We work constantly in mansion blocks right across Greater London, and the pattern is consistent.
How mansion blocks are drained
Purpose-built mansion blocks share soil stacks and below-ground drainage between many flats, with the whole system usually forming part of the building’s common parts.
What goes wrong
A restriction in a shared stack shows up first in the lowest flat, which is rarely where the cause lies. Grease and wipes from any one flat affect everyone below.
Our approach
We report in a form the managing agent can act on, and we set out clearly whether the fault is communal or belongs to a single flat, because that decides who pays.
Signs worth reporting
- Standing water in a yard gully hours after the last discharge
- Two or more fittings affected together, rather than a single sink
- A glugging noise from a plughole as another appliance drains
- A sour smell near the gully that worsens after rain
Before we arrive
- Hold off on taps, showers and appliances, especially washing machines
- Keep people and pets away from any standing waste water
- Move bins or planters off the inspection covers
- Jot down what is draining and what is not so we arrive prepared
Who pays for the repair
Not every blockage is yours to pay for. Most pipework beyond your boundary became the water company’s responsibility in 2011, which means a fault beyond your boundary is theirs to fix. We establish which side of the line the fault sits and tell you plainly, including when the answer is that you should call Thames Water instead.
What we charge
Every price is fixed before work starts and there is never a call-out charge, at any hour:
- Blocked Drains – Outside drain clearance is a fixed £144 plus VAT.
- Blocked Toilets – A blocked toilet is normally cleared at the fixed £120 plus VAT rate.
- Blocked Sinks – Clearing a blocked sink is a fixed £120 plus VAT.
- Drain Unblocking – Drain unblocking starts at a fixed £120 plus VAT, with no call-out charge at any hour.
- CCTV Drain Surveys – A CCTV drain survey is a fixed £300 plus VAT, footage and written summary included.
- Trenchless Drain Repairs – Trenchless repairs are quoted after a survey, because the length and condition set the price.
- Drainage Installation – Installation work typically runs from £600 to £2,500, fixed after a site visit.
- French Drains – French drain installations are quoted after a site visit.