Why commercial surveys are priced per site
Domestic drain surveys are often sold at a fixed price because the network is small and predictable. Commercial sites are not. A retail unit, a distribution yard and a city-centre office can each take a very different amount of time on site, so a reliable quote starts with understanding the site.
Most commercial surveys are priced on the time needed on site plus the reporting and drawing work afterwards. The factors below decide how much of each is needed.
What affects the cost
These are the factors that make the biggest difference to the price of a commercial CCTV drainage survey:
- Extent of the network – the number of chambers and the total length of pipe to be surveyed.
- Access – seized or buried covers, chambers under parked vehicles or stock, and areas that are only available out of hours.
- Cleaning – silted or blocked runs may need jetting before the camera can see the pipe wall.
- Traffic management and permits – work on live yards, car parks or footways can need barriers, a banksman or a permit.
- Mapping and levels – a condition report alone takes less time than full drain mapping with cover and invert levels drawn in CAD.
- Reporting format – some clients need a specific standard, such as reports for Scottish Water or a set CAD template.
- Combined surveys – adding a PAS128 utility or topographical survey on the same visit usually costs less than booking them separately.
How to get an accurate quote quickly
The fastest way to a fixed price is to send a site plan or a marked-up aerial image showing the areas and runs you need surveyed, with the site postcode, any access restrictions and what the survey is for. With that, we can work out the time on site and come back with a fixed quote, usually the same or next working day.
- Site address or postcode
- Plan or aerial image with the survey area marked
- Purpose: purchase, design, handover, maintenance or a defect
- Access notes: working hours, permits, inductions
- Any existing drainage drawings, even if out of date
Where the money is saved
A survey is usually a small cost compared with what it prevents: buying a property with a collapsed yard drain, redesigning a scheme because existing drainage was in the wrong place, or paying for repeated emergency call-outs to the same blockage. Booking drainage, utilities and topography together also saves a second mobilisation.
Need a drainage survey? Call 0345 548 5451 or email us with your site plan for a fixed quote.
