Ignored drains don't fix themselves — they back up into the house
Drains fail slowly, then all at once. A partial blockage you've been living with for months becomes a full backup at 11pm on a Saturday, and suddenly the downstairs WC is overflowing onto carpet you've just had cleaned. Catching it early is always cheaper.
Foul water coming back up into ground-floor toilets, showers and kitchen sinks — biohazard cleanup costs alone routinely exceed £2,000.
A blockage you keep clearing without diagnosing the cause often turns out to be a collapsed pipe — and the longer it's left, the more soil washes in and the bigger the excavation.
Leaking underground drains wash away supporting soil under foundations. We see it most often in older Kent terraces, and home insurers are increasingly strict about evidence.
Common mistakes we fix every week
- Pouring caustic soda or branded chemical unblockers down a drain that's already cracked.
- Using a manual rod and pushing the blockage further down the system into the public sewer.
- Lifting the wrong manhole and concluding the drain is fine.
- Ignoring gurgling toilets — it's almost always a vent or partial blockage problem.
- Letting builders connect a new extension into an existing drain without checking capacity.
- Skipping a CCTV survey on a property purchase to 'save £200'.
Our process
A predictable, step-by-step system — no surprises, no upsells
- STEP 01Call & assessment
We take the symptoms over the phone — where, when, what's draining slowly — and arrive prepared.
- STEP 02Locate the blockage
Manhole inspection and trace the system to confirm exactly where the problem sits.
- STEP 03Clear with jetting
High-pressure water jetting clears blockages without damaging the pipe. Rods only as a last resort.
- STEP 04CCTV verify
Camera survey post-clearance to confirm the pipe is clear and identify any underlying defects.
- STEP 05Report & guarantee
Written report, footage on request, and a 12-month workmanship guarantee on the work performed.
What you get
Concrete outcomes — not vague promises
Jetting scours the full pipe wall — it doesn't just punch a hole through the blockage to come back next month.
You see exactly what was wrong and what the pipe looks like after. No vague verbal reports.
Patch lining and no-dig repairs save your driveway, lawn and patio wherever possible.
Quoted on-site before we start. Unblocking and survey is a single set fee, repairs quoted separately.
If your drain issue is potentially claimable, we provide reports formatted to your insurer's standard.
Real out-of-hours response — answered by an engineer, not an answering service.
Technical detail
Modern drainage work — jetting, lining, mapping and proper diagnostics
The days of pulling up an entire driveway to fix a drain are largely over. Modern drainage uses pressurised water, CCTV and trenchless repair techniques to fix most defects in a single visit, with minimal disruption above ground.
High-pressure water jetting
Our jetting units run at up to 4,000 PSI with interchangeable heads for fat, grease, scale, roots and silt. Unlike chemical unblockers, jetting cleans the full circumference of the pipe and removes the material that caused the blockage rather than just clearing a temporary channel through it.
- Fat and grease removal in commercial kitchen drains
- Root cutting in clay and pitch-fibre pipework
- Scale and limescale descaling in older cast iron
- Silt and debris removal in rainwater drains and gullies
CCTV drain surveys
Our cameras locate, record and report defects to WRc standards. Every survey produces an MP4 file you can keep, an annotated report with timestamps and severity ratings, and a clear recommendation for any remedial work. This is the same standard used for homebuyer surveys and insurance claims.
No-dig drain repair — patch lining and CIPP
Where a single section of pipe is damaged, we install a structural patch liner — a resin-saturated sleeve cured in place to form a new pipe inside the old one. The whole job is completed through an existing manhole with no excavation, and the repaired section carries a 25-year design life.
Residential vs commercial drainage
Commercial drainage carries additional obligations: fat, oil and grease (FOG) compliance for food premises, planned preventative maintenance, and in some cases trade effluent consent. We work with restaurants, cafés and care homes across Kent on PPM contracts that keep drains clear, kitchens trading and environmental health visits stress-free.
Frequently asked
Straight answers to the questions Kent homeowners ask us most
How much does it cost to unblock a drain in Kent?+
Our standard domestic unblocking visit covers jetting, basic CCTV verification and a written report. Most jobs are cleared within the first visit. Where a repair is needed, we quote it as a fixed price before any further work — you're never committed beyond the unblocking fee.
Do you offer 24-hour emergency drainage?+
Yes. We respond to genuine drainage emergencies — sewage backflow, overflowing manholes, blocked-only toilet in a single-bathroom home — typically within 60 minutes across Kent and Medway.
Will I need to dig up my garden or driveway?+
Almost never for a routine blockage. Even most repairs can be done by patch lining through an existing manhole. Full excavation is reserved for collapsed pipes or runs where lining isn't possible, and we'll always show you why on camera first.
What is a CCTV drain survey?+
A camera survey records the inside of your drainage system to a recognised standard (WRc). It identifies blockages, cracks, displaced joints, root ingress and collapses, and produces a written report your solicitor, insurer or contractor can act on.
Do you provide reports for home buyers and insurance?+
Yes. Pre-purchase CCTV surveys are one of the most common things we do. The report includes a system map, defect grading, repair recommendations and indicative costs — everything a solicitor or insurer needs.
Are you covered for the public sewer?+
Yes — we work to Build UK standards on both private drains and lateral connections. If the blockage is on the public sewer (post-2011), we'll identify it and help you raise it with the water authority free of charge.
How long do drain repairs last?+
Patch lining and CIPP relining have a design life of 25–50 years. Excavated replacements in modern plastic pipe will typically outlast the building they serve. Either way, our workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months.
Can you handle commercial drainage contracts?+
Yes. We offer planned preventative maintenance contracts to cafés, restaurants, care homes, retail units and offices across Kent — typically quarterly or six-monthly visits to keep drains clear and EHO records up to date.
Do you guarantee that the drain will stay clear?+
Workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months. The blockage itself can recur if the underlying cause isn't addressed (e.g. roots, broken pipe, ongoing fat) — which is exactly why we always camera-check after clearance and recommend the correct fix.
Where do you cover for drainage?+
Kent (Medway, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Ashford, Canterbury), plus London, Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Berkshire for pre-booked and larger projects.
Related services
Drain blocked? We'll be on-site today.
Tell us what's happening and we'll respond within the hour with a same-day visit. Fixed price quoted before any work begins.
Fully insured · Workmanship guarantee · 7 days a week