Best in Hood
Menu

5 Best Drain Cleaning in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Brad Smith
By Brad Smith, Home Services Expert · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 7 min read

A blocked drain doesn't wait for a convenient time, and the difference between a fixed-price specialist and a call-out that spirals into extra charges usually shows up in the reviews before it shows up on your bill. Drain cleaning services in London on this page carry ratings from 4.4 up to a perfect 5, with review counts spanning 124 to 567.

Short answer: Thames Plumbing & Drainage LTD leads on volume at 4.9 stars across 567 reviews, while Quick Clear Drainage, 24 Hr Emergency Drains and London City Drains all hold a perfect 5.0, with review counts of 219, 149 and 124. Call-out pricing on this list starts around £60 to £75 plus VAT, though the final cost depends on the blockage.
Jump to a business

London Drain Cleaning Services, Compared

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Thames Plumbing & Drainage LTD 4.9 567 Plumbing and drainage together View ›
2 Quick Clear Drainage 5.0 219 Published pricing and speed View ›
3 24 Hr Emergency Drains 5.0 149 Same engineer every time View ›
4 London City Drains 5.0 124 Commercial and medical call-outs View ›
5 Blocked Drains London - BDS Drainage 4.4 227 Broader drainage and water damage work View ›
5 Best Drain Cleaning in London (2026)

Five options, reviewed

Thames Plumbing & Drainage LTD logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

Thames Plumbing & Drainage LTD

4.9567 Google reviews

Thames Plumbing & Drainage LTD covers both general plumbing and drainage across London and Surrey, with a stated average response time under 60 minutes for its 24/7 emergency line. It's the most reviewed name on this list by a wide margin, and its site promises arrival within 45 to 90 minutes for both residential and commercial jobs.

What people praise

  • Diagnosed a hidden boiler leak by checking thoroughly rather than guessing
  • Handled an urgent job for a working veterinary clinic without disrupting appointments
  • Named engineers like David, Adam and Joseph praised for professionalism
  • Very high review volume for a drainage specialist, 567 reviews

Worth knowing

  • It's a general plumbing firm as much as a drainage specialist, so ask specifically about drain jetting experience for a stubborn blockage
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.9 / 5
Review volume567 · 97th
Confidencehigh
Recency4 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown98% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It leads on volume and speed, and it's a solid all-round option if you'd rather have one number to call for both plumbing and drainage.

Quick Clear Drainage logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days

Quick Clear Drainage

5.0219 Google reviews

Quick Clear Drainage is a dedicated drainage specialist based in Hoxton, promising a 2-hour response window and clear, published pricing starting from £60 plus VAT. Unlike some of the broader plumbing firms on this list, drainage is its entire focus, from unblocking to CCTV surveys and full drain installation.

What people praise

  • Clear, upfront pricing quoted before work begins
  • Engineers explain the blockage cause and how to prevent it recurring
  • Handled a difficult loft conversion bathroom blockage requiring crawling into eaves
  • Perfect 5.0 rating across 219 reviews
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating5 / 5
Review volume219 · 87th
Confidencehigh
Recency5 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown98% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The combination of published pricing and a perfect score with real review volume makes this a strong default if you want a drainage specialist rather than a general plumber.

275 New N Rd, London N1 7AA

24 Hr Emergency Drains logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

24 Hr Emergency Drains

5.0149 Google reviews

24 Hr Emergency Drains is a one-person operation run by an independent engineer named Mick, working out of Bethnal Green. It's the smallest business on this list by structure, but its reviews are unusually consistent about one thing: Mick personally shows up and does the work himself.

What people praise

  • Same engineer, Mick, handles every job personally rather than dispatching staff
  • Investigates root causes beyond the immediate blockage when something seems off
  • Succeeded where two other plumbers had already failed on one job
  • Zero reviews below five stars in the sample reviewed

Worth knowing

  • As a solo operator, availability may be tighter during peak demand than a larger firm
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating5 / 5
Review volume149 · 82th
Confidencemoderate
Recency6 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown100% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The perfect record and the fact that it's one named person doing every job, not a rotating team, is the clearest differentiator here.

Bethnal Green, London E2 6NR

London City Drains logo
#4🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

London City Drains

5.0124 Google reviews

London City Drains, based near Piccadilly, handles both blocked drains and CCTV drain surveys for residential and commercial clients across central London. Its reviews include work for a medical practice and a business toilet, suggesting it's comfortable with commercial call-outs, not just homes.

