CCTV Drain Survey

What a camera can show

• open or displaced joints
• fractures and cracks
• root ingress
• deformation
• obstructions and deposits
• standing water
• intruding connections
• areas where a pipe has partially or completely collapsed

What a camera picture cannot tell you on its own

A small joint opening on a camera screen can be harmless. It becomes relevant when there is a step across the bottom of the pipe, roots entering through it, visible loss of surrounding material or repeated blockage at that exact point.

A camera needs a reasonably clear pipe

A camera travelling through dirty water or heavy grease cannot show the pipe wall properly. For recurring blockages, cleaning followed by CCTV is often more informative than pushing the camera into a still-obstructed pipe.

What a useful report should actually tell you

The report should say which chamber the camera entered from, which way it travelled and how far each significant defect lies from that point. Without a measured location, a clear video still leaves the contractor guessing where to dig or patch.

If the survey recommends repair, the report should point to the footage and measured location that justify it. A faint crack high on the pipe wall is not the same evidence as a displaced joint catching paper at the bottom of the drain.