What Happens During a Sewer Camera Inspection?

A sewer camera inspection involves inserting a waterproof camera on a flexible cable into your main sewer line through the cleanout — a capped access point typically located in the basement, crawl space, or near the foundation. The camera transmits live video to a monitor, and we record the footage for documentation.

We push the camera from the cleanout toward the city connection — typically 50 to 100 feet in a residential property. As we go, we're looking for six things: root intrusion (roots growing through pipe joints), pipe belly (sections that have sagged below grade and hold standing water), cracks or fractures in the pipe wall, joint separation (gaps between pipe sections), grease or scale buildup on the pipe walls, and the pipe material itself.

The pipe material matters because it tells us what we're working with. Clay tile pipe (common in homes built before 1960) is brittle and prone to root intrusion and joint failure. Cast iron is durable but corrodes over time. PVC and ABS are modern materials that rarely have structural issues.

After the inspection, we review the footage with you and give you a written report. If we find a problem, we tell you exactly where it is (measured from the cleanout), what it is, and what the repair options are. If the line is clean, we tell you that too.

We carry cameras on every service truck. A sewer camera inspection is included in our diagnostic fee on main line calls. For pre-purchase inspections, we schedule standalone camera inspections across all 7 Metro Detroit locations. Call 313-427-4780.