Drain & Sewer Camera Inspection
An hour with a camera has saved more of our customers money than any other service we offer. You can't price a repair honestly without seeing the pipe.
A camera inspection puts a video head down the line and shows what's actually happening: where the blockage sits, how far down it is, whether there's a crack or a belly, and what the pipe material and condition look like. It turns "probably roots" into a measured location and a decision you can make with real information.
It's also the right move before buying a house with mature trees or original plumbing. A sewer lateral replacement is a five-figure surprise after closing and a negotiating point before it. We'll give you the footage either way.
When this is probably your problem
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the quoted price
- Camera run of the accessible main line or targeted branch line
- On-screen review with you while the camera is in the pipe
- Surface locating and depth marking of any problem area found
- A copy of the recorded footage on request
Quoted separately
- Cabling or hydro-jetting, if the line needs clearing before the camera can pass
- Excavation or any repair work identified during the inspection
- Installing a cleanout, if the line has no accessible access point
- Inspection of lines that are fully collapsed or submerged beyond camera reach
How this job gets priced
Camera inspection is a flat charge, quoted before we schedule. If the line is blocked badly enough that the camera can't pass, we'll tell you before proceeding — clearing it first is additional and you approve that separately. If the inspection leads to a repair with us, we'll say plainly whether the inspection fee is credited toward it when you book.
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What the visit looks like
Find or make access
We work through an existing cleanout where there is one, and tell you upfront if installing access is needed.
Run the camera
You watch the screen with us — this isn't a diagnosis delivered secondhand after we've packed up.
Locate and mark
Any problem area gets located from the surface with its depth marked, so a future repair digs once.
Talk about what's next
Sometimes the honest answer is that the line looks fine and nothing needs doing.
Questions about drain & sewer camera inspection
Do I get to see the footage?
Yes — you watch the screen with us while the camera is in the line, and we can provide a copy of the recording on request. A diagnosis you can't see isn't worth much, especially when it's attached to a repair quote.
Is a camera inspection worth it before buying a house?
For an older home, or one with mature trees near the sewer line, we think it's one of the better inspection dollars you can spend. A standard home inspection doesn't go down the sewer lateral, and lateral replacement is expensive enough to matter in a negotiation.
What if the camera can't get through?
If a heavy blockage stops the camera, we'll tell you and quote clearing it as a separate step rather than pushing equipment where it might get stuck. Occasionally a line is collapsed badly enough that the camera physically can't pass, which is itself a useful finding.
Can you inspect a line with no cleanout?
Sometimes we can enter through a pulled toilet or a roof vent, though those access points have limits. If there's genuinely no workable access, installing a cleanout is the practical fix and we'll price that separately before doing it.
Ready to get this looked at?
Call and describe what's happening. We'll tell you what it likely is and what confirming it costs.