Inside the home
Sinks, baths, showers and toilets that are slow or blocked, gurgling plugholes and water backing up.
Blocked Drains in Maidstone
Sink, toilet or outside drain blocked, slow or smelling? Compare quotes from up to 3 vetted plumbers and drain engineers in Maidstone.
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Drain problems we can help with
Outside drains
Overflowing gullies and manholes, standing water, and bad smells around the house.
Repeat blockages and damage
Drains that keep blocking, tree roots, and cracked or collapsed pipes found with a CCTV survey.
Before you book, it's worth finding out where the blockage is. If only one sink or shower is slow, the problem is usually in its trap or waste pipe, and a plunger or cleaning out the trap may clear it. If several fittings are slow, or the toilet water rises when you run a tap, the blockage is further down the line. Lift the cover of your inspection chamber (the manhole nearest the house). If it's full, the blockage is downstream of it. If it's empty, the blockage is between the house and the chamber.
Who pays depends on where the blockage is. Since October 2011, drains in England that are shared with neighbours, or that sit outside your property boundary, have been the water company's responsibility. In Maidstone, that's Southern Water, which looks after the sewers. South East Water supplies your drinking water but doesn't deal with drains. You're responsible for the drain that serves only your home, inside your boundary. If the blockage is in a shared drain or the public sewer, report it to Southern Water, which clears it at no charge. If it's in your own drain, that's a job for a plumber or drain engineer.
The most common causes are fat and cooking oil poured down the sink, wet wipes flushed down the toilet, and, in autumn, leaves and silt washed into outside gullies. Many of Maidstone's older terraces still have their original clay drains, where joints can crack and tree roots can get in. A blockage that keeps coming back usually means damage like this. A CCTV survey shows the inside of the pipe, so you can see whether it needs a patch repair or a liner rather than digging up the garden.
Engineers clear most blockages with drain rods or high-pressure water jetting. Ask whether the quote is a fixed price per visit or hourly, whether a CCTV report is included, and whether the work is guaranteed. Don't mix drain-cleaning chemicals, and tell the engineer if you've used any.
If sewage is coming up inside the house, stop using water, keep children and pets away, and say so when you post your job. If it happens during heavy rain, it may be the public sewer overflowing, so report it to Southern Water as well. Reviews on Trade Pilot come from real, invoiced jobs, so you can see how other homeowners rated an engineer's work.
Typical prices
| Job | Typical UK range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unblock a sink, bath or shower | £60–£150 | Often a fixed price per visit |
| Unblock a toilet | £60–£150 | More if the blockage is further down the drain |
| Clear an outside drain or gully | £80–£200 | Rods or high-pressure jetting |
| CCTV drain survey | £100–£300 | Usually includes a written report |
| Drain patch repair or relining | £300–£1,500 | Depends on length and access |
Typical UK ranges; your quotes depend on the job and access.
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How Trade Pilot helps you hire in Maidstone
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Frequently Asked Questions
Unblocking a sink, bath, shower or toilet typically costs £60 to £150, and clearing an outside drain or gully £80 to £200. A CCTV drain survey is usually £100 to £300.
You're responsible for the drain that serves only your home, inside your boundary. Shared drains and the public sewer are Southern Water's responsibility, and it clears blockages in them at no charge.
Usually fat, wet wipes or leaves, or damage such as cracked joints or tree roots in older clay pipes. A CCTV survey shows the cause, so it can be fixed properly.
Use them with care, and never mix different products. They rarely clear a solid blockage further down the drain, and they can damage older pipes. Tell the engineer if you've used any.
A camera is passed through the drain to show its condition. It's worth having if blockages keep coming back, before buying a house, or before any repair, so you only pay for the work that's needed.
Clearing a simple blockage usually isn't, but some home emergency policies include it. Damage to the drain itself, such as a collapse, may be covered by buildings insurance. Check your policy.
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