06 / 07 Drainage services
Drain Repairs and Lining
A cracked, leaking or root-damaged drain causes repeat blockages, smells, damp and sometimes rats, and the damage gets worse over time. Many drains can now be repaired from the inside, through the existing chambers, without digging up the garden, driveway or kitchen floor. Our drain repair service covers no-dig drain lining and patch lining, and traditional excavation where a pipe cannot be lined. Because we are also builders, we can dig, repair and reinstate the surface in one job.
Drain repairs and lining are part of our drainage and blocked drain services, within our wider plumbing services.
- Part ofPlumbing Services
- On this page9 topics covered
- Answered here6 common questions
- FreeSurvey & itemised quote
01What needs repairing
Drain Damage We Repair
Repairs start with knowing exactly what is wrong and where. A CCTV drain survey shows the type of damage, its position and its length, which decides the repair. The common defects are:
- Cracks and fractures, often from ground movement, heavy vehicles or age.
- Displaced and open joints, where sections of pipe have moved apart or out of line.
- Root intrusion, where roots grow in through cracks and joints and form a mat that catches waste.
- Leaking joints, which can wash away the soil around the pipe and lead to subsidence or sunken paving.
- Deformed pipes, especially pitch-fibre drains used in many mid-20th century homes, which can blister and flatten.
- Collapsed sections, where part of the pipe has broken in and blocks the drain.
If the damage is in a shared drain, a lateral drain or the public sewer, the sewerage company is responsible for the repair, not you. The drainage hub page explains who looks after which pipe.
02No dig
What Is No Dig Drain Repair?
No dig drain repair means repairing the pipe from inside, working through the inspection chambers or a small access point. The drain is first cleaned with drain jetting, and roots or hard deposits are cut out. The camera checks it is ready, the repair is installed, and a final camera survey records the finished work.
Full Drain Lining
Drain lining, also called cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining, puts a new pipe inside the old one. A flexible liner soaked in resin is pulled or turned inside out into the drain, pressed against the old pipe walls with air or water, and left to harden. Depending on the system, it cures at normal temperature, or with hot water, steam or ultraviolet light. Branch connections from other pipes are then reopened from inside with a remote cutter. The result is a continuous, jointless lining that seals cracks and joints and stops roots getting back in.
Patch Lining
Patch lining repairs a short, local defect, such as a single crack or an open joint, rather than the whole length. A resin-soaked patch is wrapped around an inflatable packer, pushed to the damaged spot, inflated against the pipe wall and held there until it cures. It is often the simplest repair when the rest of the drain is in good condition.
Re-rounding
Pitch-fibre pipes that have deformed can sometimes be pushed back into shape with a re-rounding tool, then lined to hold that shape. Whether this is possible depends on how badly the pipe has deformed.
03Lining vs excavation
Drain Lining vs Excavation
| No dig lining | Excavation | |
|---|---|---|
| Disruption | Works through existing chambers | Digging through the garden, driveway or floor |
| Surfaces | Left in place | Lifted and reinstated |
| Suitable for | Cracks, open joints, roots, minor displacement, leaks | Collapses, severe deformation, sags and wrong falls |
| Pipe size | Slightly reduces the bore | Can change the pipe size or route |
| Under buildings and trees | Often the only practical option | Difficult or impossible |
When Lining Is Not Suitable
A liner follows the shape and line of the old pipe. It cannot fix a drain that has collapsed, is badly displaced or flattened, or sags so that water sits in it, and it cannot change the route or the fall. In those cases the damaged section is dug out and replaced through our drain installation and replacement service.
04Excavation
Excavation Repairs
Where a section has to be dug out, we expose the pipe, cut out the damaged length and replace it with new pipe, using flexible couplings to join it to the old pipe. The new pipe is bedded and surrounded properly, the trench is backfilled in layers, and the drain is tested and surveyed before it is covered. We then reinstate the surface, whether that is lawn, paving, a block paving driveway or a concrete floor, so you do not need a separate builder.
05Cost
How Much Does Drain Lining Cost?
It depends on:
Every factor is priced line by line after your free survey — no guesswork, staged payments.
Get a drain repair quote- 01
The length and diameter of pipe to be lined, or whether a patch is enough.
- 02
Bends and branch connections, which need extra work to line and reopen.
- 03
Preparation
How much cleaning, root cutting or descaling is needed first.
- 04
Access
The number and depth of chambers, and whether a new access point is needed.
- 05
The liner system and how it is cured.
Excavation repairs depend on the depth of the drain, what is above it and what has to be reinstated. Once the drain has been surveyed, you receive a written quote, and for a measured length of lining we can usually give a fixed price.
06Insurance
Does Home Insurance Cover Drain Repair?
Often, but not always. Many buildings insurance policies cover accidental damage to the underground drains you are responsible for, such as a pipe cracked by ground movement or a heavy vehicle. Many exclude wear and tear and gradual deterioration, and some exclude root damage. Insurers usually ask for a CCTV survey report and footage showing the cause and extent of the damage, and a quote for the repair. Check your policy and talk to your insurer before work starts, and keep the survey and invoice.
Timescale · 07
How Long Does Drain Lining Last?
A lining installed in a properly cleaned and prepared pipe forms a durable new pipe that is designed for a long service life. Liner manufacturers publish a design life for their systems, and we can tell you what it is for the liner we propose. How well it lasts in practice depends on the preparation, the installation and what goes down the drain, so keeping fat and wipes out of it still matters.
08Areas
Drain Repairs and Lining Across London
We carry out drain repairs and lining across London, with a focus on east and south-east London. Find out more on our pages for drain repairs and lining in London, drain repairs and lining in Ilford, drain repairs and lining in Barking, drain repairs and lining in Dagenham, drain repairs and lining in East Ham and drain repairs and lining in Orpington.
09FAQs
Drain Repair FAQs
How much does drain lining cost?
It depends on the length and diameter of the pipe, bends and connections, the preparation needed, access and the liner system. After a survey, we give you a written quote, usually a fixed price for a measured length.
What is no dig drain repair?
It is repairing a drain from the inside, through the existing chambers, with a resin liner or patch, so the garden, driveway or floor above does not need digging up.
Does home insurance cover drain repair?
Many buildings policies cover accidental damage to drains you are responsible for, but often exclude wear and tear or root damage. Insurers usually want a CCTV survey report and a repair quote.
How long does drain lining last?
A well-prepared, properly installed liner is designed for a long service life. Manufacturers publish a design life for each system, and we can tell you what it is for the liner we propose.
Can a collapsed drain be lined?
No. A liner needs an open pipe to follow. A collapsed or badly deformed section is dug out and replaced, and the rest of the drain may then be lined.
Will lining stop roots coming back?
Yes, in the lined section. The roots are cut out first, and the jointless liner seals the cracks and joints they grew through.
Next step
Get a Drain Repair Quote
Send us your CCTV survey report if you have one, or tell us what is happening and we will survey the drain first. You will get a written quote for the repair that suits the damage.
Send us photos or your survey on WhatsApp, or use our contact form.
- Free survey
- Itemised written quote
- One project manager