How to Check a Drainage Company Before You Book

We want to see the cowboys out of the drainage industry. The trouble is that it’s one of the worst trades for them. A blocked drain is stressful, it often happens at a bad time, and most people have no way of knowing whether what they’re being told is true. Here’s how to check a drainage company in Stockport before you book.

It only takes a few minutes, and it can save you a lot of money and worry.

Checks to make before you book

• Do they have real reviews? Look at independent sites such as Google and Checkatrade. Detailed reviews from named customers, posted over a long period, are a good sign. A handful of five-star reviews that all appeared in the same week are not.
• Can they give you a reference? A reputable company should be able to point you to previous customers or businesses they have worked for.
• Is it too good to be true? Some firms promise that £19 or £30 will clear your blockage by hand, but once they're on site they'll almost always try to push the price up. Ask exactly what the price includes before they set off.
• Is there sales pressure? Be wary if the price keeps dropping during the call, or if you’re told an offer is “today only”.
• Are they a proper business? If they say they’re a limited company, you can check the name and company number for free on the Companies House website.
• Do they publish their prices? A company with nothing to hide will tell you what things cost.
• Are they insured? Ask whether they hold public liability insurance, and for how much.

What to do if something doesn’t feel right

Perhaps a company has already been out, and now you’ve been quoted thousands of pounds for repairs. Before you agree to anything:

• Get at least three quotes, using the checks above for each company.
• Ask to see the evidence. If someone says your drain is cracked or collapsed, ask for the CCTV drain survey footage and where the fault is.
• Check who is coming. It’s reasonable to ask who the engineer is and what checks the company has carried out on them.
• Ask for a second opinion. Many drainage companies will look at another firm’s report and tell you whether they agree with it. We review existing CCTV footage for free.

The cowboy translator

Some sales lines come up again and again. Here’s what they often mean:

A quick word on Google: the sponsored ads at the top of the results are paid placements. The company shown first isn’t necessarily the best or the most trustworthy, so run the same checks on them as anyone else.

How we work

We’re a family-run drainage company based in Cheadle. This is how we try to do things properly:

• Clear prices. Rodding and plunging is a fixed £75 + VAT, and jetting or machine work is a fixed £150 + VAT. Fixed prices apply Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Evenings, weekends and bank holidays may cost more, and we’ll tell you the rate before we set off. There’s no call-out charge when we carry out the work. Our full pricing and terms are on our website.
• You can watch. We encourage customers to watch what we’re doing, and even record it, especially during camera inspections.
• Honest advice. If it isn’t broken, we won’t try to fix it. If it’s a simple blockage, we’ll treat it as one.
• Fully insured.
• Real reviews. We’re rated 5.0 on Google from 127 reviews and 9.87 out of 10 on Checkatrade from 174 reviews.

Need a drainage company you can trust?

We cover Stockport, Hazel Grove and the surrounding areas, 24/7. For straightforward drain unblocking or a second opinion on a quote, call 07375 521027 or message us on WhatsApp.