Terms and Conditions

PART A: TERMS FOR ALL CUSTOMERS

1. About us and these terms

1.1 Who we are. We are The Drain Unblocking Company Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, company number 11241567, registered office 2 St. Margarets Road, Cheadle, SK8 2HD. Our address is 2 St. Margarets Road, Cheadle, SK8 2HD. VAT number: 289739722.

1.2 How to contact us. Mobile: 07375 521027. Email: info@thedrainunblockingcompany.com.

1.3 Who "you" are. "You" means the person or business booking the work.

(a) You are a consumer if you're an individual booking mainly for your own home and not for a trade, business or profession.

(b) You are a business customer if you book for a company, shop, restaurant, office, school or other organisation, or as a letting or managing agent, or as a landlord for rental property.

(c) If you're an individual landlord and it's unclear which applies, we'll treat you as a consumer.

1.4 When the contract starts. A contract starts when we agree to attend and you accept our price, whether by phone, text, email, online or on site. We'll confirm the booking by text or email, with a link to these terms.

1.5 Which terms apply. These terms, together with our booking confirmation and any written quote, are the whole agreement for the job. If a written quote says something different from these terms, the quote wins for that job.

2. Our prices, and what the fixed price covers

2.1 Fixed prices (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

Each price is fixed for our attempt to clear the blockage using that method, however long it takes. There is no time limit and no extra charge for time on site.

2.2 Rodding and plunging is best for soft, localised blockages, for example in manholes, toilets, soil stacks, sinks and gullies. It is not the most effective method for stubborn blockages.

2.3 Jetting and electro-mechanical equipment is our most effective method for stubborn blockages. Examples include roots, concrete, fat, grease, scale, wipes, sanitary products, rubble, debris and displaced joints.

2.4 You pay for one method only, never both. You pay the price of the method that clears the blockage:

(a) if rodding and plunging clears it, you pay £75 + VAT;

(b) if we need to move up to jetting and that clears it, you pay £150 + VAT in total. We don't charge the £75 for rodding on top.

We'll explain and get your agreement before moving up from rodding to jetting.

2.5 You are paying for an attempt to clear the blockage, not a promise to clear it. Some blockages can't be cleared with either method. This usually means there is a defect in the drain, for example a collapse, a displaced joint or roots. If this happens:

(a) you pay only the fixed price for the last method we tried: £75 + VAT if we only tried rodding and plunging, or £150 + VAT if we tried jetting. You still never pay for both;

(b) we will stop and explain what we've found and your options, for example a CCTV survey, repairs or other remedial work;

(c) any remedial work is quoted separately, and we'll only carry it out if you agree. If you decide not to go ahead, you pay only the price in (a).

If we do clear the blockage, the unblocking guarantee in clause 14 applies.

2.6 Out-of-hours work. The fixed prices in clause 2.1 apply only Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. We don't have to take on work in the evenings, at weekends or on bank holidays. If we do, the price is quoted when you ask, before we attend. We won't attend or charge you an out-of-hours price unless you've agreed to it first.

2.7 Busy periods. Prices may rise at times of high demand. If they do, we'll tell you before you book.

2.8 Optional add-ons when we unblock your drain. When we unblock your drain, you can choose to add:

(a) drain tracing and mapping, priced according to the size of the property. We'll quote the price on the day, and we'll only do it if you agree;

(b) a written CCTV report, made at the time of the unblock, for £80 + VAT.

These are optional. You don't need either of them to have your drain unblocked.

2.9 Other work. Commercial work, CCTV surveys, drain tracing, repairs and excavations are priced separately. We'll agree the price with you before we start.

