Will you have to remove the tree?

Almost never. Sealing the pipe is usually enough, and it avoids the cost and loss of a mature tree.

How often will roots come back?

If the pipe is left unsealed, typically within six to twelve months. After relining, root re-entry is prevented.

How do tree roots get into a drain?

Roots grow towards moisture and fine hairs enter through open mortar joints, cracks or failed connections. Once inside, they thicken and trap paper and debris.

How are roots removed from a drain?

Mechanical cutting heads and high-pressure jetting remove the root mass back to the pipe wall, then a camera pass confirms the run is clear and shows where the roots entered.

Does cutting the roots fix the problem?

It clears the blockage, but the entry point remains open, so roots return. Sealing or relining the defective section is what stops regrowth.

Which properties are most affected?

Older homes with clay pipework and mortar joints, particularly where mature trees or established hedges sit within a few metres of the drain run.

Your Local Drainage engineers working on a drain

Our Services

Tree Root Removal From Drains

Roots find the smallest crack and grow towards water. Cutting them clears the blockage; sealing the pipe is what keeps them out.

Call 0330 128 1329

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Root Removal

Tree roots growing into your drains are a slow-build problem that doesn't fix itself.

Root intrusion is one of the most common causes of recurring blockages, particularly in older properties with mature trees nearby. We cut and clear root growth from inside the pipe with specialist cutting equipment, then assess whether the pipe itself needs repair.

Root cutting and clearance
CCTV inspection to assess pipe damage
Ongoing maintenance advice
Relining if pipe walls have been compromised

Get a Root Removal Quote 0330 128 1329

Signs of root intrusion

Blockages that return every few months, gurgling waste pipes, slow drainage in wet weather and a mature tree or hedge within a few metres of the drain run. Older clay pipework with mortar joints is the most vulnerable.

Cutting and clearing

We use mechanical root cutters and high-pressure jetting to remove the root mass back to the pipe wall, then camera the run to confirm it is clear and to see exactly where the roots entered.

Preventing regrowth

Cutting alone is a temporary fix — the entry point is still open. Sealing the joint or relining the affected section removes the water source the roots were following, which is the only lasting solution.

Signs of Tree Root Intrusion

Root intrusion is one of the most common causes of blockages that keep coming back, particularly in older pipework.

Blockages returning every few months in the same place
Roots or fine root hair visible on CCTV footage
Older clay pipework with mortar joints near mature trees
Fractured or displaced joints allowing root entry
Slow drainage that worsens in wet weather
Gurgling waste pipes as flow squeezes past an obstruction

How Roots Are Removed

1
Confirm the intrusion
A camera pass shows how far the root mass extends and, crucially, which joint or crack the roots have entered through.
2
Cut and clear
Mechanical cutting heads and high-pressure jetting remove the growth back to the pipe wall and flush the debris out of the run.
3
Re-inspect the pipe
With the roots gone, the camera shows the true condition of the pipe and the size of the opening the roots were using.
4
Seal the entry point
Where a defect remains, sealing the joint or relining the affected section removes the route in. Without this step, roots regrow.

Why cutting alone is not a permanent fix

Cutting roots clears the blockage, but it does not repair the pipe. As long as the crack or open joint is still there, roots follow the same moisture back in — usually within a year. That is why we camera the run afterwards and, where a structural defect is present, quote drain relining or a drain repair rather than leaving you to call us again next winter.

Enquiries

Ask about root removal

Send your postcode and phone number and we'll confirm availability for your area and talk you through what the job involves. No call-out charge, and a fixed price agreed before any work starts.

Prefer to talk it through? Call 0330 128 1329 — answered 24/7.

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FAQs

Root Removal — Common Questions

Root removal done in a morning, explained everything as they went. Honest pricing and genuinely nice people to deal with.

David P.

Poole

Brilliant service! They arrived within the hour and sorted our blocked drain quickly and professionally. No call-out charge was a huge bonus. Highly recommend!

Sarah T.

Bournemouth

Really impressed with the CCTV survey and clear report we received. Friendly team, fixed price and no mess left behind. Fantastic service!

Mark R.

Southampton

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Advice centre

Helpful Drainage Guides

Tree Roots in Drains: Signs, Removal and RepairRoots do not break into sound pipework — they follow moisture through an existing defect. What that means for removal and repair.Read the guide

Browse the full Advice Centre

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