Drainage and septic tanks
Roots sit in the channel of a chamber and a willow stands three metres away. Has the survey shown the roots come from that tree, or only that roots are in the chamber?
The survey has only shown that roots are in the chamber. It has not shown they come from the willow. Roots in the channel are what was seen when the cover was lifted. Tying them to that tree would take an identification the visit did not make. The tree stands nearby. Nearness is not proof. No sample was matched to the willow, and the survey has not said the tree must be removed because roots were sitting in the channel.
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?
Roots in a channel mean a plant has entered the drain. They do not carry a label. A willow is a vigorous tree and a common suspect, and other shrubs can send roots into the same pipe. The survey can measure neither guilt nor innocence by standing between the chamber and the trunk. Removing the willow might be wise later, or it might take out the wrong plant. That choice needs someone who can relate the roots to the tree. This inspection stopped at roots present.
A drain survey with a camera can show how far the roots run. An arboriculturist can talk about the willow. Neither opinion is inside the home survey. Tell the solicitor there are roots in the chamber and a nearby willow, kept as two facts. Do not covenant to fell the tree as if the survey had proved it was the source. It has not. It has reported roots, and it has reported a tree.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Did you see roots in the channel without identifying the plant?
- Have you kept the willow as nearby, not as a proved source?
- Was any sample or camera used to link the two?
What are the typical next steps?
- Record roots in the chamber and the willow as separate facts.
- Do not state that the roots come from that tree.
- Use a camera, and tree advice if needed, before you fell anything.
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
If the willow is the only tree in sight, is the link still unproved?
Yes. Being the only tree you noticed does not identify the roots. Roots can travel from a shrub, a neighbour's planting or a tree you did not count. The survey has not matched a sample. One obvious willow is still only a suspect.
Do roots in the channel mean the pipe upstream is already broken?
They mean roots are in that chamber. They do not map a fracture further along the run. A camera, which this survey has not included, would be how the pipe itself gets described. The channel finding stops at the channel.