A sewer camera inspection is the most useful single step before any sewer repair decision. It turns guesses about what is wrong into video you can watch. Here is how the visit goes and how to get the most out of it.
Before the visit
- Find the cleanout if you can: usually a capped pipe a few inches across near the foundation, sometimes near the property line. Clear plants or mulch around it.
- Note the history. When did problems start? Which fixtures? Has the line been cleaned before, and what did that crew find?
- Limit water use during the inspection so the camera has a clearer view.
- If you are buying a home, book it within your inspection period and ask the seller for access to the cleanout.
During the inspection
The technician feeds a waterproof camera on a semi-rigid cable into the cleanout and pushes it through the line toward the street. A counter on the cable shows how far the camera has traveled. If the line is blocked, it needs to be cleared first, because the camera cannot see through a clog.
The camera head carries a small transmitter. At points of interest, the technician uses a receiver above ground to find the camera's exact position and approximate depth, and can mark that spot with paint or a flag.
A typical residential inspection takes about an hour on site. Ask to watch the monitor; a good technician will narrate what you are seeing.
What you are looking at
| On screen | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Hair-like strands or a mat at a joint | Root intrusion through that joint |
| A visible line or gap in the pipe wall | A crack or fracture |
| A lip or step where two pipes meet | An offset joint |
| The camera goes underwater, then emerges | A sag (belly) holding water |
| Rough, flaking, reddish-brown walls | Corrosion and scale in cast iron |
| Pipe that looks oval or flattened | Deforming pipe, a warning of collapse |
| Change in color or texture of the pipe | A material change or previous repair |
What the camera cannot show
The camera sees the inside surface of the pipe. It does not see the soil around it, and standing water in a sag hides part of the pipe wall. It also cannot always pass a severe offset or collapse, which means the line beyond that point remains unknown until the obstruction is dealt with. A trustworthy report says where the view was limited.
Ask for the footage. You should leave with the video file and a written summary that lists each defect, its distance from the access point and its approximate depth.
Questions to ask before agreeing to a repair
- Exactly where is the defect, in feet from the cleanout, and how deep?
- Is it on my side of the property line, or the utility's?
- Is it one defect or several along the line?
- Can it be lined, or does it need excavation, and why?
- What happens if I wait? Is this a "fix now" or "monitor" finding?
- What does the estimate include for restoration of the surface?
If a contractor recommends replacing the entire line, ask them to show you defects along the length of the footage, not only at one spot. One bad joint is a repair; a pattern along the line is a case for replacement or lining.
Getting an inspection in Sarasota
We offer sewer camera inspections and locating across Sarasota and nearby Sarasota County communities, with recorded footage and a plain-language summary.