In short
A CCTV drain survey shows what is happening inside a pipe you cannot otherwise see. It can find root entry, open joints, cracks, wrong connections and fat or silt build-up. The camera records each fault, and a recognised standard can grade it. Ask for a CCTV drain survey through the online form to get a clear picture before you commit to any repair, since repairs can be costly.
What a camera survey can find
A waterproof camera fed through a drain shows faults that you cannot see from ground level. The most common findings include these, although every drain differs:
- Root entry, where roots have found a cracked or open joint
- Open or displaced joints, where pipe sections have moved apart
- Cracks, fractures or partial collapse, where a section has failed
- Wrong connections, such as a soil pipe tied into a surface water drain
- Fat, grease and oil build-up that narrows the pipe
- Silt and debris that settle in low points and restrict flow
The camera records each fault on video and notes its position along the run. As a result, you have a factual record rather than a guess to work from.
How WRc MSCC5 grading helps
WRc published the first Manual of Sewer Condition Classification in the 1980s. It is now in its fifth edition, known as MSCC5. The codes let camera operators log what they see in a consistent way, while others can compare faults found by different people on different days.
Rather than a loose note such as "the pipe looks rough", each fault gets a code and a grade for how serious it is. A solicitor, an insurer and a contractor can then read the same report in the same way. Ask the engineer which grading system the report uses, since reports differ.
Why a survey matters in Scotland
In Scotland, responsibility for a pipe can sit in different places. Citizens Advice Scotland says owners are responsible for household waste pipes up to the point where they join the public sewer, while Scottish Water maintains public sewers. For shared pipes, it says the owners are jointly responsible and the title deeds usually set out how to share costs. However, Scottish Water's guidance, as summarised by Local Authority Building Standards Scotland, says a drain that leaves the property's own ground, or joins drains from another property's ground, becomes a public sewer. Scottish Water looks after public sewers.
Scottish Water's guidance, as summarised in published advice, says a drain that leaves the property boundary becomes a public sewer. A survey does not decide who owns a pipe. However, it shows where along the run a fault sits, which helps you work out whether it falls inside the boundary or beyond it.
What you get from a survey
The output should be more than footage. Ask for a written report that lists each fault, its position along the run and its grade. Ask too for a map of the drain layout showing chambers, access points and where each fault sits, because a map lets others find it.
That mix lets a contractor plan a repair without digging to find a fault that is already on camera. It also gives a solicitor or lender something concrete, rather than a description of "a gurgle now and then". Older pipes can hold more faults, although a survey of any age of pipe can find them.
If the survey finds something
Not every fault needs immediate work. A graded report shows which findings are minor and which need attention. If you need a repair, the options range from trenchless relining for cracks and roots in an otherwise sound pipe, to excavation if a section has collapsed. The survey, however, decides which one suits.
Surveys suit different goals. The drainage investigation page covers surveys for an ongoing problem, while a pre-purchase check is a one-off.
Asking for a survey
This site is a request service for drainage work. You send your details through the form, and your request goes to an engineer who can respond. The engineer who takes your job runs a separate business. Since the engineer sets the price, the arrival time and any guarantee, agree all three before work starts. To start, use the online form.
Town pages explain what to send. For a survey in Fife, see CCTV drain surveys in Tayport. If the report shows damage, read about drain repairs in Forfar or drain repairs in Perth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a CCTV drain survey reveal that I cannot see myself?
Everything below ground: root entry at joints, cracks or collapse, wrong connections, and fat, grease or silt inside the pipe. The camera records each fault and its position along the run, since a repair needs to find it.
Do I need a CCTV survey before buying a house in Dundee?
It can be a sensible step, particularly for an older property, because you cannot see its drains. Ask your solicitor or surveyor what your report says about drains, and what it could not check.
What does MSCC5 grading mean?
It is the WRc system for describing a drain fault in a consistent way. A solicitor, insurer, lender and contractor reading the same report then understand the same finding, because the codes mean the same to each of them.
Will a survey tell me who is responsible for a fault?
It shows where along the run a fault sits. That helps you judge whether the fault is on your side of the connection to the Scottish Water network, or beyond it. For shared pipes, however, check your title deeds as well.
How long does a CCTV drain survey take?
It depends on the length and layout of the run, since more pipe means more camera time. Book A Builder gives one to two hours as a guide. Ask the engineer for a time once you have described the property.
