CLEARMASTERS
Blocked drains and root removal
Mature trees and old clay drains mean roots are a common cause of blockages in Finchley. We jet them clear, cut out roots and tell you whether the pipe needs repairing or lining.
Learn moreFinchley is family-house London: long avenues of Edwardian and inter-war semis and detached houses, big gardens and mature trees, around the high roads of North Finchley, Church End and East Finchley. It’s all on mains drainage, so our work here is clearing and surveying old drains, and servicing the pumps in homes that have dug down into basements.
Finchley sits on London Clay, which shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters, moving and cracking old clay pipes. Trees make it worse. The Dollis Brook and Mutton Brook run through the area, and low ground near them can be slow to drain.
Our crews work in north London most days and we answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our Finchley drainage services
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Blocked Drains & CCTV Surveys
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Septic Tank Surveys
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Treatment Plant & Pump Repairs
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Pump Station Servicing
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Grease Traps & Commercial Waste
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Flood & Groundwater Removal
Learn moreCovering
Finchley
Finchley
24/7
call-outs
call-outs
Homes &
businesses
businesses
Waste transfer
notes
notes
Own tanker
fleet
fleet
What we do for Finchley customers
CCTV surveys after dry summers and before building work
After a dry summer, clay movement can crack old drains. Before an extension or basement, a survey shows where the drains run. You get a written report with photos.
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Basement pumps
Homes with basements below the sewer rely on pumps. We service them, test floats and alarms and respond 24/7 when one fails.
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Grease traps for the high roads
Restaurants and cafés on Ballards Lane, the High Road and Regents Park Road need grease traps emptied regularly.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Drainage in Finchley: what to know
Family homes, big trees and London Clay.
Clay movement
London Clay moves with the seasons. Blockages after a dry spell are often a sign of cracked pipes.
Trees
Mature trees send roots a long way into old drains.
The Dollis Brook
Low ground near the brook can be slow to drain after heavy rain.
Local to you
Areas we cover in and around Finchley
We cover Finchley and the neighbouring parts of north London.
Finchley · and neighbourhoods
- Finchley
- North Finchley
- East Finchley
- Church End
- Woodside Park
- West Finchley
Surrounding areas · homes and businesses we cover
- Hendon
- Golders Green
- Hampstead Garden Suburb
- Muswell Hill
- Whetstone
- Friern Barnet
- Totteridge
- Mill Hill
- Highgate
- Fortis Green
- Barnet
- Colney Hatch
Not sure if we cover you?
If you’re in or around Finchley, we cover you. Call with your postcode and we’ll confirm.
Nearby areas
Why Finchley customers use us
Straight answers about old drains
Whether it’s a root-blocked drain in Woodside Park or a basement pump in Church End, here’s what you can expect.
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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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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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Trained engineers
Our engineers and most of our tanker drivers hold current confined space entry certificates, and the engineers carry the most common parts.
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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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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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One call for everything
Tanks, treatment plants, pump stations, grease traps and drains, all handled by one team.
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
★★★★★Efficient, courteous, customer-facing. Would not hesitate to recommend to others.
Jonathan O. Google review
★★★★★I've used Clearmasters for at least 10 years and always find them reliable, helpful, knowledgable and great at what is a really unpleasant job! I won't use anyone else.
★★★★★I have used Clearmasters now for 4 years and the service has been excellent. Very punctual on the day and their planning team have always been very helpful in finding convenient dates to service and maintain our pumps and tanks. I 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. If you’re planning building work, tell us what and when.
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Step 2
We come out and do the job
We send the right van or engineer. It helps if:
- manhole covers are clear of cars, bins and planters
- there’s somewhere nearby for our van or tanker to park
- you tell us about shared drains or neighbours who are 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 Finchley 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, surveys and pumps
- Root removal and drain lining
- Basement pump servicing
Urgent?
03333 233566
Questions answered
Finchley drainage FAQs
What homeowners in Finchley ask us most.
Why did my drains start blocking after a dry summer?
London Clay shrinks as it dries, which can crack or shift old clay pipes. A CCTV survey will show any damage.
Can roots be removed without digging?
Usually. We cut them out with specialist jetting heads, and many damaged pipes can be relined from inside.
Should I survey the drains before digging a basement?
Yes. It shows where they run and their condition before work starts.
How often should a basement pump be serviced?
At least once a year.
Do you empty grease traps in Finchley?
Yes, for restaurants and cafés on the high roads.
Can you come out today?
Our crews work in north London most days. Call 03333 233566 and we’ll tell you when we can be there.
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.