Understanding Sewer Scope Inspections and Why They Matter
Protect your home and your investment with a professional sewer scope inspection. The main sewer line is buried underground and cannot be evaluated during a standard visual home inspection. A sewer scope inspection uses a specialized camera to examine the inside of the sewer line and identify problems such as root intrusion, damaged pipes, blockages, offsets, and standing water. Finding these issues before purchasing a home can help you avoid unexpected sewer problems and costly repairs.
Why Should You Have a Sewer Scope Inspection?
A home's plumbing may appear to drain normally while problems are developing underground. A sewer scope allows us to see conditions that otherwise would remain hidden.
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Identify Hidden Damage: Cracks, broken sections, separated joints, and deteriorated piping can exist underground without any visible signs inside the home.
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Find Tree Root Intrusion: Tree and shrub roots can enter through small openings or pipe joints and continue growing inside the sewer line, restricting drainage and potentially causing backups.
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Detect Blockages and Restrictions: Grease, debris, scale buildup, roots, and damaged piping can restrict the sewer line and increase the likelihood of a future backup.
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Protect Your Investment: Sewer line repairs can involve excavation, landscaping, driveways, or other areas of the property. Knowing the condition of the line before purchasing a home can help you make a more informed decision.
Common Problems Found During Sewer Scope Inspections
Because the main sewer line is underground, many defects cannot be discovered during a traditional home inspection. A sewer camera allows us to directly view the interior of the pipe.
Common issues we look for include:
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Tree root intrusion
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Cracked or broken piping
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Offset or separated pipe connections
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Standing water or low areas in the line
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Blockages and restrictions
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Excessive rust or scale buildup
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Deteriorated piping
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Crushed or collapsed sections of pipe
Older sewer lines can be particularly important to inspect, but problems are not limited to older homes. Installation defects, soil movement, construction damage, and other conditions can affect newer sewer lines as well.
How a Sewer Scope Inspection Works
A sewer scope inspection is performed using a specialized waterproof camera attached to a flexible cable. When an appropriate access point is available, the camera is inserted into the home's main sewer line and advanced through the pipe toward the municipal sewer connection or septic system.
As the camera travels through the line, we examine the pipe for visible defects, restrictions, damage, root intrusion, standing water, and other conditions that may affect proper drainage.
Any significant conditions observed during the inspection are documented so you have a better understanding of the sewer line's condition before making decisions about the property.
A sewer scope is a simple addition to your home inspection that provides valuable information about one of the most important—and hardest to see—systems on the property.