Professional and Unbiased Video Sewer Scoping
We strive to offer unbiased sewer scope inspections, which allows us to identify problems or possible problems in a sewer lateral line. The owner is responsible for any repairs or replacements of this line and those can be quite costly. Typical prices range from $5,000 – $20,000 or even more for replacement, not to mention the time involved and the fact that you can’t use any of the plumbing on your property! We do not offer any services to fix problems we may come across during our inspection. We provide all the factual information needed, in-case you should have the need to find the right plumbing company or contractor to do the work for you. This service can be a stand alone service (just the sewer scope), or can be included in any of our Home Inspection services as well.
How Do We Do It?
Using state of the art Video Sewer Scope equipment, we deploy a small camera into the sewer lateral line. We are able to look for any problems in real time and we record the everything. We will also provide you with a digital copy for your records.
What Types Of Problems Are We Looking For?
- Low Areas: also known as a ‘belly’, these low areas can collect water and solid waste, causing poor flow through the pipe and can lead to back-up and damage to the pipe as it sags further.
- Offsets: on some older piping, sections in the piping can separate, causing an offset in the piping to occur. Solid waste may not clear this offset, and waste water will seep into the surrounding soil, causing further settlement and eventual breakdown of the piping.
- Tree Roots: small gaps in sections of piping can allow tree roots to enter the sewer line. As the roots grow, the pipe can break and crack, requiring repair. Minor tree root intrusion can be rooted and cleared on a regular basis, with minimal or no significant pipe damage. Assessing the amount of root intrusion is part of a sewer scope inspection.
- Pipe Collapse: if extreme root intrusion has occurred or significant soil settlement has occurred around the area due to offsets or a low area, complete pipe collapse can occur, requiring full excavation and repair of the sewer line. While rare, this condition can be assessed as part of a sewer scope inspection.
- Debris: Occasionally construction debris or other items can become lodged in the sewer line, preventing the flow of waste through the pipe.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GET A SEWER SCOPE INSPECTION?
SELLERS: A Sewer Scope inspection should be performed as part of every real estate transaction. A typical home inspection doesn’t examine the sewer lateral line because it is buried underground. The only surefire way to have the system inspected is to hire someone to perform a sewer camera inspection. If the inspection comes back clear, the seller has no future liability and the buyer understands the system is functioning as it should. If the inspection shows obstructions or damage, repairs can then be addressed accordingly. This is also an extremely effective tool (and selling point) when used in conjunction with a Pre-Listing inspection, providing a greater level of confidence to buyers.
BUYERS: A Sewer Scope inspection should be performed as part of every real estate transaction. A typical home inspection doesn’t examine the sewer lateral line because it is buried underground. You wouldn’t want to purchase a property and think everything is working fine, a few months down the road, you have a major backup being flooded with sewage. Your insurance policy may not cover this type of damage and now you can be on the hook for thousands of dollars. Don’t assume that a newer home won’t have sewer issues. The diligent property buyer will absolutely have the lateral sewer system inspected.
OWNERS / PROPERTY MANAGERS: If you occupy any type of property, residential or commercial, we recommend having a Sewer Scope inspection performed at least once every 3 years, though more frequent services may be appropriate if you suspect any potential issues. If you rent/lease your property, we strongly encourage having annual Sewer Scope inspections..
