Drain repairs in London
There is a real difference between a drain that is blocked and a drain that is broken. Unblocking clears whatever is stuck inside a pipe that still works fine. A repair is for a pipe that is physically damaged — collapsed, cracked, split by roots, or knocked out of alignment — and we confirm which one we are dealing with using a camera survey before quoting anything. From there it is either excavation, or, where the run allows for it, a no-dig lining fed in through the existing pipe.
- Gas Safe registered and fully insured
- DBS-checked engineers
- Emergency callout available 24/7
- Price agreed before work starts
- Workmanship guaranteed
Monday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Out-of-hours emergency? Call 020 3576 5825
Get a price for drain repairs
Three details get an engineer moving. The rest is optional.
Thanks — we’ve got it
We’ll come back to you on the number you gave us. If it’s urgent and you’d rather not wait, call 020 3576 5825.
What this includes
- Excavation and replacement of collapsed or badly damaged drains
- No-dig relining for cracks and root damage where the run allows it
- Root cutting and root-barrier installation
- Reinstating misaligned or displaced joints
- Reinstatement of the surface afterwards — paving, tarmac or garden
- Shared-drain repairs and liaising with the water company where it applies
Worth knowing first
A little of this might mean you do not need to call us at all — we would still rather you knew it.
It always starts with a survey, not a guess
We will not quote an excavation without a camera survey confirming exactly where the damage is and how bad it is. Digging up the wrong section, or more than needed, is an expensive mistake to avoid.
No-dig relining is not always possible
A resin liner works for a crack or a split section with the pipe still roughly in shape. A genuinely collapsed section, or one with a bad misalignment, physically cannot be relined and needs excavation instead.
A shared drain may not be entirely your responsibility
If a drain is shared with next door, responsibility for the shared section often sits with the water company under the Water Industry Act — not with either homeowner. Ninja Plumbers works out where that boundary actually falls before you end up paying for a repair that was never yours to fund in the first place.
Reinstatement is part of the job, not an afterthought
If we excavate through a patio or a driveway, putting it back properly is agreed as part of the quote up front, not negotiated after the hole is already open.
What affects 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.
The price is agreed before any work starts. We take card and cash.
Common questions
How do you know if a drain needs repair rather than unblocking?
A CCTV survey shows the difference clearly — debris sitting in an intact pipe is a blockage; a cracked, collapsed or root-split pipe wall is a repair. We will not recommend a repair without that evidence.
Will you need to dig up my garden or driveway?
Only where the damage rules out relining as an option. If relining will work, nothing above ground gets touched at all.
Is a shared drain the water company’s responsibility?
Often, for the shared section beyond your boundary. We will identify where that line falls and can refer a genuinely shared fault to the water company rather than quote you for their repair.
How long does a repair take?
A no-dig reline is typically a day. An excavation depends on depth and access, and we will give you a realistic timeframe once the survey confirms the extent of it.
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.
More drainage work we take on
-
Drain Unblocking
Sinks, toilets and outside drains cleared with proper equipment, not a bottle of chemicals.
More on Drain Unblocking -
Blocked Toilet
A toilet that will not flush away, or one that keeps blocking. Cleared, with the cause explained.
More on Blocked Toilet -
CCTV Drain Surveys
A camera down the drain shows what is actually wrong, rather than guessing from what keeps happening above ground.
More on CCTV Drain Surveys -
Surface Water Drainage
Rainwater with nowhere to go — standing water on patios, paths and gardens, given somewhere to drain.
More on Surface Water Drainage -
Gutter Repair
Blocked, leaking, sagging and overflowing gutters cleared and repaired, along with the downpipes below them.
More on Gutter Repair
Need drain repairs in London?
Describe the problem and give us your area, and we’ll tell you the price before anyone starts work.