The current candidate dataset

Direct provider observations

Dated direct-provider candidate observations with mixed scopes; not a representative UK average.
SourceDescribed scopePublished inclusionsDisplayed priceVAT basisCoverageReviewedWhat is not yet normalised
Drain365Candidate observation · Direct provider priceCCTV drain surveyThe provider describes its standard survey as including a full inspection, footage and a written report.From £139 + VATExcluding VATLondon provider coverageThis is a starting price. Property extent, access, travel, run limits and exact deliverables must be confirmed.
AspectCandidate observation · Direct provider priceInspectionUp to four manholes; the provider says a report with footage, images and observations is available on request at no extra cost.From £225 + VATExcluding VATGreater London and South East England provider coverageAdditional manholes were listed at £67.50 plus VAT each. Do not assume this includes the mapping in the provider's homebuyer option.
AspectCandidate observation · Direct provider priceMapping / homebuyer workMapping/homebuyer work for up to four manholes, as described by the provider.From £315 + VATExcluding VATGreater London and South East England provider coverageAdditional access points were listed at £67.50 plus VAT each. Property extent, report format and clearance terms must be confirmed.
Clearflow SurveysCandidate observation · Direct provider priceHomebuyer surveyDescribed as a homebuyer survey, with the displayed starting price based on a two-bedroom property.From £249 + VATExcluding VATCheshire, Staffordshire and Greater Manchester provider coverageThis is a starting price. Property size, exact inclusions, access conditions and geographic terms must be checked.
EcoJetCandidate observation · Direct provider priceFull CCTV surveyWeekday daytime full CCTV survey, priced on time on site.£140 + VATExcluding VATLondon provider coverageThe source charges additional time separately and displays different evening, night and weekend rates; report deliverables require confirmation.
DrainsmartCandidate observation · Direct provider priceHomebuyer packageUp to three manholes, full CCTV inspection, computerised layout drawing, stills or footage on request, and a report target of two working days.£280 + VATExcluding VATLondon provider coverageAdditional manholes and expedited reporting are separately priced on the source page.
DrainLocal LondonCandidate observation · Direct provider priceHomebuyer packageUp to five pipe runs and a detailed PDF report.£180Not explicit on reviewed sourceLondon provider coverageAdditional runs are separately priced; individual recordings are shown as a separate higher-priced option; VAT basis was not explicit in the reviewed evidence.
CCTV Drain SurveysCandidate observation · Direct provider priceHomebuyer surveyWritten condition report; HD video described as optional.£295Not explicit on reviewed sourceKent, Sussex, Surrey and South London provider coverageVAT, property/run limits and exact video terms were not explicit in the reviewed evidence and must be confirmed.
Hydro ScotCandidate observation · Direct provider priceFull CCTV surveyThe page describes a written report, footage and diagrams.Typically £150–£400Not explicit on reviewed sourceGlasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Central Scotland provider coverageThis is a provider's typical range, not a fixed offer; the source says complexity and camera reach affect the quote, and VAT basis was not explicit.

Separately labelled consumer estimate

This is not a provider offer. Its own cost table is older than our access date, so it is retained only as clearly caveated market context.

Consumer-market estimate kept separate from direct provider prices.
SourceDescribed scopePublished inclusionsDisplayed priceVAT basisCoverageReviewedWhat is not yet normalised
CheckatradeCandidate observation · Consumer-market estimateFull-report market estimateDescribed as an approximate range for a full report.Approximately £200–£350Not explicit on reviewed sourceUK guide; not a contractor quoteThis is a ballpark consumer estimate, not a provider offer or verified local price. The cost table said it was last updated in May 2024, and automated freshness checks may be blocked by the site.

“Candidate observation” means the figure passed an initial source check but has not become a standardised quote. A candidate can be removed if the page changes or a material ambiguity prevents the VAT basis or service scope from being labelled and compared honestly.

Which sources qualify?

We prefer evidence in this order:

  1. A provider’s own current public price page, with a named service and an accessible source URL.
  2. A dated price guide from a recognisable consumer or professional publisher, clearly labelled as an estimate rather than an offer.
  3. Other evidence only as corroboration. Forum comments and unattributed snippets cannot establish a price.

We do not use search-result snippets as the sole source, copy a competitor’s claimed average without its method, or turn a “from” price into a fixed quote.

What we record for each observation

Source identity
Publisher, page URL, evidence type and review date.
Displayed scope
The provider’s own service label, without silently upgrading an inspection into a full homebuyer report.
Price form
Fixed, “from”, range, estimate or quote-only.
VAT basis
Included, excluded or not stated. We normalise VAT only when the original basis is explicit.
Known inclusions
Report, footage, stills, mapping, access limits and any other term the source states clearly.
Gaps and caveats
Coverage, travel, property limits, cleaning, inaccessible runs and any term that must still be confirmed.

How we compare without overstating

  • Keep direct offers separate from third-party estimates.
  • Keep basic inspections separate from written-report packages.
  • Show VAT treatment beside the figure, not in a distant footnote.
  • Preserve outliers and gaps instead of quietly deleting them.
  • Do not infer a local price from a national or provider-level page.
  • Calculate a range or median only when a sufficiently broad set of comparable observations exists; that threshold has not been met.

Freshness and correction process

Price sources are scheduled for a monthly human review. The reviewer checks that the page still resolves, the displayed figure still exists and its scope, VAT basis and exclusions have not materially changed. An automated check may flag a page, but it may not publish a changed price.

Every price change requires a reviewed code change that records the old observation, the new evidence and the review date. If a source becomes unclear or unavailable, the observation is marked stale or removed; it is never guessed forward.

Commercial independence

No provider in this dataset has agreed to participate in this website, supplied a local price to us or paid for inclusion. An observation is not an endorsement. Phase 1 does not collect quote requests or route leads.

Sources

We link to the underlying source so you can check the wording, scope and current position yourself. Access dates record our review, not a promise that a third-party page has not changed since.

  1. Published drain-survey service priceDrain365 · Provider price page · London provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  2. CCTV drain surveysAspect · Provider price page · Greater London and South East England provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  3. How much does a homebuyer drain survey cost?Clearflow Surveys · Provider price page · Cheshire, Staffordshire and Greater Manchester provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  4. Drainage service ratesEcoJet · Provider price page · London provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  5. Drainage services feesDrainsmart · Provider price page · London provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  6. Homebuyer CCTV drain surveyDrainLocal London · Provider price page · London provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  7. CCTV drain survey pricesCCTV Drain Surveys · Provider price page · Kent, Sussex, Surrey and South London coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  8. CCTV drain survey services across ScotlandHydro Scot · Provider price page · Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Central Scotland provider coverage · reviewed 30 August 2026
  9. CCTV drain survey cost guideCheckatrade · Consumer price guide · UK · reviewed 30 August 2026