Drain Repairs in Stockport — Collapsed Drains, Root Ingress, Excavation
When a drain has gone beyond lining, it needs digging — properly, once, and put back the way it was found. Collapsed sections, root damage and failed connections.
Get a second opinion before anyone brings a digger.
What we repair
- Collapsed drains — where the pipe has lost its shape entirely and there is nothing left to line.
- Root ingress — cutting the roots out, then either lining the entry point or replacing the section, depending on what the pipe underneath is worth.
- Cracked and fractured pipe — clay is brittle, ground moves, and a hundred years is a long time.
- Displaced and open joints — the classic Victorian and inter-war failure, and the classic way roots get in.
- Failed or illegal connections — extensions plumbed into the wrong pipe, or a joint that was never made properly.
- Broken chambers and gullies — often the cheapest thing on this list and the one most often ignored.
How an excavation repair runs
- 1
Locate precisely
The camera and sonde mark the defect on the surface to within a few centimetres, so we open up one section rather than searching with a spade.
- 2
Agree the price before anything is dug
Including reinstatement. Reinstatement is often the largest part of an excavation bill and it should never be an afterthought on the invoice.
- 3
Excavate and replace
The failed section comes out and is replaced with new pipe, properly bedded and connected to the sound pipe either side.
- 4
Test, backfill, reinstate
The repair is checked on camera before anything is covered up, then backfilled and the surface put back — block paving relaid, turf replaced, tarmac made good.
Not sure whether you need a repair or a clean?
Send us the footage from another survey, or just tell us what it is doing. We will give you a straight answer.
Common questions
How do I know if my drain has collapsed?
The usual signs are repeated blockages in the same place, slow drainage that never fully clears, a damp or sunken patch of ground along the drain run, and sometimes a smell. The only way to know for certain is to put a camera down.
Will you have to dig up my driveway?
Only if the repair genuinely cannot be done from the inside, and only over the failed section — not the whole run. We locate the defect precisely first so that the hole is as small as it can be.
Who is responsible for a collapsed drain?
If the pipe only serves your property and is within your boundary, it is yours. Shared drains and sewers beyond the boundary generally transferred to the water company in 2011. We will tell you which side of that line your defect falls on before you spend anything.
Do you put the surface back?
Yes, and the price you agree includes it. Block paving is lifted and relaid, turf replaced, tarmac made good. TODO: confirm what you do and do not reinstate — e.g. decorative resin or stamped concrete may need a specialist.
What to read next
Drain Lining & No-Dig Repairs
A cracked or broken drain does not have to mean a digger on your driveway. Most can be repaired from the inside, in a day, through an existing access point — for a fraction of the cost of digging.
Read moreCCTV Drain Surveys
A camera down the drain, full colour footage, and a written report you can actually act on. Usually within the week — and if there is nothing wrong, we will tell you that too.
Read more