2.10 VAT. Prices shown "+ VAT" have VAT added at the current rate (currently 20%). Our VAT number is 289739722.

3. Call-outs and wasted visits

3.1 No call-out charge. We don't charge a call-out fee on top of our prices.

3.2 Wasted visits: minimum charge of £30 + VAT. If we attend at the agreed time and can't carry out any work, we charge a minimum charge of £30 + VAT to cover our engineer's time and travel. We'll tell you about this charge when you book. It applies, for example, if:

(a) nobody is there to let us in, or we can't get safe access to the drain, manhole or work area;

(b) you change your mind or cancel when we arrive (see clause B3 if you're a consumer);

(c) the blockage has cleared before we arrive, so there's nothing for us to do; or

(d) the problem is in a public sewer (the water company's responsibility) or isn't drainage work we carry out;

or for any other reason that means no work can be done, unless the reason is our fault. We won't charge it if we arrive late without agreeing a new time with you, or can't do the work because of a problem on our side, such as our equipment or staffing. If we do carry out work, you pay the normal price for that work instead of this charge, not as well as it.

3.3 Diagnosis. If finding the cause takes more than a quick check (for example, a camera check showing the blockage is in the public sewer), we'll tell you before we start if there will be a further charge.

4. Quotes and extra work, only by agreement

4.1 Validity. Written quotes are valid for 30 days.

4.2 What a quote is based on. A quote is based on what we can see and what you tell us. It is for fixing the problem described. We may change the method if that's needed to fix the problem, and we'll explain why.

4.3 If we find something not in the quote. For example: a pipe deeper than expected, concrete round the pipe, a further defect, roots, or ground conditions. If this happens:

(a) we'll stop and explain, show you where we can, and give you a price for the extra work;

(b) we won't do extra work or charge more unless you agree;

(c) if you don't agree, we'll make the area safe, and you pay for the work done up to that point.

5. What we need from you

5.1 To carry out the work safely and on time, you must:

(a) tell us accurately what the problem is, and anything you know about the drains. That includes:

• previous blockages, repairs or collapses;
• pitch fibre (black, fibre-type) pipes;
• shared drains, septic tanks, soakaways and private water supplies;
• where any buried pipes, cables, oil or gas lines or garden lighting run (see clause 8.2);

(b) give us clear, safe access to the drain, manholes and work area. Move cars, bins, pots and heavy items if you can;

(c) arrange parking within 10 metres of the property. You pay any parking or permit charges. You're also responsible for parking charges and fines where you told us where to park, or where no lawful parking was available within 10 metres. You're not responsible for a fine if we chose to park unlawfully when lawful parking was available;

(d) keep pets secured and children away from the work area;

(e) not use sinks, toilets, showers, baths, washing machines or dishwashers connected to the drain while we work, unless we say it's fine;

(f) give us access to an outside tap and a power socket if we ask;

(g) get any permissions needed. For example from a landlord, neighbour, freeholder or management company, or for a listed building or conservation area;

(h) tell us about any hazards before we start. For example asbestos, chemicals, unsafe structures or aggressive animals.

5.2 If you don't do these things and it means we can't carry out any work, the wasted-visit fee in clause 3.2 may apply.

We will still be responsible for anything that's our fault.

6. The condition of your drains

6.1 Older and fragile pipes. Many older drains can already be cracked, brittle, misshapen, displaced or close to collapse, often with no sign from above ground. This is especially true of pitch fibre (common in 1950s to 1970s homes), clay and cast iron pipes, and pipes with roots or past repairs. Rodding or jetting can expose a defect that is already there, or cause an already weak pipe to give way.

6.2 What we will do. We will:

• check what we reasonably can before and during the work, including a camera check where possible;
• use a suitable method and pressure;
• tell you if we see a particular risk before we carry on.

6.3 Damage from the pipe's existing condition. If a pipe fails because of its existing condition, and we have used reasonable care and skill, we are not responsible for the cost of repairing it. We'll show you what's happened on camera where we can, and quote for the repair.

6.4 Going ahead against our advice. If we advise against a method, or warn you about a particular risk, and you ask us to go ahead anyway, we are not responsible for damage resulting from that risk. This does not apply if we carry out the work carelessly. We may ask you to confirm your instruction by text or email.

