Sewer camera assessment
Every lining or digging decision starts with a camera run through the whole line. The video shows what is wrong, how far from the cleanout it is, and whether the pipe is still round enough to line.
What the camera shows
A waterproof camera on a push cable goes in through a cleanout and runs to the public main, recording as it goes. A counter on the cable shows the distance from the entry point on every frame. On the video you can see:
- Roots coming in at the joints.
- Cracks and holes.
- Joints that have pulled apart or dropped out of line (offsets).
- A sag that holds standing water (a belly).
- A section that has collapsed.
- Where one kind of pipe gives way to another, such as cast iron under the house meeting clay in the yard.
The first four can usually be lined. A belly and a collapse mean digging, at least for that section. Lining or digging sets out the usual answers.
Locating the trouble from above
The camera head carries a small transmitter. A locator held at ground level picks up its signal, so the spot and its depth can be marked on the lawn or the drive. That mark is what a spot repair or a dig is planned from.
What it costs
A camera inspection on its own is $240. Locating adds $60.
When to have one
- Before you agree to any lining or digging price. A quote that isn't based on video of your pipe is a guess.
- When roots keep coming back after the line is cleared.
- When you're buying an older house. A standard home inspection usually doesn't look inside the sewer line.
- When your city's lateral program asks for video before it approves a repair.
What to ask for
- The video file, before the crew leaves.
- The distance to each problem, from a named entry point.
- The depth of anything that might have to be dug.
- A plain statement of whether the pipe can be lined, and if not, why not.
Questions owners ask
How much does a sewer camera inspection cost?
A camera inspection on its own is $240. Locating the line from the surface, to mark where a problem is and how deep, adds $60.
Can I keep the camera video?
Ask for it before the crew leaves. It is your record of the pipe's condition, it lets you get a second quote on the same footage, and some city lateral programs ask for video before they approve a repair.
What if the line is blocked and the camera can't get through?
Then the line is cleared first and the camera goes in after. A blockage hides what caused it, so the video is most useful once water is moving again.
Want to see inside your sewer line?
The company that answers this number can put a camera in the line and quote both lining and digging.
314-274-1839