Assess
We talk through the history, look at the rat activity inside, lift the inspection covers and work out which runs serve which part of the building.
Drain Camera Survey in Wakefield and West Yorkshire
Practical pest control support for homes and businesses.
Drain Camera Survey
Drain camera surveys in Wakefield and West Yorkshire for pest problems linked to drainage defects, rat entry routes, damaged pipework and access points.
We carry out drain camera surveys for rat problems across Wakefield and West Yorkshire, finding the cracked pipes, open joints and redundant drains that let rats into buildings.
About Drain Camera Survey
Why a drain survey is often the answer to rats indoors
Rats that keep coming back after treatment are usually coming from the drains. A cracked pipe, an open redundant drain or a broken inspection chamber gives them a route from the sewer to under the floor that no surface inspection will find.
At VermiCure we put a camera down the pipework and look. A CCTV drain survey shows the exact fault and where it is, so the fix is a rat flap, a repair or a capped pipe rather than more bait. You get the footage and a plain written report, for householders, landlords and businesses alike.
Rats live in the sewer system
Brown rats are at home in drains, and the network runs under every street. Any defect in the pipework to your building is a potential entry point.
Faults are invisible from the surface
A hairline crack, a root-damaged joint or a displaced pipe shows nothing at ground level. The first sign is often rats under the floor.
Redundant drains are left open
Old outside toilets and demolished extensions leave pipe runs that were never capped, connecting the sewer to the void under a floor.
Interceptors and chambers fail
Older properties have interceptor traps in the main chamber meant to stop rats; a missing stopper or a broken chamber lid defeats them.
Shared drains move the problem between properties
Terraces and flats often share a run, so a fault in one drain can bring rats into a neighbour's property.
Signs you need a drain survey for rats
Rats keep returning
Repeat activity after treatment, often in the same part of the building.
No entry point in the walls
You have checked walls, vents and doors and cannot find how they are getting in.
Noises under floors or behind bathrooms
Scratching under the floor, in cavities or behind bathroom and kitchen units where pipes run.
Droppings near drains or toilets
Rat droppings by inspection covers, gullies, the base of the toilet or under the bath.
Smells or past drainage work
A sewer smell indoors, sunken ground along a run, or pipes disturbed by building work.
What happens during a drain camera survey
Survey
We feed a CCTV camera through the pipework from the chambers, recording as we go, and note the position of every defect, redundant branch and sign of rats.
Report
You get the footage and a written report in plain English: what we found, where it is and what we recommend, ready to hand to a drainage contractor.
Act
Where the pipe suits one we fit a rat flap, a non-return valve that lets water out and stops rats coming in, and we plan the treatment and proofing around any repairs.
Before the survey
- Find the inspection chamber covers in the garden, yard or drive and clear anything standing on them.
- Note where you hear or see the rats; it tells us which drain run to survey first.
- Have any drainage plans or previous survey reports to hand, especially after an extension or conversion.
- Tell us if the drains are shared or if there has been recent drainage work, flooding or subsidence.
After the survey
- Get the repairs done; a cracked pipe keeps letting rats in however much bait goes down.
- Fit a rat flap where the survey recommends one and have it checked at the next drain inspection.
- Cap redundant pipes properly rather than stuffing them, and replace cracked or missing chamber lids.
- Keep chamber covers in good order and tell your neighbour what the survey found if the drains are shared.
What affects the price
- The length and layout of the drainage run and the number of chambers to survey.
- Access to the covers and whether any are buried, seized or under decking.
- Whether you want a rat flap fitted, and the pipe size where it would go.
- Whether pest treatment and proofing are needed alongside the survey.
Common questions about drain camera survey
Why use a drain camera survey for rat problems?
Rats can enter properties through damaged drains and pipework, so a camera survey can help identify hidden routes that ordinary inspection may miss.
Does a survey replace pest treatment?
No. It helps diagnose possible entry routes so treatment and proofing recommendations can be better targeted.
What does a CCTV drain survey show?
The inside of the pipework: cracks, open joints, root intrusion, redundant branches, blockages and rat runs. We record the distance to each fault so the repair or rat flap goes in the right place.
What is a rat flap?
A one-way valve fitted in the drain pipe at the inspection chamber. Waste water pushes it open on the way out and it closes behind, so rats cannot come up the pipe.
Do I need a drain survey if I have not seen a rat?
If you have scratching under the floor, a sewer smell or rats that return after treatment, a survey confirms or rules out the drains before you pay for more bait.
Can rats in the drains get into the house?
Yes. From a defective pipe they move into the void under a suspended floor, up cavity walls and out behind bath panels and kitchen units where the pipes come in.
Need help with drain camera survey?
Tell VermiCure what you have noticed and ask about the next step.