6.5 Our responsibility. We are always responsible for damage caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill.

7. Rodding and jetting: back-surge, toilets and fittings

7.1 Back-surge. Clearing a badly blocked drain can force water and waste back up and out of toilets, sinks, gullies, floor drains or traps, sometimes inside the property.

(a) We take reasonable precautions. For example, we close toilet lids, cover or plug nearby fittings where we can, and ask you to keep people away.

(b) If back-surge happens even though we took reasonable care, we are not responsible for damage, or for cleaning beyond the basic clean-up in clause 7.4.

(c) If it happens because we did not take reasonable care, we will put it right.

7.2 Toilets and fittings are your responsibility. Some blockages can only be cleared by removing or disturbing a toilet, pan, seal, trap, waste pipe, access cover or similar fitting.

(a) These fittings may be old or fragile. Pans, seals, pan connectors, bolts, tiles and sealant can crack, leak or fail when moved, simply because of their age or condition.

(b) We'll tell you and get your agreement before we remove or disturb a fitting.

(c) We always advise replacing fittings once they've been disturbed. Replacement is at your cost. We can quote to supply and fit a replacement, and we'll only do it if you agree.

(d) This doesn't apply where damage is caused by our failure to take reasonable care. In that case we'll put it right.

7.3 Frozen and fractured pipes. We can't promise to clear a blockage in a frozen or fractured pipe. We're not responsible for leaks or damage from a pipe that was already fractured or frozen, unless our work caused it through lack of reasonable care.

7.4 Clean-up. We leave the work area tidy, with a basic clean-up as standard. Deep cleaning and sanitising or chemical treatment are not included. They're priced according to how much mess there is. We'll quote first, and we'll only do them if you agree.

8. Buried pipes and cables (gas, water, electricity and others)

8.1 Before we dig. Before we dig, we scan the area with a high-end cable and pipe locator (a cable avoidance tool, or CAT), and we ask you about any services you know of.

8.2 You must tell us before we start. Before we start, you must tell us where any gas, water, electricity, telecoms or other services run, as far as you know. Other services include oil lines, garden lighting and pond or pump cables. Please also show us any plans or records you have (clause 5.1(a)). If you're not sure where services run, you can ask the utility companies for their plans or arrange a utility survey before we dig.

8.3 What our equipment can't find. Cable and pipe locators can usually find metal pipes and live cables, though not always. They can't detect plastic pipes, for example PE, MDPE or PVC gas and water pipes, or other non-metallic services, unless a tracer wire is fitted. Services are also not always where records show, at the expected depth, or laid properly.

8.4 What we are not responsible for. Where we have taken reasonable care, we are not responsible for damage to a pipe or cable that:

(a) we could not reasonably have detected, for example a plastic or other non-metallic service;

(b) you didn't tell us about, or that wasn't shown on any plans or records you gave us; or

(c) was laid incorrectly, for example too shallow, without proper protection or marker tape, or away from its expected route.

8.5 What you pay in those cases. Where clause 8.4 applies:

(a) you are responsible for the cost of repairing any pipe or cable that belongs to you, for example your water supply pipe, garden lighting or outbuilding cable. This includes any charge the utility company makes to repair it; and

(b) you must also pay any charge the utility company or network operator makes to repair its own pipe or cable if you knew about it and didn't tell us, or if you or someone acting for you laid it incorrectly.

8.6 Where we are responsible. If we damage a pipe or cable because we did not take reasonable care, we will pay for the repair. Nothing in this clause limits our responsibility for death or personal injury caused by our negligence (clause 20.1).

8.7 Making safe. In every case we will make the area safe and contact the right emergency service or network operator.

9. Excavation and reinstatement

9.1 Backfilling and reinstatement. Where we dig, we'll backfill and compact the trench. We'll then reinstate the surface to a level, safe finish in concrete, tarmac or soil as appropriate. We'll re-lay existing slabs or blocks where they lift out undamaged.

