Buying a Home? Why a Sewer Camera Inspection Is Worth It

You've found the house, the inspection came back clean, and you're counting down to closing. But a general home inspection almost never looks inside the sewer line, the buried pipe that runs from your basement to the town sewer or the septic tank. If that pipe is cracked, sagging or full of roots, you won't know until something backs up into your new basement.

Why older New England homes are a risk

Many houses in Concord, Manchester and the surrounding towns were built when sewer lines were clay tile, cast iron, or a tar-paper pipe called Orangeburg. Each one fails in its own way. Clay joints let in roots from the big maples along the street. Cast iron rusts from the inside until the bottom of the pipe is gone. Orangeburg slowly flattens under the weight of the soil. None of it shows from the basement.

What the inspection involves

1. 1.We find an access point, usually a cleanout in the basement or yard. Sometimes we pull a toilet to get in.
2. 2.A waterproof camera on a flexible cable is pushed down the line, all the way to the street connection or the septic tank.
3. 3.You can watch the live feed with us, and we locate and mark any problem spots on the ground.
4. 4.You get the video and a short written summary you can share with your agent and use in negotiations.

Red flags we look for

What it typically costs, and what it can save

Most pre-purchase camera inspections typically cost a few hundred dollars. Replacing a sewer line under a lawn and driveway can run many thousands. Finding a problem before closing gives you options: ask the seller to repair it, negotiate a credit, or walk away with your eyes open.

Make it easy on inspection day

• Ask the listing agent to confirm there's a cleanout and that it's reachable, not buried under stored boxes or a finished wall.
• Book early in your inspection window so there's time to get a repair quote if we find something.
• Plan to be there. Seeing the video in person makes it much easier to understand than a report.

Nobody wants bad news before closing, but it's a lot cheaper there than after the first backup.

Pete's Plumbing does sewer camera inspections for buyers, sellers and homeowners across Concord and the towns around it. Call (762) 254-4897 to schedule one inside your inspection window.