Drain repairs in London
A blocked drain and a broken drain are not the same problem. Unblocking removes whatever is lodged in a pipe that is otherwise sound. Repair is for a pipe with physical damage: collapsed, cracked, split by roots or pushed out of alignment. Before we quote anything, a camera survey tells us which of these we are facing. The fix is then either excavation or, if the run allows, a no-dig liner fed through the pipe that is already there.
- Fully insured and Gas Safe registered
- Engineers DBS-checked
- 24/7 emergency callouts
- Price agreed before we start
- Workmanship guaranteed
Monday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Out-of-hours emergency? Call 020 3576 5825
Get a price for drain repairs
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Included in the job
- Collapsed or badly damaged drains dug out and replaced
- Cracks and root damage relined without digging, where the run allows
- Cutting out roots and fitting root barriers
- Displaced or misaligned joints put back in line
- Paving, tarmac or garden reinstated once the work is done
- Repairs to shared drains, working with the water company where relevant
Read this before you ring
You may find you can sort some of this yourself, without calling us. We are fine with that, and would rather you knew it.
Every repair begins with a camera survey
We will not price an excavation until a camera survey has shown exactly where the damage is and how serious it is. Opening up the wrong stretch, or more ground than the job needs, is a costly error worth avoiding.
Relining without digging has its limits
A resin liner suits a crack or split where the pipe still holds roughly its shape. A section that has truly collapsed, or is badly misaligned, cannot physically take a liner, so it has to be excavated.
You may not be responsible for all of a shared drain
Where a drain also serves next door, the shared section is often the water company’s responsibility under the Water Industry Act, not either homeowner’s. Ninja Plumbers checks where that boundary really sits, so you are not charged for a repair that should never have fallen to you.
Putting the ground back is part of the quote
If we have to dig through a patio or driveway, restoring it properly is agreed in the quote from the start. It is not something to negotiate once the hole is open.
What changes the price
Every drain repair we quote starts with camera footage, because the survey is what sets the price. Once the damage has been found and measured, the cost comes down to a few practical questions about the pipe and the ground above it.
How deep the pipe is
A garden drain near the surface can be dug out by hand in a small area. A deep section, often near where the drain leaves the property to join the sewer, needs a wider, supported excavation and more spoil taken away.
A patch, a full liner, or a dig
A single cracked joint can often be fixed with a short patch liner. Damage spread along the run needs a full-length liner, with any side branches reopened afterwards. A collapsed section rules lining out and means excavation, which is the bigger job.
What is on top of it
Digging through a lawn or flower bed is quicker and cheaper to put back than cutting through a concrete drive, block paving or a laid patio. A drain under an extension or a kitchen floor is a different job again.
The old pipe material
Most older London drains are clay, sometimes cast iron under the house, and some post-war runs are pitch fibre, which deforms with age. Joining new plastic pipe to any of these needs the right adaptors, and pitch fibre often limits which repair methods will work.
We agree the price with you before any work begins, and accept both card and cash.
Questions we often get
How can you tell whether a drain needs repairing or just unblocking?
A CCTV survey makes it plain. Debris resting in a sound pipe means a blockage; a pipe wall that is cracked, collapsed or split by roots means a repair. Without that evidence, we will not recommend a repair.
Will my garden or driveway have to be dug up?
Only if the damage means relining cannot be used. When relining will do the job, nothing above ground is disturbed at all.
Does the water company look after a shared drain?
Often it does, for the shared stretch past your boundary. We find where that line sits and, if a fault really is on a shared section, refer it to the water company instead of quoting you for work that is theirs.
How long will the repair take?
Most no-dig relines take a day. For an excavation it depends on depth and access, and once the survey shows how far the damage goes, we give you a realistic timeframe.
Will my home insurance cover a drain repair?
It might. Many buildings policies include accidental damage to underground drains and pipes, but some exclude gradual wear, root damage or problems linked to ground movement, and others cap the amount. Read the section on underground services, or ring the insurer before booking the repair. They will almost always want to see survey footage and a report describing the damage and its likely cause.
Can we still use the toilets and sinks during the repair?
For part of it, no. While a liner is going in and curing, or while an excavated section is cut out and replaced, nothing upstream of that point can drain. We plan the work so that period is as short as possible and tell you beforehand which fixtures are affected. In a terrace where the drain is shared, next door may be affected too, so it is worth letting them know.
Other drainage jobs we do
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Drain Unblocking
Blocked sinks, toilets and outside drains cleared with the right kit instead of bottled chemicals.
Read about Drain Unblocking -
Blocked Toilet
A toilet that will not flush away, or one that keeps blocking. Cleared, with the cause explained.
Read about Blocked Toilet -
CCTV Drain Surveys
We send a camera into the drain to see the real fault, instead of guessing from the symptoms you notice at the surface.
Read about CCTV Drain Surveys -
Surface Water Drainage
Rainwater with nowhere to go — standing water on patios, paths and gardens, given somewhere to drain.
Read about Surface Water Drainage -
Gutter Repair
Blocked, leaking, sagging and overflowing gutters cleared and repaired, along with the downpipes below them.
Read about Gutter Repair
Looking for drain repairs in London?
Tell us what is wrong and where you are, and you will have the price before any work begins.