CLEARMASTERS
in drainage
levels first
Regulations
and reinstate
for aftercare
The basics
When clearing isn’t enough
Gullies collect rainwater from roads, car parks, yards and drives. Most of the time they just need emptying, and we do plenty of routine gully clearance with our tankers.
For routine emptying and cleaning, see our gully and channel drain clearance service. Where a drain run has collapsed, we can excavate and replace it, or put in new manholes for access.
We do this work across Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and London, with tankers and engineers in each area most days.
But gullies take a battering. Traffic breaks up the bedding under the frame, grates crack or go missing, old pots crack and connection pipes get damaged by roots and settlement. Once that happens, emptying the gully won’t stop it flooding, and a broken grate or sunken frame is a hazard in its own right.
We find out what’s wrong, with a camera if needed, then repair or replace the grate, frame, pot or connection.
Cut-away
Where gullies fail
A typical trapped road gully. Hover over or tap the numbers to see each part, and what goes wrong with it.
- 1GrateBroken, missing or rocking grates are a trip and tyre hazard, and let debris straight into the pot.
- 2Frame and beddingTraffic breaks up the bedding under the frame. The frame sinks or rocks and the surface around it starts to fail.
- 3Silt and leavesSettle in the bottom of the pot. Once it fills up, water can’t get away and the road floods.
- 4TrapKeeps smells and rats in the drain. When it blocks, the gully stops draining.
- 5Gully potOld clay and concrete pots crack or collapse, letting water wash out the ground under the road.
- 6Connection pipeRoots, displaced joints or a collapse stop the water getting away. A camera survey shows which.
What we do
Gully repairs and replacements
New grates
Broken, missing and rocking grates replaced with the right size and load class.
Frames reset
Sunken or loose frames lifted, rebedded and set level with the surface.
New gully pots
Cracked or collapsed pots dug out and replaced, and the surface reinstated.
Connection repairs
Camera surveys of the pipe from the gully, and repairs by lining or excavation.
New gullies
Extra gullies where water ponds, connected to a drain or soakaway.
Clearance
Silt and debris removed by tanker, and connections jetted clear.
Diagnosis
What’s wrong with my gully?
| Symptom | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Water pools round the gully after rain | The pot is full of silt, or the connection is blocked or damaged |
| The grate rattles or rocks when driven over | Broken bedding under the frame, or a worn or wrong-sized grate |
| The surface round the gully is breaking up | A loose or sunken frame, or water washing out the ground below |
| It smells of drains | The trap has dried out or been damaged |
| It keeps filling up, even after emptying | A damaged connection pipe, roots or a collapse further down |
On the day
How we repair a gully
Clear and check
We empty the gully and jet the connection, then survey it with a camera if the problem’s further down.
Make it safe
Traffic management and barriers on busy sites, and work planned around your opening hours where we can.
Repair or replace
Grate, frame, pot or pipe put right, with the correct load class for the traffic.
Reinstate
The surface is made good around the gully, and you get a report of what we did.
Why Clearmasters
Why choose Clearmasters?
Most gully contractors either empty them or dig them up. We do both, with our own tankers, jetters, cameras and groundworks team, so you get the right fix first time.
Ask us a questionWe survey before we dig
Levels, ground conditions, buried services and where the water can go, checked before we quote.
Done to the rules
Designed and built to the Building Regulations, British Standards and the manufacturer’s instructions.
We look after it afterwards
We empty, jet, survey and service what we install, so you have one firm for the life of the system.
24/7 for flooding
If a gully is flooding a road or yard, we can come out day or night.
What our customers say
Checkatrade
From 134 reviews · Read them
From 63 reviews · Read them
Scores as of September 2026
Questions answered
Gully repair FAQs
Who is responsible for a road gully?
On adopted public roads, the highway authority, which is usually the county council. On private roads, car parks, retail parks and industrial estates it’s usually the owner or managing agent, and on your drive, it’s you.
Why does my gully keep flooding after it’s been emptied?
Usually because the pipe from the gully is blocked, damaged or has roots in it. A camera survey will show what’s wrong and where.
Can you replace just the grate?
Yes, if the frame is sound. If the frame is loose or sunken, it’s better to rebed or replace it at the same time, or the new grate will soon rock too.
What load class should a gully grate be?
The same as a manhole cover in the same place: B125 for car parks and footways, C250 for kerbside channels, and D400 for roads.
How often should gullies be cleared?
Most sites need clearing at least once or twice a year, and more often under trees or on busy sites. See our gully clearance service.
Got a different question? Call 03333 233566 or send us a message.
Related services
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.