A camera survey is worth booking when you need to know what is actually in the pipe rather than guess. In Birmingham that is usually a rear extension sitting over the drain run, roots in a clay pipe out in the leafier suburbs, or a terraced row where nobody knows whose pipe is whose.

Typical CCTV drain survey costs in Birmingham

Most domestic CCTV drain surveys in Birmingham fall between £150 and £350.

Firms covering Birmingham, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield often work from the same price card. Some advertise a domestic survey around £210 including VAT. A look without a report is cheaper. Roots in clay pipes, a drain cover buried under the flags, or a run that has to be jetted before the camera can see anything all push it up. National ranges sit on CCTV drain survey cost.

Building over a sewer in Birmingham without approval is illegal

This is the single most useful thing on this page, and most people extending a Birmingham house have never heard it.

Severn Trent state it plainly: building close to or over a public sewer without formal approval is illegal. Not discouraged, not a technicality. Illegal.

When you need their agreement

• The 3 metre rule. Measured from the nearest point of the building, foundations included, to the centreline of the sewer
• The scheme covers small sewers, 100mm to 225mm in diameter, which is what runs under most Birmingham back gardens
• Some sewers cannot be built over at all. Anything deeper than 3 metres, pressurised pumping mains, and strategic sewers earmarked for future upgrades. Those need a conversation with Severn Trent before you even apply

Where the camera comes in

Severn Trent’s survey requirements are specific, and they are easier before the work than after it.

• Before you build, on a 100mm to 150mm sewer: no survey needed if you can prove where the sewer runs and that your foundations will not affect it
• Before you build, on a 225mm sewer: no survey needed if the sewer is at least 1 metre away
• After you build, in every case: a CCTV survey is mandatory, to confirm the work did no damage

So the post-completion survey is not optional. If you are extending over or near a sewer in Birmingham, budget for a camera at the end of the job whatever happens at the start.

What it costs to apply

That is a small sum against the cost of an extension. It is a much smaller one than finding out, years later when you come to sell, that the extension was built over a sewer illegally.

The Birmingham extension problem

Birmingham has a very large stock of rear extensions and kitchen builds on terraced and semi detached houses, a lot of it done long before build over agreements were routinely policed.

That creates a specific situation a camera is good at answering.

• The inspection chamber ended up inside the extension, or was sealed under a solid floor
• Nobody knows whether an agreement was ever granted, because the work predates the current owner
• The pipe may have been damaged during the build and been quietly failing ever since

A survey tells you where the run actually goes, what condition it is in, and whether the extension sits on top of it. That is the information a solicitor, a surveyor or Severn Trent will want, and it is the information you need before spending money on anything else.

Roots in Moseley, Kings Heath and Sutton Coldfield

The leafier suburbs have mature street trees, larger gardens and older clay drain runs with jointed pipes. Roots find the joints.

The pattern repeats on a yearly cycle. The drain runs slow for months, backs up in autumn once the leaves are down, clears when it is rodded, then does the same again the following year.

Rodding treats the symptom. A camera answers the question that decides what you spend next:

• Is it just root mat, which jetting will cut back
• Or is the pipe cracked or dropped at a joint, which means lining or repair

Without the camera you are guessing, and guessing usually means paying for the same unblock every autumn.

Terraced rows and shared runs

In Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook, Small Heath, Handsworth and Bordesley Green one run often serves several houses and passes under a shared entry or rear yard.

When the whole row goes slow, the argument starts. A survey settles it, because it shows where the restriction actually sits.

That matters for the bill. Since 1 October 2011 most shared private sewers in England transferred to the water company, so a run serving several houses is normally Severn Trent rather than the residents. Proving the restriction is on the shared section rather than inside your boundary is what moves the cost off you.

When Birmingham homeowners actually book a survey

• Buying a house, particularly an older terrace, anything with a rear extension, or a property with mature trees close by
• Before an extension, to locate the run and prove where it goes to Severn Trent
• After an extension, because the post completion survey is required
• The same stretch keeps blocking after being cleared
• Damp in the house that nobody has traced, where a cracked drain is a genuine suspect
• An insurance claim, where the insurer wants evidence of what failed
• A dispute with neighbours about whose blockage it is

What you should receive from a Birmingham survey

• Video footage of the run, not just stills
• A written report naming defects and where they are along the pipe
• A plan or sketch showing the layout of the run
• Clear recommendations, separating what needs doing now from what can wait
• A statement of who owns which section, which is the part that decides who pays

If you need it for a house purchase, an insurance claim or a build over application, say so when you book. A short look and a formal report are different products at different prices, and the cheap option is no use to a solicitor.

FAQs in Birmingham

Do I need a survey before building an extension?

Not always. Severn Trent do not require one before construction on a 100mm to 150mm sewer if you can prove where it runs and that your foundations will not affect it, or on a 225mm sewer if it is at least a metre away. You do need one afterwards.

Is the survey after the work really compulsory?

Yes. Severn Trent require a post completion CCTV survey in every case, to confirm the building work did no damage to the sewer.

What is the 3 metre rule?

You need approval to build over or close to a public sewer, measured 3 metres from the nearest part of the building, foundations included, to the centre of the sewer.

What does the application cost?

Severn Trent charge £169.50 for sewers up to 150mm, £194.70 for 225mm sewers, and complex applications at cost.

What if the previous owner built over the drain without permission?

It happens a lot in Birmingham. A survey establishes where the run goes and what condition it is in, which is the starting point for sorting it out and the evidence a buyer’s solicitor will ask for.

Can I build over any sewer if I pay the fee?

No. Sewers deeper than 3 metres, pressurised pumping mains and strategic sewers cannot be built over. Speak to Severn Trent before applying.

My drain blocks every autumn in Sutton Coldfield. Will a camera help?

Yes, because it answers whether it is root mat that jetting will clear or a cracked pipe that needs repair. That decides whether you keep paying every year.

The whole row blocks together. Is a survey worth it?

Yes. It shows whether the restriction is on the shared run, which is normally Severn Trent’s since 2011, or inside your own boundary, which is yours.

Is a survey worth it when buying a house here?

On an older terrace, anything with a rear extension over the drain line, or a house with mature trees nearby, yes. A standard building survey does not put a camera in the pipe.

Will the drain need jetting first?

Sometimes. A camera cannot see through standing water or heavy silt. If the run has to be cleared before filming, that is extra time and should be in the quote.

How long does a domestic survey take?

Usually an hour or two for a normal house, longer if covers are buried or the run is complicated. The written report normally follows rather than being handed over on the day.

Do I need to be there?

Usually yes, so the covers can be lifted. If the chamber is inside an extension, say so when you book.

Getting a quote in Birmingham

Blocked right now rather than needing a survey? See blocked drains in Birmingham. Not in Birmingham? See all areas.