What a Sewer Camera Inspection Shows

A buried drain line is invisible. When it stops, slows or smells, a provider may start by guessing from symptoms. A sewer camera replaces some of that guessing with a look. This post explains what a camera shows, how to read common findings, and what to ask for afterwards. The full process is on the sewer camera inspection page.

What a camera inspection is

A small waterproof camera on a flexible cable is fed into the drain line, usually through the cleanout. A light on the camera head shows the inside of the pipe. A screen above ground shows the live picture, and many systems also record video and note how far the camera has traveled. The provider watches as the camera moves and stops to look at anything unusual.

What the camera can show

Roots. Fine roots appear as white or tan threads reaching into the pipe at a joint, sometimes forming a mat that catches paper and debris. A heavy mass can fill much of the pipe. See root intrusion removal.

Grease and scale. Grease looks like a pale, thick coating on the pipe wall, narrowing the open space. Mineral scale looks like rough, crusted deposits. Both reduce the pipe's capacity. They are cleaned with a method such as hydro jetting.

Cracks and breaks. A crack shows as a dark line along or across the pipe. A broken pipe shows a gap, missing pieces or soil visible beyond the wall. These usually need repair, not cleaning. See sewer line repair.

Offset joints. Where two lengths of pipe have slipped out of line, the camera sees a step. A small offset may be harmless. A large one can catch debris.

Sags, also called bellies. A low section where the pipe has settled collects standing water, and the camera may show a pool of water in the pipe where the rest is dry or running. Waste and paper collect there. Sags are a common reason that a line keeps clogging after cleaning.

Foreign objects. Toys, a wad of wipes or a piece of a broken tool can be seen in the pipe.

Collapsed sections. The camera stops at a point where the pipe is crushed or blocked, and no further view is possible.

Pipe material and connections. A camera can give a sense of what the pipe is made of, such as plastic, clay, cast iron or older fiber pipe, and where side branches join.

What the camera cannot show

A camera shows the inside surface of a pipe, one point at a time. It cannot show everything:

• It cannot see behind the pipe wall, so it does not show the soil condition or voids outside the pipe in detail.
• It may not go past a complete blockage or a collapse.
• Murky or full pipes limit what is visible until cleaned.
• Footage is only as good as the person reading it, which is why you should ask the provider to explain it.
• A camera does not tell you what a repair will cost. That is a separate quote.

A provider who finds a problem may suggest locating the point from above ground with a locator, so that the position and depth of the problem are known before any digging.

Reading the footage with the provider

Ask the provider to stop and show you each finding, and to say what they think it means. Useful questions include:

• Where is this, and how far along the line?
• Is it a clog, damage or both?
• Does it need repair, or just cleaning?
• What happens if I do nothing?
• Can I get a copy of the recording?
• Is there anything else you saw, even if it is minor?

You do not need to agree to anything on the spot. If a repair is suggested, you can ask for the quote in writing and, if you want, get a second look.

When a camera is a good idea

• A drain that keeps clogging after cleaning
• A recurring main line backup
• Before buying a home, particularly an older one
• After a backup that came with heavy rain. See why drains back up after heavy rain.
• After a repair, to confirm the work
• Before hydro jetting an older line

Cost and what to expect

Price depends on the provider and the property, and this site does not publish it. A camera look is sometimes part of a drain-cleaning visit and sometimes billed separately, so ask which applies. The cost page lists what changes a quote.

Call now to be connected to an independent local service provider.

Related reading

Five signs of a main line clog | Snake vs hydro jetting | Main line clog | FAQ