A CCTV drain survey puts a camera through your drains and shows you exactly what is going on underground, without digging up a single paving slab. In Reading we carry them out for drains that keep blocking, unexplained smells or rat activity, and pre-purchase checks on properties from Caversham down to Whitley. TrueFlow is based in nearby Bracknell, so an engineer can usually be with you quickly anywhere from RG1 to RG30.
A drain that blocks once is probably wipes or fat. One that blocks every few months usually has a structural fault snagging the flow, and a survey is the only way to find it before you spend money on drainage repairs.
Why Reading homes need drain surveys
A large share of Reading’s housing dates from its biscuit-town boom: street after street of workers’ terraces built for Huntley & Palmers, fanning out along the Oxford Road corridor, through East Reading and into Caversham. Those homes still sit on their original clay drain runs, often shared with the neighbours at the rear. After more than a century of use, open joints, root intrusion and rough repairs are common, and only a camera can tell you which your property has.
The ground makes things worse. Much of Reading sits on shrinkable London Clay, one of the soils that drives subsidence claims across the South East, with UK insurers paying out £153 million on subsidence in the first half of 2025 alone. As the clay swells and shrinks with the seasons, rigid Victorian pipework moves with it, joints separate, cracks spread, and street trees hunting for water push roots into any opening.
Landlords have an extra reason to book a survey. Reading already has around 3,000 HMOs, and from 1 March 2026 the borough’s new additional licensing scheme brings smaller HMOs with three or four occupants into licensing too. A survey report is solid evidence that the drainage serving a heavily used shared house is sound, and it dates any defects if a dispute arises later.
What a survey includes
We feed a high-definition camera through the system and inspect every accessible run. You receive a written report with the recorded footage, showing the position and depth of any root ingress, cracks, displaced joints or collapses, so any quote for repair is based on evidence rather than guesswork.
A standalone CCTV survey starts from £120. If the drain needs jetting first so the camera can see the pipe walls, a combined jetting and CCTV visit starts from £220. All prices include VAT, and we agree the exact figure with you before any work starts. TrueFlow is fully insured, available 24/7, and repair work carries a 6-month guarantee.
Reading drain survey FAQs
Should I get a drain survey before buying a house in Reading?
Yes, especially on the Victorian terraces around Oxford Road, East Reading and Caversham. A standard homebuyer survey stops at ground level, so a cracked or root-filled clay drain will not appear in it. A CCTV survey from £120 is cheap insurance against inheriting a repair bill, and the footage can support a price renegotiation.
My Reading drain keeps blocking after clearing. Why?
Repeat blockages in the same spot usually mean a defect, not bad luck. Movement in the local London Clay displaces joints in old pipes, and roots or debris then snag at that point. A survey pinpoints the fault so it can be fixed once rather than cleared repeatedly.
Do you survey shared drains behind terraced houses?
Yes. Many Reading terraces drain through shared rear runs, which a camera survey can trace end to end. The report shows which section the fault sits under, which matters when responsibility is split between neighbours or falls to Thames Water.
We cover the whole of Reading and can usually offer a prompt appointment. Read more about our CCTV drain survey service, or call 0808 175 7440 to book your survey.