FS Group engineer crouched beside an open manhole on an industrial estate

Drainage services in Essex

FS Group provides drainage services across Essex, from Chelmsford and Basildon to Southend and Harlow. We clear blocked drains, film pipes on camera and repair or reline them, day and night.

  • Available 24/7, 365 days
  • Prices from £55.00 + VAT
  • Rate agreed before we set off
  • 6-month guarantee

Family-run since 1998

On call day and night

Call 0800 689 3497

Trusted by homeowners, landlords and businesses across London and Essex

Why FS Group

Drain engineers for new towns, seaside streets and villages

Our engineers work across Essex, from Harlow and Epping to Chelmsford, Basildon and Southend. Harlow and Basildon were built as new towns, with long shared runs behind whole streets. Southend and Leigh-on-Sea have Victorian terraces on old clay pipes. Out in the villages, runs are longer and pass under hedges and old trees. The camera shows what you have before any work starts.

Help desk open 24/7Rate agreed on the phoneWritten CCTV reportsFixed-price quotes6-month guarantee, T&Cs applyFamily-run since 1998
Cheap drain unblockingFrom £55.00 + VAT

Weekdays from 8am to 6pm, a standard unblock is charged per half hour. Ring first and you learn the rate before an engineer leaves.

See all our rates

Reviews from Essex customers

4.9
★★★★★
Google rating
★★★★★
Harlow

Excellent service from FS Drainage I had a blocked outside pipe & Jordan had it cleared in a short time no fuss or drama just got on with the job he explained why I had the problem & what to watch out for to prevent from happening again very happy with the service. Carol - Harlow

C
Carol
Outside drain · Reviews.co.uk
★★★★★

Just had fs drainage round to unblock the drain on the side of the house. He was on time very efficient and good value for money. Would highly recommend. James from Chelmsford.

J
James H.
Side drain · Chelmsford · Reviews.co.uk
★★★★★

Just had a visit from Jordan to clear a blocked sink drain. It was a very efficient and effective service. Jordan worked in a very tidy and professional way and we were very pleased with the outcome. The contact with the office was also very good. Thank you.

J
J. Leaver
Blocked sink · Grays · Reviews.co.uk
★★★★★

The response to our drainage problem was fast and reliable. The engineer that attended was polite and very efficient, working within the quoted time allocation and price. Very pleased with the service and good value for money.

A
Anonymous
Drainage visit · Brentwood · Reviews.co.uk
★★★★★

First rate service at a reasonable price. From the first call to the plumber visiting to fix the problem everything was explained including the price. Would have no hesitation recommending.

G
Guy
Engineer visit · Grays · Reviews.co.uk
★★★★★

Quick efficient service, agent was polite and helpful. Would recommend

M
Martin R.
Help desk · Brentwood · Reviews.co.uk

Where we work

Areas we cover in Essex

Every Essex district on our rounds, grouped by area, with a postcode for each town.

Chelmsford and mid Essex

ChelmsfordCM1South Woodham FerrersCM3BraintreeCM7WithamCM8HalsteadCO9

Basildon, Brentwood and Thurrock

BasildonSS14BillericayCM12WickfordSS12BrentwoodCM14GraysRM17Stanford-le-HopeSS17

Southend and Rochford

Southend-on-SeaSS1Leigh-on-SeaSS9ShoeburynessSS3RochfordSS4RayleighSS6Canvey IslandSS8

Harlow, Epping and Uttlesford

HarlowCM20EppingCM16LoughtonIG10Waltham AbbeyEN9Saffron WaldenCB11Great DunmowCM6

Tendring coast

Clacton-on-SeaCO15Frinton-on-SeaCO13Walton-on-the-NazeCO14HarwichCO12

Your Essex postcode not listed? Phone us and we can confirm the visit.

More postcodes we cover

CM1, CM2ChelmsfordCM3South Woodham FerrersCM4IngatestoneCM6Great DunmowCM7, CM8Braintree, WithamCM11, CM12BillericayCM13 to CM15Brentwood, Shenfield, HuttonCM16EppingCM17 to CM20HarlowCM24, CB10, CB11Stansted, Saffron WaldenSS0 to SS3, SS9Southend, Westcliff, Leigh, ShoeburynessSS4 to SS6Rochford, Hockley, RayleighSS7, SS8Benfleet, Canvey IslandSS11 to SS16Wickford, Basildon, Pitsea, LaindonSS17Stanford-le-Hope, CorringhamRM16 to RM20Grays, Tilbury, PurfleetIG7, IG9, IG10Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, LoughtonEN9Waltham AbbeyCO9HalsteadCO12 to CO15Harwich, Frinton, Walton, Clacton

Drain ownership

Who looks after which drain

Pipe for your home
Inside your boundary, a drain carrying waste from your house only is yours. Once it joins a neighbour's pipe, it stops being yours alone.
Shared with next door
A drain shared between neighbouring houses belongs to the water company, as does the sewer. In most of Essex that is Anglian Water, and in Harlow it is Thames Water.
Gullies in the street
Road gullies are Essex County Council's to clear. In Southend and Thurrock, the local council does it instead.
FS Group engineer working inside a brick drain inspection chamberCM, SS, RM, IG, CO and CB postcodes

Essex mixes post-war new towns, Victorian seaside streets and rural villages, so its drains vary more than most.

