Signs you need an inspection
- Drains that clog again after cleaning
- Gurgling toilets or tubs when another fixture drains
- A sewage smell in the yard, basement or crawlspace
- A wet or sunken patch of lawn over the line
- Backups that no one can explain
- You are buying an older house, or a house with big trees near the sewer line
What the job involves
- Find the way in. The plumber uses a cleanout, or pulls a toilet if there is none.
- Feed the camera. A small waterproof camera on a flexible cable travels down the line toward the street.
- Watch the screen. The plumber looks for roots, grease, cracks, offset joints, sags and crushed sections, and notes anything that does not belong.
- Locate the problem. A transmitter in the camera head lets a locator above ground find the exact spot and depth.
- Report. You get a description of what was found and where, ideally with video or photos.
Ask whether you will get the recording. It helps with quotes, with insurance and with a buyer or seller.
What the plumber can see
- Roots entering at joints or cracks
- Grease and scale coating the walls
- Cracks, breaks and collapsed sections
- Offset or separated joints where pipes have shifted
- Bellies, low spots where water sits
- Connections where branch lines join the main
A camera shows the pipe. It does not show a leak that is not at the camera, and it cannot tell you the age of the pipe from the picture alone.
Buying a house
A home inspector usually checks what can be seen. The sewer line is buried. A camera inspection before closing can show whether the line to the street is sound, so a hidden repair does not become your bill after you move in. Ask the seller's agent for access to the cleanout, and ask the plumber to put findings in writing. Repairs found before closing can be negotiated. After closing, they belong to the new owner.
What affects the price
No number here is a quote. The price depends on how easy the line is to reach, how long it is, whether the line must be cleaned first so the camera can see, whether the plumber also locates and marks the spot, whether you want a written report and video, and whether it is an emergency call. Ask what is included.
How long does it take?
The time depends on the house. A long line, a line that needs cleaning before the camera can pass, or a house with no cleanout all add to it, and the plumber can tell you what to expect when you book. If you are buying a house, book it early in the inspection period so there is time to negotiate if the camera finds a problem.
Reading what you are told
Ask the plumber to point out each problem on the video and say how far down the line it sits. A root mass near the house is a different job from a crack under the street. Ask which findings need action now, which can be watched, and which are only noted. A good report separates urgent damage from normal wear, and it gives you something to compare when you get a second opinion.
After the inspection
- Roots or grease only: hydro jetting or a cleaning may be enough.
- A crack, collapse or belly: sewer line repair is the next step.
- A damaged line that can be repaired without a long trench: ask about trenchless sewer repair.
Johnson City and East Tennessee specifics
- Access. Johnson City's code calls for a cleanout within five feet of the building on a building sewer. If your house has one, that is where the camera goes in. The code also requires building sewers to be inspected before the underground part is covered.
- Responsibility. The code makes the property owner responsible for maintaining the building sewer on private property. That is why the line is worth checking before you buy.
- City main. If the camera shows the problem is in the street or the city's main, report it to Johnson City Water & Sewer Services.
Before you call
- Find the cleanout and clear access to it.
- Tell the plumber about past backups, root problems and when the house was built, if you know.
- If you are buying, ask your agent how to arrange access before the inspection period ends.