How much does it cost?
Who is responsible for the repairs?
How long will it take?
How much does it cost?
Every drainage problem is different and there are many factors to consider which determine the cost of the job, such as, suitable access, water supply, cause of blockage etc.
The cost of clearing a blockage is determined by the length of time spent on site.
Our vehicles are extremely well equipped to deal with almost any problem in a single visit.
A typical vehicle contains.
- 2 x operatives
- High pressure jetting unit
- Drain rods
- Camera
- Sonar tracer/locator
- Electromechanical auger
- Submersible pump
- Plumbing tools
- Lifting equipment
This ensures any job can be carried out as quickly as possible, thereby keeping costs to a minimum.
Our rates are based on £60 per hour plus VAT for normal working hours. Out of hours rates vary.
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Who is responsible for the repairs?
The first principle to be applied is that whoever owns a drain or sewer is normally responsible for its maintenance. Tenants are not normally responsible for the maintenance of drains and private sewers (although responsibility could be passed to the tenant in a tenancy agreement).
Broad definitions of ownership and maintenance responsibilities are given below. It must be emphasised that particular cases may vary due to conditions in property deeds or other local factors.
Drains
Drains (and associated inspection chambers) serve a single property and are owned and maintained by the owner of the property. They are often laid, in part, under the highway. Owners are responsible for carrying out repairs to their drains which will be at their expense unless they can prove damage by others. Drains are the owner’s responsibility up to their connection with a private sewer, a public sewer, a watercourse, culvert or public treatment facility.
Private Sewers
Occasionally the deeds of a property will indicate the ownership of a private sewer and the responsibility for maintenance. If ownership and maintenance responsibilities are not shown in the deeds, then the following convention normally applies.
If a problem occurs at a point along a private sewer, those properties which drain to that point are jointly and equally responsible for the cost of dealing with the problem.
The cost of clearing a blockage which has caused flooding at an inspection chamber or manhole would therefore be paid for equally by all property owners upstream of the blockage and not just by the owner of the property on whose land the inspection chamber lies.
Public Sewers
Public Sewers are owned and maintained by the Sewerage Undertaker. Sometimes, depending on the area, the District council or local water authority maintains these sewers on behalf of the Sewerage undertaker.
Section 24 Sewer
A second type of Public Sewer (previously known as a “Section 24” sewer) is one that was one built as a private sewer before 1st October 1937 but then, as a result of a change in the law, became the responsibility of the Sewerage Undertaker. Plans of this type of public sewer seldom exist, although the Council and Sewerage Undertakers do hold some records, so each case has to be assessed by the Sewerage Undertaker using the evidence available. A site survey will often be required.
The Sewerage Undertaker in the Greater Manchester area is United Utilities and not the local council.
The local authority highways department is usually responsible for the highway drainage.
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How long will it take?
Every drainage problem is different and there are many factors to consider which determine the length of time a job will take, such as, suitable access, water supply, cause of blockage etc.
Blocked Gullies and toilets can often be cleared manually in as little as 30 mins.
A typical jetting job to clear a blockage, takes about an hour with a good water supply and suitable access points.
Root cutting, de-silting and other cleaning applications depend on the severity of the problem and the length and size of the pipe.
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