The Avenue, Ealing

The brief

Establish the cause of a drainage problem at the property and put it right. Excavation was on the table as the proposed solution, with the disruption and cost that comes with it.

The challenge

Drainage is the classic example of a property problem where the expensive answer is the easy one to sell. Once excavation is proposed, it tends to be accepted: the pipework is buried, nobody can see the fault, and digging feels thorough. The client was facing a significant bill and considerable disruption for work that had not yet been shown to be necessary.

Our approach

• Investigated before committing to any solution, on the principle that nobody should pay to excavate a drain until the fault has actually been located.
• Traced the problem through the drainage run to find the point of failure rather than working from assumption.
• Identified a simple blockage as the cause, not a defect in the pipework requiring excavation.
• Cleared it, confirmed the system was running correctly, and reported back with what had been found.

The outcome

• The drainage problem resolved at the cost of an investigation and a clearance.
• Excavation avoided entirely, along with the disruption to the property and grounds.
• A significant saving against the proposed works, and a client who now calls us before agreeing to anything expensive.

This is the clearest illustration of how we work. Investigate properly, challenge unnecessary expenditure, then deliver the right solution. It is also the least profitable version of this job, which is rather the point.

Photography