9.2 No matching finish. Unless your quote says otherwise, we do not provide a matching decorative finish. That includes matching block paving, printed concrete, resin, tarmac colour, gravel or turf. We'll always do the finish to the best of our ability. If you want the surface restored to your liking, we recommend a patio, driveway or block-paving specialist, who can also check the gradients.

9.3 Settlement. Some settling of a backfilled trench is normal. If it sinks within 3 months, tell us and we'll top it up free of charge.

9.4 Later movement. We are not responsible for later movement or damage caused by things outside our work. Examples:

• natural subsidence or ground movement;
• tree roots;
• heavy vehicles;
• work by others;
• water from other sources;
• defects in other parts of the drain.

We are responsible if movement or damage happens because our backfilling or workmanship wasn't done with reasonable care.

9.5 Pipes set in concrete. Breaking out concrete can send vibration along the pipe and damage connected pipework. If we find a pipe set in concrete, we'll tell you before we carry on, and agree any change in price under clause 4.

10. Camera checks, CCTV surveys, reports and recommendations

10.1 Free camera check. Where it can be done, we include a free camera check with every unblock.

(a) What it is: a quick look to check the drain is running and to spot obvious problems in the length we can reach.

(b) What it is not: it is not a CCTV survey, and it doesn't include a written report, plans or footage.

(c) A written CCTV report costs £80 + VAT. Please ask for it before or at the time of the visit.

10.2 Limits of cameras. A camera only shows the inside of the pipe we can reach. It can't show:

• the outside of the pipe;
• sections under water or silt;
• lengths the camera can't get to;
• problems hidden by debris.

10.3 CCTV surveys and drain tracing.

(a) These show the condition of the accessible pipes on the day of the survey. A report describes what we saw. It can't promise how the drain will behave in future.

(b) Tracing and sonar locations are approximate, accurate to within about 0.5 metres, depending on depth and ground conditions.

10.4 Recommendations. Our advice is based on what we could see. If you decide not to have recommended work done, we are not responsible for problems that the recommended work would have prevented.

10.5 Our standard. We carry out camera checks, surveys and reports with reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for defects that could not reasonably have been seen.

11. Our equipment

11.1 Equipment that gets stuck. Occasionally our equipment (rods, jetting hose, camera or cutting heads) becomes stuck in a drain, usually because the pipe has collapsed or is badly displaced. If this happens:

(a) we'll explain what's happened;

(b) recovering the equipment may need an excavation, which may also be the repair your drain needs;

(c) we'll agree any repair price with you before we start.

11.2 Who pays. Consumers: we won't charge you for the equipment itself, or for recovering it, beyond any repair to your drain that you agree to. Business customers: see clause C7.

11.3 Damage to our equipment. You must not interfere with our equipment while it's on your property. If you or someone at the property deliberately or carelessly damages it, you are responsible for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement.

12. Waste

12.1 Normal blockage material (for example paper, wipes and soft waste) is cleared through the drain to the sewer in the normal way.

12.2 Removing other waste is not included unless your quote says so. That includes silt, fat, grease, rubble, roots, excavated soil and broken pipework. If it needs removing from site, we'll tell you the cost first, and we'll only remove it if you agree.

12.3 Licensed waste carrier. We are a registered waste carrier with the Environment Agency (registration number CBDU665254). Any waste we remove is disposed of at licensed facilities.

13. Booking for someone else

13.1 Authority. If you book work for someone else (for example as a letting or managing agent, landlord, tenant, family member or contractor), you confirm you have their permission to order the work and to give us access.

13.2 Who pays. Who is responsible for paying when someone else books is set out in clause B6 (consumers, including tenants) and clause C2 (letting and managing agents, landlords and other business bookers).

