Homeowner project request
Drain CCTV Survey quotes in Ireland
Request a camera survey when you need a clearer assessment of private drainage, such as recurring blockages or a report for a proposed property purchase. Explain what prompted the enquiry and whether a blockage is currently active. A survey is a defined inspection service; it should not be confused with a guaranteed clearance, a drainage design or an automatically included repair.
You post the job. Interested independent businesses may respond. You choose whether to hire; responses and availability are not guaranteed.
Define the work you want priced
Use this page for planned assessment, not as an emergency flooding or sewage response channel. State whether the property connects to a public sewer, septic tank or another private system if known. Ask who is responsible for investigating the affected section before commissioning work on pipework that may be shared or outside your control.
Purpose and symptoms
Describe the location and history of recurring slow flow, smells or blockages, including previous clearing or repair work. For a purchase or construction project, say what report the adviser needs. An inspection intended to locate a specific defect can differ from a more extensive recorded survey of accessible private pipework.
Access and preparation
Mention known access points from existing plans or safe observation without lifting heavy covers or entering chambers. Ask which sections can be surveyed and whether cleaning is required first. Limited access, water or obstructions can affect coverage, so the quotation should state how incomplete footage and additional preparation would be handled.
Report and next steps
Ask what recorded footage, diagram, defect descriptions and recommendations are supplied. If a lender, engineer, insurer or other organisation needs a particular format, give that requirement privately before booking. A camera inspection may identify areas needing further assessment without determining every cause, legal responsibility or suitable repair method on its own.
What to include in your request
- Describe the reason for the survey, affected fixtures or areas and relevant dates of previous incidents.
- Say whether the system is public-connected or private if known and mention any shared drainage information.
- Identify accessible plans and earlier survey or repair reports without opening chambers yourself.
- Explain the intended report recipient and any specific scope or format requested by your adviser.
Keep personal contact details out of descriptions and photos. Add them only in the dedicated contact fields when posting.
Compare the complete quote
Give each business the same project information. Check the total and what is included, excluded or provisional before choosing a proposal.
- Survey coverage
- Compare the pipework or time allowance, accessible routes, recording and locating work included. Ask what cannot be inspected under the quoted arrangement. A quick investigation at one access point is not necessarily the same service as a documented survey of a defined private network.
- Preparation and clearance
- Ask whether jetting, clearing an obstruction or return attendance is included, optional or separately approved. Establish what happens when a camera cannot proceed. Do not assume a survey price includes every blockage-removal method, excavation or work needed to expose new access points.
- Report and recommendations
- Identify footage, written findings, diagrams and the method of delivery. Ask when the report is expected and what further investigation may be required. Repairs should be explained and priced as a separate scope rather than treated as an automatic instruction to excavate after any defect is observed.
Agree the sequence before booking
Check responsibility for the suspected section before arranging work and obtain any necessary owner or management permission. Give the contractor the same written reporting requirements you received from your adviser. If active flooding or sewage exposure needs urgent attention, seek appropriate assistance directly instead of waiting for routine marketplace quotations.
At attendance, agree the limits of inspection and the process for approving additional cleaning or access work. Keep the report with earlier records so later proposals refer to the same observed section and defect. If the findings are uncertain or the proposed repair is substantial, ask what further assessment is needed before committing to remedial construction.
At handover
- Obtain the promised footage, written findings and location or layout information.
- Record uninspected sections and limitations rather than treating partial coverage as a complete clearance.
- Keep any repair proposal separate and ask for its rationale, scope and permissions before approval.
Drain CCTV Survey: your questions answered
Is a drain survey the same as unblocking the drain?
No. A camera survey inspects accessible pipework, while clearance is a separate task that may be needed first. Ask which work is included and how additional cleaning is authorised. A survey alone does not guarantee that flow will be restored or the underlying problem repaired.
Can I request a report before buying a house?
Yes. Tell the business the purpose and your adviser's required scope and format. Arrange the necessary owner permission and access. Check the report includes the promised evidence and limitations; an inspection does not itself determine legal ownership or responsibility for every drain.
Does the quote include video footage and a written report?
Ask specifically. Confirm the survey coverage, report format, recording, drawings where relevant and expected delivery. An attendance to look at one blockage may provide different documentation from a survey commissioned for a lender, engineer or substantial repair assessment.
What if the camera cannot pass a blockage?
Ask how the contractor handles incomplete access and whether cleaning or another visit is included. Agree the extra-work process before it proceeds. The report should identify limitations rather than imply that pipework beyond an obstruction has been inspected and found satisfactory.
Who deals with a blockage in a public sewer?
Check Uisce Éireann's guidance and contact the appropriate service where a public-side issue is suspected. Private and shared arrangements can differ, and septic systems are not public sewers. Do not assume a private quote establishes that you alone are responsible for the affected section.
Do I have to approve a repair after the survey?
No. Ask for the findings, evidence, options and a separate written repair scope. You can seek clarification or another assessment before accepting. Posting the survey request does not authorise excavation, replacement pipework or additional work beyond what you agree directly with the business.
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Prepared by HomePros.ie. Updated . Project-planning information, not a technical design or a site assessment. Regulatory and grant links concern the Republic of Ireland unless stated otherwise; confirm the requirements for your property, including in Northern Ireland.
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