What's in a CCTV Drain Survey Report? WRc and MSCC5 Explained

A CCTV drain survey report is a document that can follow the camera visit. It can turn the footage into a record you can read, share and act on. This guide shows what a report can hold and how to read the grades, since the grades drive the advice.

The report matters because it drives your next step. A buyer may use it to talk about price, while an owner may use it to pick a repair. So it pays to know what a good one looks like.

What Is a CCTV Drain Survey Report?

A CCTV drain survey report is a written record of what the camera found inside your drains. The engineer who does the survey can produce it. A good report holds more than a short note and a video link, because it lists each defect, says where it is and says how serious it is.

Ask for a report with plain headings, so you can read it without drain training. Even so, the grades and codes need a little explanation. That is what the rest of this guide covers.

What Does a Full Drain Survey Report Include?

A report can include a summary of the overall condition of the drains. It can include timestamped HD footage references and annotated still images taken at each defect. It can also include a defect schedule with the code, grade and location of each item, plus repair recommendations for defects that need work.

Longer surveys may include a drainage layout diagram. Ask the engineer in writing what your report will include, because layouts differ.

A report can give the position of each defect in the drain run. This can let a repair firm go straight to the spot. As a result, the repair firm may find each fault quickly.

What Are WRc and MSCC5?

WRc stands for the Water Research Centre. It publishes the Manual of Sewer Condition Classification, 5th edition, known as MSCC5. The manual is the standard defect-coding guide for the UK water industry. It lines up with the European standard BS EN 13508-2.

Many UK CCTV drain reports follow MSCC5. You may also see it written as WRC. WRc sells the manual, so you do not need to buy it, since a coded report applies the codes for you.

Ask for a report coded to the WRc MSCC5 standard. Solicitors and lenders may expect this format, so check with yours. A coded report is also easier to compare with another one, because each defect follows the same system.

How Do the MSCC5 Grades 1 to 5 Work?

A code names the type of defect, such as a crack or a root. A grade shows how serious it is. A WRC-standard report grades each defect from 1 to 5, and Grade 5 is the most serious.

A higher grade usually means more urgent action. Ask the engineer who does the survey to explain each grade in the report, since your report’s own wording is what counts. Ask the engineer what a grade means for your drain, and how urgent any repair is.

For a London buyer, a serious defect can start a price talk. A minor one may wait until after you move in, although you should still ask how urgent the repair is. Our guide to a drain survey before buying property in London sets out your options.

How Is a Survey Report Different from a Drain Inspection Note?

A drain inspection checks one or two sections of pipe. It may end in a short finding, not a full report. A full CCTV survey report can cover every accessible run, while an inspection answers one question.

If you are unsure which you need, read our guide to CCTV drain survey vs drain inspection. The right choice depends on what you must prove.

Who Uses the Report, and What Do They Look For?

A solicitor may read the report for defects that affect the sale. A lender may ask to see it. An insurer may use it as evidence, for example after subsidence. You can share one report with all three, since each can use the same record.

Each reader may look for something different. A solicitor may want clear grades and a summary, while an insurer may want located footage and plain defect notes. A repair firm may want the code, grade and distance for each defect.

Reports for Build Over Work

Some building work may involve a CCTV survey of a public sewer. For some build-over applications, Thames Water arranges its own CCTV survey of the sewer before and after the work. Check Thames Water’s guidance for your case.

A survey of your own private drains can also help your designer plan around them. Ask the engineer for a report in the format your designer or building control team needs. Our basement conversion drain survey guide covers this in more detail.

How Is a Report Different from a CON29DW Search?

Your solicitor may order a CON29DW drainage and water search. This is a search of public records, and the Law Society helped develop it. It tells you about public sewer and water connections. It does not look inside your own drains.

A CCTV survey can fill that gap, because the camera can see the private pipes. The two work well together, since each answers a different question.

Where Can You Request a Drain Survey Report in London?

We cover all of Greater London. Our Camden page covers CCTV drain surveys in that borough. Our Islington page does the same for its area.

See our drain reports page for more on reports, or our CCTV drain survey service page. When you request a quote, we pass your request on to a drainage engineer. Ask for a written quote before any work starts, and ask the engineer when the written report will be ready.

FAQ: CCTV Drain Survey Reports

What does MSCC5 stand for? MSCC5 is the Manual of Sewer Condition Classification, 5th edition. WRc publishes it, while the UK water industry uses it as the standard defect-coding manual.

Is a WRc report the same as an MSCC5 report? Often, yes. People say WRc because WRc publishes the manual. Ask the engineer to confirm that the report uses MSCC5 coding.

Will my solicitor accept the report? Ask your solicitor what it needs. A report coded to MSCC5, with footage and a clear summary, is a sensible format to ask for. If your solicitor needs a set layout, ask the engineer before the survey.

Does a RICS survey check the drains? No, because a standard RICS building survey does not include a CCTV drain inspection. The surveyor checks what is visible above ground. A CCTV drain survey can cover the buried pipes.

Can I get the footage as well as the report? Ask for the footage along with the report. Ask for timestamps, since they can link each defect to the video.

How much does a drain survey report cost? Prices depend on the property and the access, since each site differs. See our CCTV drain survey cost guide for sourced price figures.