14. Guarantees

14.1 Unblocking: 12-month guarantee. Clause 2.5 still applies: we can't promise to clear every blockage. If we do clear it, and the same section of drain blocks again within 12 months through normal use, we'll come back and clear it free of charge. This applies provided the drainage has not been misused or damaged.

14.2 Repairs: 12-month guarantee. Drain repairs carry a 12-month guarantee on the sections of drain we repair or replace. This applies provided the drainage has not been misused or damaged. The guarantee does not cover surface reinstatement (the ground and surface finish). See clause 9.

14.3 What the guarantees do not cover:

(a) blockages caused by misuse or neglect, for example:

• wipes (including "flushable" wipes), sanitary products, nappies and cotton buds;
• fat, oil and grease, or food waste;
• building materials;

(b) damage caused by DIY work or by other contractors;

(c) defects in other parts of the drain that we did not clear or repair;

(d) problems we pointed out and recommended fixing that you chose not to fix;

(e) blockages caused by roots growing back;

(f) commercial premises that discharge large amounts of fat, oil and grease. We recommend these premises have a maintenance programme and grease control measures in place.

14.4 When the guarantee starts. The guarantees start once our invoice has been paid in full.

14.5 How to claim.

(a) Contact us as soon as you can.

(b) Let us inspect before anyone else works on the drain, unless it's an emergency.

(c) If we come back and the problem isn't covered by the guarantee, we'll charge our normal price for the work.

14.6 Your legal rights. These guarantees are in addition to your legal rights. They don't replace them.

15. Payment

15.1 When to pay. Unless you have an approved account (see Part C), payment is due when the work is completed.

15.2 How to pay. By card or bank transfer.

15.3 Deposits. We don't take a deposit for unblocks. For excavations and relining, we ask for a 50% deposit before we start, with the balance payable on completion. If you're a consumer and cancel within the 14-day cancellation period, clause B3 applies to any deposit you've paid.

15.4 Card deposits. If you pay a deposit by card over the phone, then with your agreement we'll take the balance from the same card when the job is finished. We'll email you a receipt straight away. Card payments are processed by our card-payment provider, which stores card details securely. We do not keep your card details ourselves.

15.5 Late payment. Late-payment terms are in clause B4 (consumers) and clause C3 (business customers).

16. Events outside our control

16.1 If something stops or delays the job. If something outside our reasonable control stops or delays a job, we'll tell you as soon as we can and rearrange. Examples: severe weather, flooding, a public sewer surcharge, road closures, or an accident on the way.

16.2 You won't pay for work we haven't done.

16.3 Either of us can cancel if the delay will be long.

17. Insurance claims

17.1 Insurers' decisions. We are not responsible for decisions made by your insurance company. We'll give you as much information as we can to help with a claim.

17.2 Information we can provide, if you ask before the work is carried out:

(a) a look-see camera inspection to find faults. This includes still images of the camera screen, but not site plans or video footage;

(b) external still photographs;

(c) a written report of the work carried out (a written CCTV report is £80 + VAT);

(d) other information you request before the work starts.

18. Insurance

18.1 We hold public liability insurance with a limit of £5 million.

19. Complaints

19.1 How to complain. If you're unhappy with our work, please contact us:

• by letter to 2 St. Margarets Road, Cheadle, SK8 2HD;
• by phone on 07375 521027; or
• by WhatsApp on 07375 521027.

Please use one of these rather than email for complaints, so that your complaint reaches the right person quickly.

19.2 Our timescales. We'll acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to resolve it within 14 days.

19.3 Tell us early. Please tell us as soon as reasonably possible after you notice a problem, and give us the chance to inspect and put it right.

19.4 Repairs by others. If someone else repairs the problem before we've had that chance (unless it was an emergency), we may not be able to cover their costs. If you're a consumer, this doesn't take away your legal rights.

20. General

20.1 Our responsibility for injury and fraud. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

20.2 If part of these terms is invalid. If a court decides that any part of these terms is invalid, the rest still applies.

