Sewer Scopes
Buying a home is a time of questions, and there are a lot of them. When you’ve decided that the home is truly an option, it’s time to take a closer look at where the home is in terms of maintenance.
A qualified home inspector will look into the nooks and crannies of the home for you, but the lateral sewer line from the house to the city’s sewer is a separate inspection.
Many of us have never heard of sewer scopes until the first purchase of a house, and residential sewer scoping only came about as technology allowed it. It’s an easily overlooked inspection that can save thousands in repairs.
What is a Sewer Scope?
So, what is a ‘sewer scope?’
A sewer scope is technically the camera, cable, and monitor used to view and film the interior of the pipe leading from the house to the city sewer.
The purpose is to view identify the pipe materials used, as well as evaluating the pipes to see if there are cracks in the walls or connections between pipes, invasive roots which have found their way into the pipe, crushed or otherwise damaged pipes between the house and the sewer.
Pipes sometimes develop sags in the line which hold water (due to settlement of the earth beneath them), contain obstructions such as roots, building materials, or hygiene products. All of these scenarios can affect your waste drainage as well as lead to an eventual back up in the sewer to the house.
The pipes leading from the house to the sewer is referred to as the ‘sewer lateral’, and can be very expensive to replace. Knowledge of any necessary current or future repairs can be factored into budget considerations when buying a home.
How is it performed?
Home Inspections PDX uses a Rigid Mini sewer camera to perform the majority of our sewer inspections. This camera has a self leveling head, adjustable lighting, and 200’ of cable length for use during the scope.
Using a sewer cleanout is our preferred method to access this ‘lateral line’. If a cleanout isn’t found, we can access this line through a washer drain, or vent pipe on the roof
Sewer Inspection Cost
Our inspections are $150. We are able to inspect up to 200’ if there are no obstructions barring camera access.
Each inspection will generate a .pdf of our results and an accompanying video hosted by youtube.
Why should I?
If the home was built before 1990, clay pipes may have been used for this sewer lateral. Clay is susceptible to cracking and root intrusion.
Confirming that the appropriate materials, joints, obstruction free pipes, and adequate flow of water and materials down the sewer line is important.