CLEARMASTERS
Blocked drains in flats and holiday lets
Converted terraces and holiday lets see a lot of blockages. We clear them with high-pressure jetting and help owners and agents work out whose drain the problem is in.
Learn moreMargate has been revived as a seaside destination, with new restaurants, bars and holiday lets alongside its Georgian and Victorian terraces. Many of those terraces have been split into flats. The town is on mains drainage, so our work here is mostly blocked drains, CCTV surveys and grease traps.
Thanet sits on chalk that supplies much of the area’s drinking water, so keeping waste where it belongs matters. Inland, villages and farms around Acol, Monkton, Minster and St Nicholas-at-Wade have homes on septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants.
Our crews work in Kent most days and we answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our Margate drainage services
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Blocked Drains & CCTV Surveys
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Grease Traps & Commercial Waste
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Septic Tank Surveys
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Septic Tank & Cesspit Emptying
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Treatment Plant Servicing
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Gullies & Interceptors
Learn moreCovering Margate
& villages
& villages
24/7
call-outs
call-outs
Homes &
businesses
businesses
Waste transfer
notes
notes
Own tanker
fleet
fleet
What we do for Margate customers
Grease traps for restaurants and cafés
Margate’s growing food scene needs grease traps emptied regularly, especially in the busy summer months. We set up a schedule and leave a waste transfer note every time.
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CCTV surveys for buyers and landlords
Buying or letting an older property? A CCTV survey shows the condition of the drains, with a written report and photos.
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Septic tanks in the Thanet villages
Around Acol, Monkton, Minster and St Nicholas-at-Wade, we empty septic tanks and cesspits and service treatment plants.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Drainage around Margate: what to know
A seaside town on the chalk.
Chalk aquifer
Thanet’s chalk supplies drinking water. Septic tanks and plants must work properly, and new discharges may need a permit.
Converted terraces
Flats and holiday lets in converted houses often share drains. Owners and agents should know who looks after what.
Seasonal kitchens
Restaurants get busier in summer, so grease traps may need emptying more often.
Local to you
Areas we cover in and around Margate
We cover Margate and the towns and villages of Thanet.
Margate · town and nearby
- Margate
- Cliftonville
- Westbrook
- Garlinge
- Westgate-on-Sea
- Birchington
Surrounding areas · including homes on septic tanks
- Broadstairs
- Ramsgate
- Westwood
- Acol
- Monkton
- Minster
- St Nicholas-at-Wade
- Sarre
- Manston
- Minnis Bay
- Kingsgate
- St Peter’s
Not sure if we cover you?
If you’re anywhere in Thanet, we cover you. Call with your postcode and we’ll confirm.
Nearby areas
Why Margate customers use us
Ready for a busy seaside town
Whether it’s a grease trap in the Old Town or a cesspit near Monkton, here’s what you can expect.
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Day and night, all year
Emergency call-outs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a real person answering the phone.
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Paperwork done properly
A waste transfer note with every collection, and a written report after surveys and services.
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One call for everything
Tanks, treatment plants, pump stations, grease traps and drains, all handled by one team.
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The right kit for the job
Tankers from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons, jet/vac combination units, CCTV survey kit and confined space teams for pump station wet wells.
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34 years in drainage
We’ve been emptying tanks and servicing systems since long before most of the kit on the market existed.
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Trained engineers
Our engineers and most of our tanker drivers hold current confined space entry certificates, and the engineers carry the most common parts.
What our customers say
9.84/10
Checkatrade
From 134 reviews · Read them
4.9/5
From 63 reviews · Read them
Scores as of September 2026
★★★★★Our family have been using Clearmasters for years and are the only choice as far as we are concerned! All the staff are friendly, helpful and accommodating. Couldn’t recommend them highly enough!
Stu Google review
★★★★★I have used Clearmasters for years. They are always on time, polite and reliable whether your need them to empty your septic tank or undertake maintenance work. I wouldn’t use anyone else. Local and the best.
★★★★★Work carried out professionally as usual, the only company I'd recommend.
How it works
What happens when you book
The same simple process for every job.
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Step 1
Tell us what you’ve got
Call us or book online and tell us what’s happening. For holiday lets, tell us when the property is empty.
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Step 2
We come out and do the job
We send the right van or tanker. It helps if:
- you tell us about parking restrictions or a loading bay we can use
- manhole covers and gullies are clear of bins, cars and stock
- we know about shared drains or other flats affected
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Step 3
Paperwork and the next visit
You get a waste transfer note for anything we take away, and a written report after a survey or service. If it’s a regular job, we’ll remind you when the next one is due.
Free, no-obligation quote
Get a quote for your Margate property
Tell us what you need and we’ll come back with a price. If something’s overflowing, call us now.
- Free quotes for drains, grease traps and surveys
- Septic tanks in the Thanet villages
- Visits timed around holiday lets
Urgent?
03333 233566
Questions answered
Margate drainage FAQs
What homeowners, holiday-let owners and businesses in Margate ask us most.
Our holiday let’s drains keep blocking. What can we do?
Guests often flush wipes and other items that cause blockages. We’ll clear it and tell you what we found; clear signs in the bathroom help.
Should our restaurant’s grease trap be emptied more often in summer?
Often, yes. Busier kitchens fill traps faster. We can set a schedule that changes through the year.
Does the chalk affect septic tanks in Thanet?
Yes. Thanet’s chalk supplies drinking water, so septic tanks and plants must work properly, and new discharges may need a permit.
Do you empty septic tanks in Minster and Monkton?
Yes. Some homes and farms in the Thanet villages are off the mains, and we empty and service their systems.
Can you survey drains before I buy a flat?
Yes. A CCTV survey with a written report shows the condition of the drains before you commit.
Are you available out of hours?
Yes. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 03333 233566.
Got a different question? Call 03333 233566 or send us a message.
Fully accredited & compliant
We're independently vetted and certified so you can trust who you're letting onto your site.
SafeContractor
Health & safety pre-qualification accreditation, verifying our processes meet recognised safety standards.
RISQS
Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme — approved to work safely within the rail industry supply chain.
Achilles UVDB
Utilities Vetting Database membership, confirming we meet the utilities sector's supply chain standards.
Trading Standards Approved
Vetted and approved under the local authority's trusted trader scheme for honesty and fair dealing.
NADC Member
Members of the National Association of Drainage Contractors, the UK trade body for the drainage industry.
Registered Waste Carrier
Registered with the Environment Agency, so your waste is handled and disposed of fully within the law.