20.3 No waiver. If we don't enforce a right straight away, we can still enforce it later.

20.4 Changes to these terms. We may update these terms for future jobs. The terms in force when you booked apply to your job.

20.5 Governing law. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. Part B and Part C say which courts can hear disputes.

PART B: EXTRA TERMS FOR CONSUMERS

This part applies only if you are a consumer, meaning an individual booking mainly for your own home and not for a business (clause 1.3).

B1. Your legal rights

B1.1 Nothing in these terms takes away your legal rights. In particular, we must carry out our services with reasonable care and skill. Any parts we supply must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.

B1.2 If our work isn't done with reasonable care and skill, you can ask us to put it right. If we can't, you may be entitled to some or all of your money back.

B1.3 Citizens Advice can tell you more about your rights.

B2. Our responsibility to you

B2.1 What we're responsible for. We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of either:

• our breaking these terms; or
• our failure to use reasonable care and skill.

Loss or damage is foreseeable if it's an obvious consequence, or if we both knew it might happen when you booked.

B2.2 What we're not responsible for:

(a) loss or damage that isn't foreseeable;

(b) loss or damage caused by something outside our reasonable control;

(c) loss or damage caused by you or someone else, for example misuse of the drain or work by others.

B2.3 Domestic use only. We supply our services for domestic and private use. If you use the property for a business, we're not responsible for loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption or loss of business opportunity.

B2.4 Clauses in Part A. Clauses 6 to 10 set out when we are and aren't responsible for damage linked to the condition of your drains, rodding and jetting, buried services, reinstatement, and camera checks. In every case we remain responsible where we have not used reasonable care and skill.

B2.5 What we never exclude. Clause 20.1 applies.

B3. Your right to cancel

B3.1 Urgent call-outs: no cooling-off period. If you asked us to visit to carry out an urgent repair (for example to clear a blocked drain, toilet or sink, or to deal with flooding), you don't have a legal right to cancel that urgent repair once it's agreed.

(a) This exception covers only the urgent repair you asked for.

(b) It does not cover anything extra you agree to on the same visit that isn't needed for that urgent repair, for example a written CCTV report, a CCTV survey or a planned repair. For extra work like that, clause B3.2 applies.

B3.2 Booked or planned work: 14-day right to cancel. This applies to work that isn't an urgent repair you asked for, such as CCTV surveys, drain tracing, patch repairs, excavations and other planned work. If you agreed to the work by phone, by email, online, or at your home, you have the right to cancel within 14 days without giving any reason.

(a) The cancellation period ends 14 days after the day the contract is made.

(b) To meet the deadline, you only need to send your message before the 14 days end.

B3.3 How to cancel. Tell us clearly that you've decided to cancel, by:

• phone: 07375 521027;
• email: info@thedrainunblockingcompany.com; or
• post to: 2 St. Margarets Road, Cheadle, SK8 2HD.

You can use the model cancellation form below, but you don't have to.

B3.4 Starting work within the 14 days.

(a) We won't start planned work within the 14-day cancellation period unless you ask us to.

(b) If you want us to start sooner, we'll ask you to confirm by text or email, using the wording in the box below.

B3.5 If you cancel after asking us to start. You must pay for the work we've done up to the time you tell us you're cancelling. The amount will be in proportion to the full price agreed.

B3.6 When you lose the right to cancel. You lose the right to cancel once the work has been fully completed, provided you asked us to start within the cancellation period and confirmed you understood this.

B3.7 Refunds. If you cancel, we'll refund any money you've paid, less the amount due under clause B3.5. We'll refund you within 14 days of you telling us, using the same payment method you used, unless we agree otherwise. You won't be charged a fee for the refund.

B3.8 Cancelling after the 14 days, or for urgent call-outs. If you cancel when our engineer arrives, the wasted-visit fee in clause 3.2 applies. If you cancel part-way through a job, you pay for the work done up to that point. For booked work, please give us at least 24 hours' notice if you need to rearrange.

