Blocked drain questions

It depends on where the blockage is and how it's cleared. As a guide, MyJobQuote's published UK ranges are £50–£60 to unblock a toilet, £80–£145 for drain rodding and £70–£175 for drain jetting, with emergency call-outs at £100–£200. Your drainage engineer will give you a price after looking at the job.

Yes. Sending the form costs nothing, and the quote is free and without obligation. You decide whether to go ahead.

We pass your details to one vetted, independent drainage engineer covering your area. They'll contact you as soon as possible to talk it through and arrange a visit or a price.

In general, you're responsible for drains inside your property boundary. Since 1 October 2011, lateral drains outside the boundary and sewers shared with neighbours that connect to the public network have been South West Water's responsibility. If neighbours are blocked too, the problem may be in a shared sewer. A drainage engineer can usually tell you which it is.

Stop using water in the house as far as you can so the blockage doesn't back up further, and stop flushing a blocked toilet. Keep children and pets away from any waste water, and wash your hands after touching anything near it. Don't lift a heavy chamber cover on your own.

Some home insurance policies include accidental damage to drains or home emergency cover, and some don't. Check your policy before work starts. If your insurer wants evidence of damage, a CCTV survey report is usually what they'll ask for.

One. We don't send your details to a list of companies, so you won't get calls from five different firms.

Most blockages only need clearing. If a drain keeps blocking, or the engineer suspects a crack, roots or a collapsed section, they may suggest a CCTV survey to find out before any repair is quoted.

In general, the usual causes are wet wipes and other items that don't break down, too much paper, or a problem further down the drain. If it keeps happening, the drain outside may need checking.

Choose the urgent option on the form so the engineer knows it's urgent. Stop using water in the house, keep people and pets away from the area, and turn off electrics near any water if it is safe to do so.

When a drain keeps blocking, when you suspect damage, when an insurer or builder asks for a report, or before buying an older property. The camera shows what's inside the pipe, so the fix can be planned properly.

Clearing a drain is no different. If a drain needs digging up, though, work in a conservation area needs more care, so it helps to find the exact fault with a CCTV survey first. Mention it on the form if your home is listed.

In general, it's cleaning a drain with water at high pressure through a hose and nozzle. It scours grease, silt, scale and roots off the pipe walls instead of just pushing through the blockage, which helps stop it coming back.

No. The Exmouth tidal defence scheme reduces the risk of flooding from the sea, but the Environment Agency says the town is still at risk of flooding from rivers and surface water. Gullies and drains that are part-blocked are more likely to overflow in heavy rain.

Crediton sits in a narrow valley between two steep hills, and its community flood plan lists Parliament Street and the A377 High Street among the areas at risk of surface water flooding. Water arrives quickly, so gullies and drains that are part-blocked show it first.