Who we work for

Homes, landlords and businesses

Owners and renters

Whether it is a Basildon terrace or a Chelmsford semi, the engineer explains the fault before fixing it.

Landlords and agents

Blocks of flats in Harlow and Southend often share one soil stack. Survey jobs end with the footage and a written report for your files.

About CCTV surveys

Kitchens in Southend and Chelmsford

Restaurants on Southend seafront and in Chelmsford city centre can book drain work out of hours. Priority Account holders get quicker attendance and contract rates.

About Priority Accounts

Drainage services across Essex

One call books any of these, from a rooted pipe in Saffron Walden to a blocked gully in Grays. Tell the help desk what is happening and they send the right engineer.

Blocked drains in Essex

Most blocked drains start at a toilet, sink or outside gully and clear with a hand rod. A main drain blocked nearer the road needs the machine. In Basildon and Harlow, one run often serves a whole terrace, so we check where the blockage really sits.

CCTV drain surveys in Essex

Buying a house in Brentwood or Epping? A homebuyer CCTV survey films the drains before you exchange, and you can send the written report to your solicitor. Planning an extension instead? A full survey records the drain under the build, ready for a build-over application.

Drain jetting in Essex

Our jetter fires water at high pressure to strip grease, silt and scale from the inside of the pipe. Seaside kitchens in Southend build up fat fast, and long rural runs collect silt. One visit clears it, or we book regular jetting for a shop, pub or block.

Drain repairs in Essex

Old clay pipes crack at the joints, drift out of line or collapse. Heavy lorries and old tree roots can do the same damage. A repair can reset one displaced joint or replace a collapsed length. The camera finds the fault first, so we dig only where needed.

Drain relining in Essex

Where a cracked drain runs under a patio, drive or kitchen extension, relining saves digging it up. A resin liner is pulled in and cured inside the old pipe, forming a new one within it. It suits the long runs under bungalows and semis along the coast.

Emergency drain services in Essex

When sewage comes up through a manhole or an outside gully floods after dark, phone straight away. The help desk is staffed through the night and at weekends, and sends the nearest free engineer. They stop the overflow first, then explain what caused it and how to prevent it.

How it works

What happens after you ring

1

Call the help desk

Ring 0800 689 3497 day or night, or leave your details for a call back within 15 minutes.

2

Hear the rate

You learn the half-hour rate before an engineer sets off for Chelmsford, Southend or wherever you are.

3

Fixed and guaranteed

The engineer clears or repairs the drain. Our workmanship then carries a six-month guarantee, T&Cs apply.

CHAS accredited contractorSafeContractor approvedWater Jetting Association member 2026Constructionline registered

What we see most

The drain problems we fix most often

Wipes at the first bend

Wet wipes sold as flushable do not break down. They knot together at the first bend and stop the toilet draining.

Clay that shifts

South Essex clay shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. That movement pulls old pipe joints apart.

New-town shared runs

Harlow and Basildon streets were laid out with long shared drains, so one blockage can back up several homes.

Fat on the seafront

Cafés and takeaways in Southend and Clacton rinse away fat that hardens in the pipe and slows the flow.

Leaves in outside gullies

Trees around Epping Forest and Loughton shed leaves into yard gullies every autumn, and rainwater soon backs up.

Flats on one stack

Converted seaside houses in Southend and Westcliff share soil stacks, so one blockage affects the flats below.

Questions from Harlow to Southend

Do you cover the whole of Essex?
We cover every district listed above, from Harlow, Epping and Brentwood to Chelmsford, Basildon and Southend. The Tendring coast is on our rounds too. The postcode card lists the districts we visit most. If yours is not there, ring and the help desk confirms the visit.
Can you get tree roots out of my drain?
Yes. Around Epping, Loughton and Saffron Walden, roots often find the joints of old clay pipes. We cut them out by machine or with the jetter. Then we film the pipe and explain whether a liner will stop them coming back.
Do we share a drain with next door?
In Harlow and Basildon, whole terraces often share one run. Since October 2011 the water company has owned most shared drains, so clearing them costs you nothing. That is Anglian Water in most of Essex and Thames Water in Harlow. A camera check shows where your run joins.
Can you survey the drains before I buy?
Yes. A homebuyer survey films the drains at the house you are buying and ends with a written report. You can pass it to your solicitor or use it to renegotiate. Book it with your exchange date in mind, as the report takes a few days.
How much does it cost to clear a blocked drain in Essex?
A standard unblock is charged from £55.00 + VAT per half hour, weekdays 8am to 6pm. Most toilets and sinks are cleared in that time. Jetting and out-of-hours work have their own rates, and the help desk gives you the rate first.
Will I know the cost before you start?
Yes. The help desk gives you the rate on the phone, and the engineer explains any extra work before doing it. You pay for the engineer's time at the rate you agreed.
How soon can an engineer get to me?
That depends on where the nearest free van is, and the help desk tells you honestly when you call. Emergencies such as sewage backing up are sent first. A slow sink that can wait is booked at a time that suits you.
Is your drain work in Essex guaranteed?
Yes. Our workmanship carries a six-month guarantee, T&Cs apply. It covers repairs, relining and unblocking. If the same fault returns in that time, ring and we come back to look at it.

Need a drainage engineer in Essex?

Ring at any hour and the help desk books the nearest free engineer to you.