A sewer camera inspection puts a small waterproof camera on a flexible cable and runs it through your sewer line, so the plumber can see the pipe from the inside. It shows roots, cracks, sags, and buildup. It doesn't fix anything by itself, and it can't find a slab leak. What it does is replace guessing with a look.
How does the camera get into the line?
The camera goes in through a cleanout when the house has one. A cleanout is a capped pipe set at ground level, often near the house, in the yard or against an outside wall. The plumber removes the cap and feeds the cable in while watching a screen above ground.
If sewage is pooling near a cleanout, leave it closed and call a plumber.
If there's no cleanout, the plumber may be able to reach the line through another opening, such as a pulled toilet or a roof vent. Adding a cleanout can make every future visit easier, and the plumber can tell you what your house allows.
What can a sewer camera actually show?
The camera shows the inside of the pipe, and that covers a lot. A plumber looks for:
- Roots that have pushed into the line through a joint or a crack.
- Cracks or breaks in the pipe wall.
- A sag, sometimes called a belly, where the pipe has settled and water collects.
- Grease, debris, or heavy buildup narrowing the pipe.
- A joint that has shifted out of line, or a section that has collapsed.
- The pipe material itself.
NASSCO, a trade group that trains pipe inspectors, publishes a standard way to describe defects like these. You don't need the codes. Ask the plumber to explain what the camera shows in everyday words, and to say where along the line each problem sits.
What can't a sewer camera do?
A camera looks inside the sewer pipe. That's its whole job, and also its limit.
It isn't a slab leak tool. It runs through drain lines and looks at the pipe wall. If you suspect a leak in the water lines under your floor, that's a separate job called leak detection.
It can't clear a clog either. The camera finds the problem, and clearing it takes another tool, such as a cable or a jetter. It also can't say how long a pipe has left. It shows the condition today, which is useful, but no one can read a lifespan off a screen.
What pipe is under your yard?
Sewer lines have been built from different materials over the years, including clay, cast iron, Orangeburg (a fiber-and-tar pipe), ABS plastic, and PVC. Which one you have depends on when your house was built and what has been replaced since.
The material matters because it changes the repair. Some older materials can crack, corrode, or collapse in ways newer plastic doesn't. The camera shows the material and its condition, and that helps decide which repairs are even possible.
When is a camera inspection worth it?
It makes sense any time you'd otherwise be guessing. Slow drains in more than one fixture, a clog that keeps coming back after it was cleared, gurgling toilets, and a sewage smell in the yard all point to a problem the camera can locate. So does a plan to buy an older home, since the sewer line is buried and a seller can't easily tell you what shape it's in.
A camera is also a smart first step before any large sewer repair. The repair options depend on the pipe's condition, so it makes sense to look before anyone talks about digging.
What happens after the camera finds something?
That depends on what's in the pipe. A clog or a coating of grease can often be cleared without any repair to the pipe. Roots can be cut back, though they may return if a crack or open joint is letting them in.
A cracked, sagging, or collapsed section is a repair job. That may mean sewer line repair, and for some pipes, trenchless sewer line repair, which fixes the pipe with less digging. Whether trenchless is possible depends on the pipe's condition, and the plumber should explain why one option fits and another doesn't.
Whatever the camera finds, you should get a clear explanation of it, and you approve the price before any work starts.
How should you get ready for an inspection?
A little prep helps the plumber find the problem faster. Clear the area around your cleanout so nobody has to move planters, rocks, or a grill to reach the cap. If you're not sure where it is, walk the outside of the house and look along the walls and toward the street.
Write down what you've noticed. Which drains are slow, when it started, whether a plumber has cleared the line before, and whether trees or large shrubs grow near the sewer line. Those details tell the plumber where to look first.
If you're buying an older home, say so. The plumber can focus on the questions a buyer cares about, such as the pipe material and any sags or roots.
When should you call a licensed plumber?
Call when more than one drain is slow, when a clog keeps coming back, when you smell sewage near the house or yard, or when a toilet or tub gurgles or backs up. A backup isn't a wait-and-see problem. Stop using water and get a plumber on it.
Brian McQuistion Plumbing & Drain is licensed, bonded, and insured, and you approve the price before any repair begins. To find out what's going on inside your line, ask about a sewer camera inspection.
Common Questions
Through a cleanout, a capped pipe set at ground level, often in the yard or against an outside wall. If there is none, a plumber may reach the line through a pulled toilet or a roof vent.
Yes. The camera shows roots, cracks, sags, and buildup inside the pipe, and where along the line they sit. That helps decide whether the fix is a clearing or a repair.
No. A sewer camera runs through drain lines. A leak in the water lines under your floor is a separate job called leak detection.
No. The camera finds the problem. Clearing a clog takes another tool, such as a cable or a jetter.
