sewer Inspections

Sewer scope inspections — also known as a main line sewer line inspections — are conducted with a small camera mounted onto a flexible scope. Think of it as a colonoscopy for a house. While a doctor snakes an endoscope through the colon to ensure everything’s working, a sewer inspector works their camera through the main waste line from the house to the septic tank or city sewage system. Both are looking for problems that could cause backups or other serious issues in the future.

To begin a sewer scope inspection, the home inspector flushes water through the main drain line. The inspector then presses the camera through the access point and down into the main, or lateral, sewer pipe. The camera and light on the scope send images back to the home inspector’s monitor, where they carefully watch the show. The inspector is looking for dirt, debris, and tree roots that could block the flow of waste through the pipe. They’re also looking for cracks, leaks, and other signs of damage. 

As the camera makes its way down the entire pipe, the inspector notes any issues, including at what length along the line the problems are located, for future reference and repairs. 

A sewer scope inspection is a good idea for any home buyer. That’s because the expense of repairing or replacing a sewer line can run in the tens of thousands of dollars. 

Replacing an underground sewer line is a major task. It requires help from the city to disconnect the line from the sewage main (unless the line runs to a private septic tank). It also means hiring an excavator to clear dirt from the line, which could be buried many feet underground. If there are any trees, shrubs, paved paths, or other landscape features in the way, these will all be lost and need to be replaced. It’s a messy, costly process.

And while, eventually, sewer lines need to be replaced, homebuyers should know what they’re getting into. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to tell the state of the sewage system from a traditional home inspection, which requires documentation only of what can be seen. A sewer scope inspection goes the extra mile to reveal underground problems so buyers can make an informed decision about their purchase — or negotiate a better price in light of impending expenses.

Some houses are more ripe for a sewer scope inspection than others. A sewer scope inspection is especially important when:

• Brand new construction 
• There are trees, shrubs, or hedges in the immediate area
• There’s a new cleanout cap, but no documentation that the sewer line has been replaced, indicating past clogs
• There’s a foul odor in the area
• Toilets or drains run slowly, back up, or smell bad
• The grass near the sewer line is extra green or lush, indicating a leak

A sewer camera inspection is an attempt to gain a better understanding of the general condition and integrity of the main drain laterals: from the house to the street or septic system and directly under the house. It is not an exhaustive inspection to pinpoint every drain line deficiency. The sewer camera inspection looks for visible defects, including obstructions, offsets, bellies, breaks, rust and scaling, and other visible conditions. Future performance cannot be predicted or guaranteed. Further investigation and testing by a licensed plumber may be necessary to identify the presence and/or severity of certain conditions.

These signs are often symptoms of a larger issue with sewer lines — issues that can be more accurately diagnosed when a home inspector performs a thorough camera inspection from the inside.