B4. Late payment (consumers)

B4.1 Interest. If you don't pay on time, we may charge interest on the overdue amount at 4% a year above the Bank of England base rate from time to time, from the due date until you pay.

B4.2 Recovery costs. We may also charge our reasonable costs of recovering the debt.

B5. If you think something is wrong

B5.1 Tell us first. If you think something is wrong with our work, please tell us straight away so we can look at it (clause 19).

B5.2 Withholding payment. While we look into it, you may hold back a reasonable amount that relates to the problem. The rest of the invoice must be paid when due.

B6. Tenants and booking for someone else

B6.1 Tenants who book. If you're a tenant and book the work yourself, you are our customer and are responsible for paying, unless your landlord or letting agent has confirmed to us in writing before the visit that they will pay.

B6.2 Tenant and landlord disputes. Whether you or your landlord should pay (for example, if the blockage was caused by wipes) is a matter between you and your landlord. We can provide photos or a report to help (free still images, or a written report at £80 + VAT).

B6.3 Booking for a relative or friend. If you book for a relative or friend, you are responsible for paying unless we agree in writing before the visit to invoice them instead.

B7. Courts (consumers)

B7.1 You can bring legal proceedings in the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can also bring proceedings there.

PART C: EXTRA TERMS FOR BUSINESS CUSTOMERS, LANDLORDS AND LETTING/MANAGING AGENTS

This part applies if you are a business customer under clause 1.3(b). That includes companies, shops, restaurants, offices, schools, letting and managing agents, contractors, and landlords booking for rental property. If this part conflicts with Part A, this part wins. Part B does not apply to you.

C1. Accounts

C1.1 Approved accounts. Credit terms are only available to customers with an account we have approved in writing before the work is booked. You must apply for an account when booking.

C1.2 Without an account, payment is due on completion of the work (clause 15.1).

C2. Letting and managing agents, landlords and other business bookers: who pays

C2.1 Authority. If you book work for a property owner, landlord, tenant or client, you confirm that you are authorised to:

• order the work;
• approve any extra work; and
• arrange access.

Your approval of extra work binds both you and the owner.

C2.2 You are responsible for paying our invoice, unless both of these apply before the visit:

(a) we have agreed in writing to invoice the property owner or client directly; and

(b) they have an approved account with us.

C2.3 If we invoice the owner and they don't pay. If we invoice the owner or client at your request and they don't pay within 14 days of the invoice date, you must pay the invoice on our first written request.

C2.4 Works orders. Please give us a works order number and any spending limit when booking. We won't go over the limit without approval from you or the owner.

C2.5 Tenant access. You must arrange access with any tenant or occupier and tell them about the visit. A wasted visit because the tenant wasn't told, or refused access, will be charged to you (clause 3.2).

C3. Payment and late payment (Late Payment Act)

C3.1 Account terms. Account customers must pay each invoice within 30 days of the invoice date.

C3.2 Statutory interest and compensation. If you don't pay on time, we will claim statutory interest at 8% a year above the Bank of England base rate. We will also claim fixed compensation of £40 (debts under £1,000), £70 (£1,000 to under £10,000) or £100 (£10,000 or more), plus our reasonable costs of recovering the debt. These are claimed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

C3.3 No set-off. You must pay in full without any deduction, set-off or counterclaim, unless the law requires otherwise.

C3.4 Invoice disputes. Any dispute about an invoice must be raised in writing within 14 days of the invoice date. You must pay any undisputed part on time.

C3.5 Suspending work. If an account is overdue, we may suspend further work for you until it is paid.

C4. Our liability to business customers

C4.1 Unlimited liabilities. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
• any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

C4.2 Losses we are not liable for. Subject to clause C4.1, we are not liable (whether in contract, negligence or otherwise) for any of the following:

(a) loss of profit, revenue, sales, business or contracts;

(b) business interruption, downtime or closure;

(c) loss of goodwill or reputation;

(d) loss of rent, or the cost of rehousing tenants or occupiers;

(e) loss of anticipated savings;

(f) any indirect or consequential loss.

