Sewer Scope
See what's underground before it becomes your problem
The sewer lateral is the pipe that carries wastewater from your home to the city main or septic system. It's buried, out of sight, and not part of a standard home inspection. Many homes in the Puget Sound area were built with clay, concrete, or sometimes Orangeburg pipe, and decades of ground movement, tree roots, and settling take a toll. A sewer scope sends a camera the full length of the line and shows you exactly what's there.
A clear, intact lateral in one case. In another case, tree roots entering through a joint. The difference is invisible from the surface.
Why it matters
A sewer lateral is one of the most expensive components of a home to repair, and one of the few you can't see from the surface. A scope tells you whether the line is clear and sound, or whether there are cracks, offsets, root intrusion, low spots holding water, or a partial collapse. That knowledge lets you negotiate repairs before closing rather than discover them after.
Peace of mind
Whether the line comes back clean or shows a problem, you'll know. You receive a video of the full run and a written summary with locations, distances, and clear photos of anything of note. No guesswork, no surprises the first time a drain backs up.
Years of mineral scaling and buildup narrow the pipe and slow drainage long before anything backs up.
At the tank inlet, an unfinished knockout with exposed aggregate and standing water. This is the kind of detail a scope catches that a standard inspection can't.
Septic connections
If the home is on septic, the scope follows the line to the tank inlet to confirm the connection is intact and the path is clear. Most septic systems are pumped and inspected during a sale, but that inspection covers the tank and drainfield. The lateral from the house to the tank is often left out, and not every septic company will scope it. A sewer scope closes that gap so the whole system has been looked at before you buy.
Even a newer line can hide a blockage or belly further down. The scope follows the pipe to the end so its condition isn't a guess.
Can every home be scoped?
Most times the camera enters the line through a cleanout or a roof vent. Some older homes may not have a cleanout or they might have a seized fitting. In that case the only access point is the toilet flange, which requires pulling a toilet, work that must be done by a licensed plumber. If we find that's the situation at your home, we'll let you know and help you arrange it.
A cast iron pipe with a brass fitting that is seized