What people praise

  • Same-day emergency response for a blocked commercial toilet
  • CCTV surveys used to check for deeper pipe issues beyond the initial blockage
  • Discreet, professional service noted specifically for a medical facility job
  • Owner replies personally and specifically to nearly every review

Worth knowing

  • Slightly smaller review base than the largest firms here, though every review on file is five stars
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating5 / 5
Review volume124 · 76th
Confidencemoderate
Recency3 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown100% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Its comfort with commercial and medical-facility jobs, on top of standard residential call-outs, sets it apart from the more residential-focused names on this list.

3rd floor, 45 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JL

Blocked Drains London - BDS Drainage logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days

Blocked Drains London - BDS Drainage

4.4227 Google reviews

Blocked Drains London (BDS Drainage) is a broader drainage outfit near Covent Garden that also covers gutter cleaning, septic tanks and water damage restoration, working across London, Essex, Kent and Surrey. It publishes a written guarantee and a 90-minute rapid response promise, with call-out pricing starting from £75.

What people praise

  • Used a camera to show customers exactly where a blockage was before fixing it
  • Succeeded on a job after a well-known national company had already failed to fix it properly
  • Transparent about costs for both the call-out and any further work needed
  • Broadest service range on this list, including septic tanks and water damage

Worth knowing

  • A wider spread of ratings than the smaller specialists above it, with more one and two-star reviews in the mix
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.4 / 5
Review volume227 · 92th
Confidencemoderate
Recency2 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown79% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It's the most versatile option if your job might involve more than a straightforward blockage, though its rating trails the specialists above it slightly.

71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ

6

Your business here

Get listed on this page, in front of local customers already searching for you.

Claim this spot ›

How we scored these

Rating is each business’s live Google average, and review volume shows how many customers actually left one. Confidence weighs the two together, so a 5.0 from 200 reviews counts for more than a 5.0 from twenty. Recency checks how many reviews are current. No business paid to rank higher; the order comes straight from these numbers.

What does drain cleaning cost in London (2026)?

Two of the businesses on this list publish starting prices: Quick Clear Drainage from £60 plus VAT and BDS Drainage from £75, both for a standard call-out before any extra work is needed. Costs climb from there depending on whether the job needs jetting, a CCTV survey, or pipe repair.

JobTypical price
Standard call-out / blockage clearance£60 - £75 + VAT (starting rates)

Starting rates compiled July 2026 from Quick Clear Drainage’s and BDS Drainage’s own published pricing pages.

Drain cleaning across London

These five cover a wide spread of the city, from Bethnal Green and Hoxton in the east to Mayfair and Covent Garden in the centre, with several also reaching into Surrey, Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire. If you’re searching for drain cleaning near me for an urgent blockage, response time matters more than distance since most of these run on-call teams rather than a single depot.

What to ask before you hire a drain cleaning service

  • Is the quoted price fixed, or could it change once the engineer sees the blockage?
  • How fast is your actual response time, not just the advertised window?
  • Do you offer a CCTV survey if the blockage keeps coming back?
  • Is VAT included in the price you’ve quoted me?
  • Do you cover both residential and commercial call-outs?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these five?

We compared drainage businesses across London, then ranked by rating, review volume, and how recently customers are still reviewing them.

How often is this page updated?

We refreshed the data behind this page in July 2026 and recheck it as new reviews come in.

What’s the difference between a plumber and a drainage specialist?

A general plumber, like Thames Plumbing & Drainage, handles drains alongside boilers, leaks and installations. A drainage specialist, like Quick Clear Drainage, focuses only on blockages, jetting and CCTV surveys.

Do any of these offer a guarantee?

BDS Drainage advertises a written guarantee on its work. Ask any business on this list for their specific guarantee terms before booking.

The bottom line

For a straightforward blocked drain with clear pricing upfront, Quick Clear Drainage’s published rates and perfect review score make it the safe default. If the job might be bigger than a simple blockage, Thames Plumbing & Drainage’s broader plumbing coverage is worth a call instead. Either way, get the price confirmed before the engineer starts.

Own one of these businesses, or want to be here?

Claim your spot on this page: Basic listing $50 or Premium $100 for the top spot, held a full year. Both include a permanent link to your site.