External Drainage
External Drain Unblocking
Standing water in a gully, manhole or garden drain? We clear external blockages and get water flowing again, with a fixed price agreed up front.
External drains and gullies carry rainwater and wastewater away from the property before it reaches the shared or public sewer network. Because they sit outside, they're exposed to leaves, silt, garden debris and tree roots in a way internal pipework isn't, and a blockage here often shows up as standing water in a manhole or gully, or as flooding across a patio, driveway or lawn after rain.
Responsibility for an external drain depends on exactly where it sits. Since the 2011 transfer of private sewers, drains and gullies entirely within your boundary that serve only your property remain yours to maintain, while any section shared with a neighbour, or running beyond your boundary, is usually the water company's. We can help establish which applies to your blockage, then clear it using rodding, jetting, or a CCTV check if it keeps coming back.
What's Involved
External blockages are traced from the nearest access point outward, so we clear the actual cause rather than just the visible symptom.
Manhole & Gully Inspection
We check inspection chambers and gullies to trace where the blockage sits and confirm whether it falls within your property boundary.
Rodding & Mechanical Clearance
Drain rods are used to break up and clear leaves, silt and general debris from gullies and shorter drain runs.
High-Pressure Jetting
For compacted silt, grease or tree root ingress, jetting equipment scours the full length of the pipe rather than just the blockage point.
CCTV Check for Recurring Blockages
If a drain blocks repeatedly, a camera survey identifies structural causes like root ingress, a displaced joint or a partial collapse.
Signs You Need External Drain Unblocking
- Standing water in an outside gully, manhole or inspection chamber
- Water pooling on the patio, driveway or lawn after rain
- A foul smell lingering around an outside drain
- Water backing up outside when a downstairs toilet or sink is used
- Visibly slow-draining surface water following rainfall
- The same external drain blocking repeatedly over a short period
We clear external drains and gullies for homes and businesses across London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Suffolk.
View all areas we coverFrequently Asked Questions
Outside Drain Blocked or Flooding?
Contact us for fast external drain unblocking. We aim to be on site within 1-2 hours across London, Essex and Hertfordshire, 24 hours a day.
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