Commercial drainage is rarely what the drawings say it is. Yards get resurfaced, units get subdivided, interceptors get bypassed, and surface water gets connected into foul by somebody in a hurry twenty years ago. By the time it matters, nobody has a current record.
We survey it, grade it and map it — the same day.
Call 0800 772 33 99 · Discuss a site
Who this is for
Managing agents and landlords — condition reporting across a portfolio, and evidence at the point where a tenant leaves.
Facilities and site managers — planned maintenance instead of emergency call-outs, and a record of where the system actually runs.
Building surveyors — drainage evidence to attach to a schedule of condition or a building survey, coded to a standard a third party will accept.
Developers and contractors — pre-adoption and as-built surveys, and the evidence pack for a build over agreement or a section 185 diversion. See build over agreements and sewer diversions.
What we survey
- Yard and service road drainage, including gullies, channels and catchpits
- Interceptors, petrol interceptors and grease traps — condition and whether they are actually doing anything
- Foul and surface water runs, with the two properly distinguished, which they frequently are not on site
- Roof drainage and downpipe connections
- Larger diameter runs beyond domestic scale
- Car parks, loading areas and hardstanding, where access is through covers under live traffic
Schedules of condition and dilapidations
At the start and end of a lease, drainage is one of the few building elements that cannot be inspected by looking at it. A coded, graded survey with a site plan gives both parties something specific to argue from rather than an assertion.
Taken at the start of a term, it is the cheapest insurance a tenant can buy. Taken at the end, it is what a landlord needs in order to substantiate a claim.
Planned maintenance rather than emergencies
For premises with grease traps, interceptors or a history of surcharging, scheduled jetting is straightforwardly cheaper than reactive call-outs — and a great deal cheaper than a day’s lost trading. We can survey first, establish what the actual risk is, and set an interval that reflects it rather than a generic one.
What you get
MSCC-coded observations positioned in metres, a Drain Repair Book grade for every section, a site plan of the system, and the full video. Reporting the same day, by NADC-certified surveyors, with the certification number on the report.
We do not carry out drain repairs, relining or excavation. For a commercial client that is usually the point: the survey is evidence, not a sales document, and whoever tenders for remedial work is doing so against a report with no interest in the outcome.
Common questions
Can you work out of hours or around trading? Access arrangements are usually the constraint on a commercial site rather than the survey itself. Tell us the constraint and we will work to it.
Do you carry the right insurance and accreditation? Yes — surveys are by NADC-certified surveyors and every report carries the certification number. Insurance details are available on request.
Can you survey a live system? Usually, though flow affects what the camera can see. For larger runs we would discuss controlling flow beforehand.
Can you produce a report our surveyor can append to theirs? That is what the MSCC coding and the DRB grading are for — it is written to be read by a third party.
How large a site can you handle? We have surveyed systems of thirteen separate runs in a single visit. Tell us the scale and we will tell you honestly whether it is a job for us.
Talk to the person who will do the work.
Surveys across the West Midlands, south Staffordshire, east Shropshire and north Worcestershire. Unblocking closer to home.