Sewer Scope

A+ Home Inspection Sewer Scope Policy and Procedure

I am currently using ProActive Sewer and Drain to perform the sewer scope procedure and analysis for each home that I inspect. A sewer technician arrives sometime during my 1.5 to 2.5-hour inspection and performs the scope. The technician analyzes the current state of the sewer system and also creates a video which is then used to re-evaluate the sewer system by Phil Gallegos the owner of ProActive Sewer and Drain. Phil then writes the sewer inspection report and then sends it to me and I include with my A+ Home Inspection Report.

Since I have an account with ProActive and direct communication with Phil, I am able to set up your appointment in minutes. I then pay ProActive, eliminating the associated paperwork and time it takes to make an individual payment, and in exchange, you receive about $25 off the price of your sewer scope. Buying a home is a stressful process and both A+ Home Inspection and ProActive Sewer and Drain believe that by streamlining the process we are able to focus more on the inspection of your new home.

Note: Some inspectors charge an extra commission or surcharge for this component of the inspection, where I prefer to keep our business relationship transparent and just charge you my discounted rate. If you would like to hire someone outside my network that you trust then you or your realtor are encouraged to schedule the sewer inspection yourself.

The most common sewer scope process involves inserting a digital video camera and transmitter into the sewer line through a sewer clean out, a removed toilet, or a vent line typically located within the home. The objective of the sewer inspection is to identify tree root intrusion, cracks, leaks, debris, off-set pipes, pipe bellies, or soil movement.

3 reasons to request a sewer inspection

1. Sewer inspections identify and accurately locate problematic issues in sewer lines. Repairing or replacing a sewer line can be very costly, running well into the thousands of dollars.
2. The sewer scope report will serve as a piece of evidence that will help you in the decision making process of buying your home. Understanding the current and overall condition and possible future issues with the sewer line will protect both you and the seller.
3. Did you know that maintaining the sewer line from the house to the city main sewer connection is the homeowner’s responsibility? The sewer scope inspection will provide information on what kind of annual maintenance will be needed to sustain healthy drainage.

Note: If you are purchasing a home that has been vacant for more that 3 months there is a great chance the drain will “cake”, a process that I choose not to discuss in full detail unless you are really interested.  If you choose to have your sewer scoped we will be able to discover this issue, and the traditional solution is to hired a trained plumber/professional to auger the drain.

You can find many example videos of live sewer scopes on YouTube and  I am providing this link where the expert is working with the homeowner.

YouTube Video Link: Example of Typical Sewer Scope Inspection

You never know what you will find in your sewer line: Advance the video ahead to the 2 min and 30 second mark