Drain Unblocking & Jetting Service
Clear blocked drains, toilets and gutters with rods and a jetting machine, plus CCTV surveys.
Blocked drains are urgent, unpleasant and beyond most DIY - customers pay for same-day fixes. Typical offers: fixed-price standard unblocks, with CCTV surveys, root cutting and jetting as add-ons. A CCTV camera turns one-off unblocks into repair quotes and insurance reports. Letting agents, pubs and restaurants need ongoing maintenance contracts. Gross margin figures are planning estimates of revenue minus direct costs (materials, travel and per-job expenses); they exclude the owner's own labour time.
- Starting capital: 1800–3500 GBP
- Total starting capital: 2600 GBP
- Setup: 2-3 weeks
- Gross margin: 65-80%
- Business model: Fixed-price unblocks plus CCTV survey and jetting add-ons
- Category: Home Services
Steps
- Register and insure: Week 1. Register as a sole trader and arrange public liability insurance.
- Buy kit and practise: Weeks 1-3. Buy jetter, camera and rods; practise surveys to build a report template.
- Launch locally: Weeks 3-4. Search ads for emergency unblocks and a Google Business Profile.
- Win contracts: Month 2. Pitch maintenance plans to pubs, restaurants and letting agents.
Risks
- Kit cost: A proper jetter is a serious upfront spend.
- Messy work: Sewage, grease and weather come with the job.
- Big-brand competition: Dyno and Metro Rod dominate national search.
Costs
- Jetting machine — Van or trailer-mounted pressure jetter with reels and nozzles — 1500 GBP
- CCTV & rods — Push-rod camera, rods and manual tools — 700 GBP
- Insurance — Public liability at entry level — 200 GBP
- Marketing — Van signage, local search ads and Google Business Profile — 200 GBP