C4.3 Cap on property damage. Subject to clause C4.1, our total liability for physical loss of or damage to property caused by our negligence is limited to £5 million (the limit of our public liability insurance) for each incident or series of connected incidents.

C4.4 Cap on all other losses. Subject to clauses C4.1 to C4.3, our total liability for all other losses arising from or in connection with a job is limited to the greater of £5,000 and twice the price of the job.

C4.5 Implied terms. Our obligations are those set out in these terms. All other terms implied by law are excluded, as far as the law allows. We will always carry out the work with reasonable care and skill.

C5. Condition of the drains and information you give us

C5.1 Existing condition. We are not responsible for the condition of the drainage system. That includes any defect, deterioration, collapse or failure resulting from its existing condition, age, materials, design or installation. This does not apply where it is caused by our negligence.

C5.2 Information you give us. You must give us accurate information about the site and the drains, including any plans, previous CCTV footage or survey reports you hold. If that information is wrong, incomplete or out of date, you must pay the reasonable extra costs this causes us.

C5.3 Site safety and permissions. You must:

• make the site safe for our work;
• tell us in writing about any hazards and site rules;
• arrange any traffic management, permits or permissions needed.

C5.4 Hazardous and trade waste. You must tell us in advance about any hazardous or trade waste, for example grease trap or interceptor contents. You must pay the extra cost of handling and disposing of it lawfully.

C6. Buried services: business customers

This clause replaces clauses 8.4 and 8.5 for business customers. Clauses 8.1 to 8.3, 8.6 and 8.7 still apply.

C6.1 Drawings, records and disclosure. Before work starts, you must tell us in writing where any gas, water, electricity, telecoms or other buried services run, as far as you know. You must also give us any drawings, records, utility plans and permits you hold.

C6.2 Your responsibility for buried services. Subject to clause C4.1, you must pay for, and reimburse us for, all reasonable costs, losses, charges and claims arising from damage to a buried service where:

(a) it could not reasonably be detected using the checks in clause 8.1, for example a plastic or other non-metallic service;

(b) it wasn't disclosed to us, or wasn't shown on the drawings or records given to us, or wasn't where they showed; or

(c) it was laid incorrectly, for example too shallow, without proper protection or marker tape, or away from its expected route.

This includes repair charges made by any utility company or network operator, and any claim it makes against us.

C6.3 Our negligence. Clause C6.2 does not apply to damage caused by our failure to take reasonable care.

C7. Equipment stuck in your drains: business customers

C7.1 Recovery costs. If our equipment becomes stuck or damaged because of the condition of your drains, or because of information you didn't give us, you must pay the reasonable cost of recovering it, including any excavation needed. This does not apply where it is caused by our negligence.

C7.2 We'll tell you before starting any recovery work, and agree any repair to your drain in the usual way.

C8. Defects and claims

C8.1 Notice of defects. You must tell us in writing about any defect in our work within 28 days of discovering it.

C8.2 Chance to inspect. You must give us a reasonable opportunity to inspect and put it right before anyone else works on it, except in an emergency.

C8.3 Repairs by others. If you don't do this, we are not liable for the cost of repairs carried out by others.

C9. General: business customers

C9.1 Dates are estimates. Dates and arrival times are estimates. We're not liable for delay caused by things outside our reasonable control, or by you.

C9.2 Your terms don't apply. These terms apply instead of any terms you put forward, including terms on purchase orders.

C9.3 Whole agreement. These terms, our booking confirmation and any written quote are the whole agreement between us. You confirm you have not relied on any statement that isn't set out in them. This does not affect liability for fraud.

C9.4 No third-party rights. No one else has rights to enforce these terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

C9.5 Courts. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute.

End of terms. Version 1.0, October 2026.