HOW TO HIRE · PLUMBING & HEATING

How to hire a CCTV drain survey in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A cctv drain survey in Ireland costs €150–€400 per survey, typically around €250. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a CCTV drain survey in five steps

  1. Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers CCTV drain survey work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — follow-up Consultation — A follow-up consultation can be provided to discuss the findings and outline potential solutions.
  2. How does complexity of the drainage system change the price?The trickiest part of the job often takes the longest. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does length of the pipes being surveyed change the price?The first hour costs more than the ones after it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does any additional services required change the price?It has to be settled before anything can be ordered. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Detailed Reporting — after the survey, a detailed report is generated, summarising the findings and providing recommendations for any required repairs or maintenance — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a CCTV drain survey job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PLUMBING ITSELF. Anyone may trade as a plumber. The line that does exist is gas: any work on a gas appliance or gas pipework is restricted to the Registered Gas Installer scheme, and a plumber who is not on it may not touch the gas side of a boiler however competent they are at everything else. Ask which side of that line your job falls on before you book.

Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.

What to check instead

Whether any part of the job touches gas — if it does, the gas register applies and a plumbing qualification is not a substitute; A trade qualification or apprenticeship, which is voluntary but checkable; Public liability insurance, and who the insurer is; Whether they carry the parts or price them separately; A written scope naming what is isolated, drained and reinstated; How a leak discovered mid-job changes the price, agreed in advance.

Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.

Insurance

Expect public liability, and ask specifically about water-damage cover. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

VAT

VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?”

A good answer: No register covers CCTV drain survey work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — follow-up Consultation — A follow-up consultation can be provided to discuss the findings and outline potential solutions.

“How does complexity of the drainage system change the price?”

A good answer: The trickiest part of the job often takes the longest. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does length of the pipes being surveyed change the price?”

A good answer: The first hour costs more than the ones after it. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does any additional services required change the price?”

A good answer: It has to be settled before anything can be ordered. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Detailed Reporting — after the survey, a detailed report is generated, summarising the findings and providing recommendations for any required repairs or maintenance — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a CCTV drain survey job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect public liability, and ask specifically about water-damage cover — video Recording — during the survey, a high-definition camera is inserted into the drainage system to record the interior condition of the pipes.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the CCTV drain survey starts, and an itemised invoice after — initial Inspection — the CCTV drain survey begins with an initial inspection of the drainage system.

Getting the quote right

  • Complexity of the drainage system — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest.
  • Length of the pipes being surveyed — the first hour costs more than the ones after it.
  • Any additional services required — it has to be settled before anything can be ordered.
  • Repairs or follow-up consultations — a poor surface will not hold the finish without work underneath.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They will not talk about it: complexity of the drainage system — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest
  • They will not talk about it: length of the pipes being surveyed — the first hour costs more than the ones after it
  • They will not talk about it: any additional services required — it has to be settled before anything can be ordered
  • A price for the CCTV drain survey before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
  • No written quote, or one that moves once the CCTV drain survey has begun
LOW
€150
TYPICAL
€250
HIGH
€400

What a CCTV drain survey costs: €150–€400 per survey

The figures are for the job, per survey, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Residential cctv drain survey and Commercial cctv drain survey each carry their own band. CCTV Drain Survey price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

CCTV drain surveys near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstComplexity of the drainage system — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest — that is what the CCTV drain survey is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneLength of the pipes being surveyed — the first hour costs more than the ones after it — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfAny additional services required — it has to be settled before anything can be ordered — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherRepairs or follow-up consultations — a poor surface will not hold the finish without work underneath — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the CCTV drain survey is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, the process is generally safe, but access points should be clear and secure.

Initial Inspection
The CCTV drain survey begins with an initial inspection of the drainage system.
Video Recording
During the survey, a high-definition camera is inserted into the drainage system to record the interior condition of the pipes.
Detailed Reporting
After the survey, a detailed report is generated, summarising the findings and providing recommendations for any required repairs or maintenance.
Follow-up Consultation
A follow-up consultation can be provided to discuss the findings and outline potential solutions.
Residential CCTV Drain Survey
A comprehensive inspection of a home's drainage system to identify blockages and structural issues.
Commercial CCTV Drain Survey
An extensive survey for commercial properties, assessing larger drainage systems for potential problems.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — follow-up Consultation — A follow-up consultation can be provided to discuss the findings and outline potential solutions, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the CCTV drain survey has gone.
Test what was doneDetailed Reporting — after the survey, a detailed report is generated, summarising the findings and providing recommendations for any required repairs or maintenance — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. video Recording — during the survey, a high-definition camera is inserted into the drainage system to record the interior condition of the pipes — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a CCTV drain survey's card means something — initial Inspection — the CCTV drain survey begins with an initial inspection of the drainage system.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itThere is no register, so the route is the consumer body and, if needed, the courts.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring a CCTV drain survey: questions people ask

Typically, a CCTV drain survey can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the size and condition of the drainage system. More extensive systems may require additional time for thorough inspection.

Many plumbing companies offer emergency or same-day service for CCTV drain surveys, especially if there is a suspected blockage or urgent issue. Availability may vary, so it is best to inquire ahead of time.

Yes, many service providers allow you to book multiple related services, such as drain cleaning or repairs, alongside the CCTV drain survey. This can often lead to bundled pricing and efficiency.

A CCTV drain survey typically focuses on the condition of the pipes and identifying blockages. It does not cover issues outside the drainage system, such as external plumbing problems or structural assessments of the property.

NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PLUMBING ITSELF. Anyone may trade as a plumber. The line that does exist is gas: any work on a gas appliance or gas pipework is restricted to the Registered Gas Installer scheme, and a plumber who is not on it may not touch the gas side of a boiler however competent they are at everything else. Ask which side of that line your job falls on before you book.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in plumbing & heating

How to hire: PlumberHow to hire: Emergency PlumberHow to hire: Boiler InstallationHow to hire: Boiler Service & RepairHow to hire: Boiler ReplacementHow to hire: Central Heating InstallationHow to hire: Radiator InstallationHow to hire: Underfloor HeatingAll 701 hiring guides →

CCTV drain surveys near you

CCTV drain surveys in DublinCCTV drain surveys in CorkCCTV drain surveys in GalwayCCTV drain surveys in LimerickAll cctv drain surveys on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. CRU — RGI and Safe Electric schemes
  2. CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2022
  4. Courts Service — small claims
  5. Revenue — PLUMBING SERVICES (Private dwellings/Non-residential immovable goods) — Reduced rate
  6. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  7. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only