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Searches when buying a house: local authority, drainage and environmental

What searches you need when buying a house: local authority, drainage and water and environmental searches, who supplies them and free first checks.

  • 3 min read
  • Last reviewed 4 November 2026
  • By Your Property Check team

Key answer

The usual searches when buying a house are a local authority search, a drainage and water search and an environmental search, with extras such as coal or chancel depending on the area. The sources we read do not say they are compulsory. Your solicitor or conveyancer must make sure there are no problems before you sign a contract.

Part 1 of 7

The searches in plain English

General information, not advice. Searches are enquiries your solicitor or conveyancer makes to the council, the water company and other bodies about the property and its surroundings, before you are committed. Citizens Advice says the solicitor or conveyancer carries out the enquiries and searches once you have instructed them, and that they must make sure there are no problems before the contract is signed. We read the pages below on 4 November 2026.

SearchWhat it coversSupplied byFree first look
Local authority searchTwo parts: a search of the Local Land Charges Register (LLC1) and standard enquiries (CON29) on planning history, building control, highways, proposed tree preservation orders and similar. Optional questions can cover common land and flood defence or land drainage consentsThe council (an official search), or a private company (a personal search), as your solicitor decidesOur planning applications tool
Drainage and water searchSewer and drainage issuesThe water companyNone that we found
Environmental searchFlooding, subsidence and contaminated landA private search companyGOV.UK's long term flood risk service for England
Land Registry documentsTitle register and title planHM Land RegistryA free property summary; the register and plan are £7 each
Other searchesFor example coal or chancel, depending on the areaSpecialist providersAsk your solicitor

The council guide we read warns that an environmental search should not be confused with the Environment Agency, which is a separate body.

Part 2 of 7

Are searches compulsory?

The council and Citizens Advice pages we read do not use the word compulsory, and neither says a buyer could decline a particular search. The pages also do not say what a mortgage lender requires. If you have a mortgage, ask your conveyancer which searches your lender's instructions call for, and get that in writing. Lender requirements and the solicitor's duty to find problems are two separate reasons searches get ordered.

Part 3 of 7

What if I am buying with cash and skip searches?

We found no source that says a cash buyer is exempt from needing information, and none that bans skipping a search. The practical point is that a search is how you find out about matters such as planning history, flood and drainage risks or charges against the property. If you skip one, you are buying without that information and carry the risk yourself. Take your solicitor's advice on which searches suit the property. Our guide to checks before buying a house lists what to look at yourself.

Part 4 of 7

How long do searches take?

We found no official national timescale. Hertsmere Borough Council says it can turn local searches around the same day if it needs to, and offers priority marking on official searches on request but not on private ones. It says it cannot comment on private search turnaround times. Environmental and water and drainage searches are handled by other bodies, so ask your conveyancer for current timings, as councils and water companies vary.

Part 6 of 7

Fees

We do not quote search fees. None of the official pages we read give a standard price, and charges differ by council and provider. Ask your conveyancer for an itemised estimate that shows each search and its cost, and compare it with the quote in our guide to the cost of moving house.

Part 7 of 7

Free checks to do yourself

Searches are ordered through your conveyancer, so it helps to know what each one is for before you agree the list with them. A short call or email asking which searches they plan to order, and why, is reasonable. Before you pay for searches, you can look for yourself. Use the flood risk checker and planning applications tool, and read our Land Registry search guide to see what the register shows. These do not replace a formal search, but they can tell you early whether a property deserves one.

This page is general information, not advice. Your solicitor or licensed conveyancer can advise on the searches your purchase needs.

Our take

Do the free checks before you pay for searches

The usual searches are a local authority search, a drainage and water search and an environmental search, and the sources we read do not say they are compulsory. Our view is that skipping them, even with cash, leaves risk with you, so ask your conveyancer what they advise.

You can start earlier and for free. Our OfferCheck is a plain-English risk report on any UK address before you offer, covering crime, flood, planning, tenure and more, with every figure sourced. It starts with a free snapshot. It does not replace the searches your conveyancer orders.

Get OfferCheck

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

What searches do I need when buying a house?
Typically a local authority search, a drainage and water search and an environmental search, with extras such as coal or chancel depending on the area. Your solicitor or conveyancer decides with you.
Are searches compulsory?
The council and Citizens Advice pages we read do not say they are. Your solicitor must make sure there are no problems before contract, and a lender may have its own requirements, so ask your conveyancer.
How long do searches take?
We found no official national figure. One council says it can turn local searches around the same day if needed, but private search times and water company times vary, so ask your conveyancer.
What if I buy with cash and skip searches?
Nothing we read bans it, but you would be buying without information on planning, drainage, flood or other risks. Take your solicitor's advice before deciding.
Can I check anything myself first?
Yes. GOV.UK has a long term flood risk service for England, and Land Registry offers a free property summary, with the title register and plan at £7 each. These do not replace formal searches.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.

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