Check the Drains Before You Buy
Jet Plumb's homebuyer drain surveys Gloucestershire service puts a camera through the drains of the property you are buying, so hidden defects come to light before you exchange contracts rather than after you have moved in. It is a small step in the buying process that can save a great deal of cost and disruption later.
A standard building survey rarely looks inside the pipes, yet drain faults can be costly to put right. Our survey gives you a clear answer either way: peace of mind if the drains are sound, or the evidence you need to renegotiate if they are not. Quotes are free, with no call-out charge.
Our Pre-Purchase Drain Survey
Once access has been agreed with the seller or their agent, we inspect the private drains running from the house to the boundary, including the main runs and inspection chambers. If the property has a septic tank, we can look at the pipes leading to and from it as well. We work around the seller's availability and your timescale for exchange.
Our engineer feeds a high-resolution camera through each run and watches the picture live, recording the whole inspection. Where a pipe is too dirty to see clearly, we may jet it first. We note the condition of every section and the position of any defects along the way.
Afterwards we explain the findings in plain terms and give you a copy of the footage. If faults turn up, we tell you which repair each one needs, whether that is a clean, patch lining, full lining or excavation, so you can get a quote and use it in your negotiations. If you could not attend the survey, we are happy to talk the findings through with you on the phone.
- Camera inspection of the property's private drains
- Footage recorded in full, with a copy for you to keep
- A clear explanation of any defects we find
- Repair recommendations you can put to the seller
- Free quotes for any repair work needed
- Surveys for houses, flats, rental investments and commercial premises
Period Property Checks
Cottages and older stone houses often keep their original clay pipes. We check the joints, look for root ingress and assess whether the pipes are still in reasonable condition, so you know what you are taking on before you buy.
Newer Homes
Recently built homes are not always trouble-free. Building debris left in pipes, poorly made joints and drains damaged by later landscaping or extensions are all faults we can pick up before you commit to the purchase.
Shared Drain Checks
Terraced and semi-detached homes often share a drain with the neighbours. We identify where your pipes join theirs, so you understand which sections you will share responsibility for and what condition those shared sections are currently in.
Septic Tank Properties
Rural homes that are not on mains drainage rely on a septic tank. We inspect the drains feeding the tank and the outlet pipe leaving it, which can block or crack and are easy to overlook during a viewing.
Buy-to-Let Purchases
For landlords, an unexpected drainage repair eats into rental income and disrupts tenants. A survey before purchase lets you price any work into your offer and plan maintenance from the first day you own the property.
Planning an Extension
If you intend to extend the house after buying, knowing where the drains run and what state they are in helps you and your builder plan around them and budget for any diversion or repair that may be needed.
Using the Findings in Negotiation
If our survey finds a fault, you have options. You can ask the seller to repair it before completion, request a reduction in the price to cover the work, or simply budget for it knowing the true condition of the drains.
The recorded footage and our repair recommendations give your solicitor or agent something solid to work with. A clean result is just as valuable, because it lets you go ahead with confidence.
Drain Problems in Older Gloucestershire Homes
Gloucestershire has a large stock of period cottages, Victorian terraces and stone houses, many still served by their original clay pipes. These pipes can last a long time, but their mortar joints weaken with age and offer an easy way in for tree roots.
Later homes have their own issues, including joints that have shifted as the ground settled and drains damaged during extensions or landscaping. Shared drains are common in older terraces, so a single fault may affect more than one household.
Knowing what you are buying lets you plan sensibly, whether that means booking a clean once you move in or agreeing a repair before you complete. If repairs are needed after you move in, we can carry them out ourselves, from jetting and lining to excavation.
Properties That Benefit Most From a Drain Survey
Any purchase is worth checking, but we particularly recommend a survey in the following situations, where drain faults are more likely or more costly to put right:
- The house is older, with original clay drainage
- Mature trees stand close to the drains
- The building survey mentions slow drains or smells
- The property has been empty for a long period
- Extensions have been built near or over pipe runs
- The drains are shared with neighbouring properties
- The home runs to a septic tank or private sewer
Book Your Homebuyer Drain Survey
Buying a property in Gloucestershire? Call Jet Plumb on 01453 827124 to arrange a homebuyer drain survey. Quotes are free and carry no obligation, and there is no call-out charge for the visit.
We survey homes in Stroud, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, Chipping Campden and right across the county. Tell us your timescale when you call and we will do our best to fit the survey around it, then keep you updated so your purchase is not held up.
Home Buyer Drain Surveys FAQs
Common questions about home buyer drain surveys in Gloucestershire.
Usually not. Building surveys and mortgage valuations focus on the structure of the house. The surveyor may check that a manhole is clear and that water flows, but a full camera inspection of the pipes is a separate job. That is why many drain problems are only discovered after the keys are handed over.
Ideally once your offer has been accepted and before you exchange contracts. That gives you time to receive the footage, get a quote for any repairs and raise the findings with the seller while you are still in a position to negotiate. Let us know your deadlines when you call.
The property still belongs to the seller, so they or their estate agent need to agree to the visit and provide access to the manholes and garden. Buyers arranging inspections is a normal part of a sale, and a survey that shows the drains are in good order can help the seller too.
We explain exactly what the fault is, where it sits and what repair it needs. You can then use our recommendations and a free quote to ask the seller to fix it, negotiate a lower price or budget for the work yourself. Some faults need only a clean; others need lining or excavation.
Yes. The full inspection is recorded and you receive a copy to keep. You can pass it to your solicitor, your mortgage lender or another contractor for a second opinion. It also gives you a useful baseline to compare against if you have the drains checked again after moving in.
Yes. Landlords and investors use our surveys to avoid inheriting expensive drainage repairs, and we also inspect drains for commercial and industrial property purchases. The process is the same: a camera inspection, recorded footage and a clear explanation of the condition of the system.
Our survey focuses on the private drains you will become responsible for, usually running from the house to the property boundary. Pipes beyond the boundary and public sewers are normally maintained by the water company. Where a drain is shared with neighbours, we tell you, so you understand what you are taking on.
Related Drainage Services
CCTV Drain Surveys
A camera inspection that shows blockages, cracks, root ingress and collapses inside your pipes. Every survey is recorded, you get a copy of the footage, and we give clear advice on the next step.
Drain Repairs
Cracked, leaking and collapsed drains diagnosed by CCTV, then repaired by patch lining, full relining or excavation, whichever suits the damage. Fully insured, with all work guaranteed.
Drain Lining
Cracked, leaking or root-damaged drain runs renewed from the inside with CIPP lining. No trenches through your garden or driveway, and a recorded camera survey before work starts.