Reline 02 6 min read Guide
How to read a CCTV drain report, and spot the ones that are just invoices
What a real drain survey shows, the questions that expose a fake one, and why you should never approve thousands of dollars without the footage.
Short answer: a real CCTV report is footage plus a distance stamped fault log. If you were handed a paragraph of scary conclusions and no recording, you did not get a report. Real buyers describe getting a "report" that was just the wording on the invoice. Do not approve money against one.
What the camera actually produces
A crawler survey records the whole line from the access point, with an on screen distance counter. Every fault the operator calls, cracks, root entries, displaced joints, bellies, exists at a metre mark on that counter. That is what makes a survey checkable: the claim "root intrusion at 6.2 metres" can be verified by anyone, including a competitor quoting against it.
The invoice in disguise
The real report
A verbal verdict on the driveway, or a paragraph on the invoice.
The footage file, handed over the same day.
"The whole line is gone, mate."
A fault log: what, and at exactly which metre.
No pipe details.
Material, diameter, layout and junction count recorded.
A round number quote, take it or leave it.
Each quoted item tied to a distance on the recording.
The pattern to refuse
Paying hundreds for a camera visit and being quoted thousands without the footage. It is
the most reported bad experience in this trade. The camera was there; the recording
exists. If it is not offered, ask why. If it is refused, you have your answer.
The five questions that expose a weak report
You do not need to be a drainer to audit a drain report. Ask where each fault sits by distance. Ask the pipe material and bore size. Ask how many junctions the line has. Ask which access point the survey ran from. Ask for the file. A genuine operator answers all five without friction, because the recording already contains every answer.
When you get a scary verdict
- Ask for the footage before discussing money. Same day, no exceptions.
- Match every quoted repair item to a metre mark on the recording.
- If anything does not line up, get a second survey. It costs far less than wrong scope.
What good looks like
You watch the footage with the operator, the faults are pointed out at their distances,
you keep the file, and the quote reads like arithmetic: metres, junctions, rates. That
is the standard. Accept nothing under it, from us or anyone.
Common questions
What should a real CCTV drain report contain?
The footage file itself, a fault log with distances (for example, root intrusion at 6.2m), the pipe material and diameter, the line layout with junctions, and stills of each fault. If the repair is quoted, each quoted item should point at a distance on the recording.
Is it normal to be charged for the inspection?
Yes. A crawler survey is real work with real equipment and usually costs a few hundred dollars. What is not normal is paying for it and never receiving the footage. The recording is what you paid for. Take it.
Can I use one company’s footage to get other quotes?
Absolutely, and you should. A survey with distances lets any competent operator price the repair. That is exactly what our rate card is for: metres and junctions off any honest footage, priced in the open.