Sewer Scope Inspection in Portland, OR & Vancouver, WA

Video camera inspection of your sewer line to identify blockages, root intrusion, bellies, offsets, and other pipe defects.

Schedule Inspection

A sewer line video inspection, often called a sewer scope, assesses the condition of the main sewer line running from the home to its destination — either a city connection or a septic tank. It is one of the most frequently overlooked aspects of a home inspection.

When people ask what we recommend alongside a home inspection, we always recommend a sewer line inspection, because repairs can cost thousands of dollars. Cost depends on the location and depth of the repair: under concrete such as a driveway or a city street, it goes up, and the deeper the line, the higher the cost due to safety and shoring requirements. As a rule of thumb, repairs under a city street start at $10,000. If no issues are found, a sewer line inspection pays for itself in peace of mind.

Tree rootsBellies / low pointsStanding waterDebrisBreaksPipe offsetsDefect location & depth

Inspection Types

With a Home Inspection

We very often perform a sewer line inspection alongside the home inspection, checking the main line from the home to the street or septic tank to identify problems before you purchase.

Standalone Service

Often performed after an event such as a sewer backup, to determine the cause and location. It can also be a periodic checkup on a line with age or a known history of issues.

For Other Inspectors & Realtors

We work with many realtors and other home inspection companies, performing the sewer line portion alongside a home inspection being carried out by someone else.

Commercial Applications

Working with plumbers and general contractors to map out drain lines and find issues before major remodeling — helping avoid costly drain line repairs after the space is finished.

What We Inspect During a Sewer Scope

We inspect the main lateral sewer line only, from the home to its destination — the city connection or septic tank — not every individual drain line in the system, such as the line from a particular bathroom. The entry point for the camera is typically a cleanout or riser outside the home or in the basement, and in some cases a plumbing vent on the roof. Along the way we look for tree roots, bellies or low points in the line, standing water, debris, breaks, offsets in the piping, and more.

It is an especially good idea to have a sewer inspection when purchasing an older home with cast iron or clay drain lines. A high percentage of older homes have issues such as roots, broken pipes, deteriorating Orangeburg piping, standing water, and sloping problems.

Why Choose Us

Advanced technology: the camera we insert into the main sewer line takes photos and video as we inspect. We use an industry-leading camera system to inspect from the home all the way to the destination.

Detailed reporting: you receive a report outlining the general condition of the inspected portion of the line, the location and depth of any defects found, and a video to accompany it. When the sewer scope is done alongside a home inspection, both reports appear in the same dashboard.

Because we provide the location and depth of defects, you can share the report and video with a plumber or sewer repair contractor to obtain cost estimates. If necessary, we will also discuss the findings directly with the contractor to provide any further information they need.

A wise investment: having the line inspected before purchasing is smart, and if you are already experiencing drainage or backup issues, a scope can determine the cause and location. Finding an issue before you buy means it can be repaired or factored into the purchase price rather than becoming your surprise.

Schedule This Service All Services