Drainage and septic tanks
The downpipe disappears into the ground and no soakaway was found. What has the survey not tested about where that water goes?
The downpipe that disappears into the ground, with no soakaway found, leaves the survey unable to say where that water goes. The visit saw the pipe enter the ground. It did not find a soakaway, test one, or trace the buried run. The drain was not shown to be clear, blocked or absent. No distance from the house should be invented, and the survey does not grant any consent for the discharge.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
A pipe into the soil may serve a drain, a soakaway, a rubble pit, or a run that has silted up. Looking at the shoe does not tell those apart. The honest limit is that the outlet was not found. A camera, if the buried length later needs seeing, is a further instruction and is not included in this visit unless it was agreed.
Do not write that there is no soakaway, and do not write that a working one is hiding out of sight. Say the downpipe enters the ground and the survey could not find the end of it. Wet ground by the wall, if it was seen, is a separate note. It still does not map the pipe or prove where the water is going.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did the downpipe end in a gully you could see, or did it simply enter the ground?
- What search did you make before saying no soakaway was found?
- Are you limiting the comment to an outlet that was not traced?
What are the typical next steps?
- Tell the solicitor the rainwater outlet from this downpipe was not found.
- Do not state that a soakaway exists, or that it is working.
- If the buried run must be traced, agree that work as a further instruction.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does dry ground on the day prove a soakaway is working?
No. Dry ground during one visit does not show where the buried pipe travels, or how it copes when the rain is prolonged.
Can a legal distance from the house to the outlet be stated?
No. The outlet was not found on this visit. This survey does not invent a distance, and it does not grant a discharge consent.