Sewer Camera Inspections Before Buying an Older Home

When you buy an older home in Broward or Miami-Dade, some of the most expensive plumbing in the house is the part nobody can see: the drain lines under the slab and the sewer line running out to the street. A standard home inspection usually checks the visible plumbing and runs the fixtures, but it typically doesn't send a camera through the buried lines. Ask your home inspector exactly what's included.

A sewer camera inspection, often called a sewer scope, fills that gap. Here's why buyers of older homes get one, what it can show you, and what to ask so you get useful answers.

Why older South Florida homes deserve a closer look

Fixtures that drain fine during a showing don't prove the lines are healthy. A home that's been vacant or lightly used may not have seen a full household's worth of water in weeks or months. A few things make older homes in our area worth checking:

• Cast iron drain pipes. Many homes built before plastic drain pipe became standard have cast iron drains under the slab. Cast iron corrodes from the inside over decades, building up rough scale and eventually cracking.
• Older sewer lines and tree roots. Roots find their way into cracks and joints in aging sewer lines, especially where large trees grow near the line.
• Settling. Sections of pipe can sink over time and form low spots, called bellies, where waste collects.
• Past repairs. Previous owners may have patched or replaced sections, and the quality of that work varies.

One more thing to confirm early: whether the home is connected to city sewer or a septic system. Some neighborhoods in both counties still rely on septic. A sewer scope is not a septic inspection, so if the home is on septic, ask about a separate septic evaluation.

What a sewer camera inspection can show

A camera inspection gives you a recorded look at the inside of the line. Depending on the home, it can reveal:

• Tree roots growing into joints or cracks
• Cracks, breaks or collapsed sections
• Joints that have shifted out of line or separated
• Bellies, where water stands in the pipe
• Corrosion and heavy scale inside cast iron
• Grease buildup, debris or partial blockages
• What the pipe is made of, where materials change, and signs of earlier repairs

With a locating device, the plumber can also mark on the ground where a problem sits and roughly how deep it is. That makes any repair estimate much more specific.

How the inspection works

The plumber usually goes in through a cleanout, an access fitting on the drain line that's often outside near the house. If there's no usable cleanout, the plumber may need another access point, such as removing a toilet. A waterproof camera on a flexible cable is pushed through the line while the plumber watches a live picture and records it.

Running water through the drains during the inspection helps show how well the line carries flow and whether water stands anywhere it shouldn't. When the inspection is done, you should be able to get the video and a plain explanation of what it shows. Learn more about how our camera inspection service works.

Questions to ask before and after the inspection

The value of a sewer scope depends on how thorough it is and how clearly the findings are explained. Good questions include:

• Will I get a copy of the video? You, your agent and any other contractor may want to see it.
• Where will you access the line, and how far will the camera go? Ask whether it will reach the connection to the city sewer.
• Will you also look at the drain lines under the house? In an older slab home, the lines under the floor can matter as much as the line outside.
• What is the pipe made of? Ask whether the material changes along the way, which can point to past repairs.
• Is what you're seeing a maintenance issue or a repair? Light buildup that a cleaning will clear is very different from a broken pipe.
• Exactly where is the problem, and how deep? Ask the plumber to mark it.
• Was any part of the line hard to see? Heavy debris or standing water can block the view. Ask what couldn't be seen clearly and whether cleaning the line first would give a better look.
• If a repair is needed, what are the options? Depending on the damage, that could be a spot repair, trenchless pipe relining or replacement. Ask for a written price for each option.

Timing and logistics

A few practical tips:

• Schedule it early in your inspection period. If the camera finds something, you'll want time to get a repair price and talk it over with your agent.
• Coordinate access through your agent. The seller has to allow it, and the water needs to be on.
• Ask who is responsible for which part of the line. Responsibility for the sewer line between the house and the public main can vary by city and utility, so check with the local utility if a problem shows up near the street.

What to do with the results

If the line looks good, you can move ahead with more confidence about one of the hardest parts of the house to check. If the camera finds problems, you have something concrete to discuss with your agent before closing, instead of discovering it after you move in. A video and a written repair price are much easier to act on than a vague note that the plumbing "may need attention."

Schedule a sewer camera inspection

If you're buying an older home in Broward or Miami-Dade, call Father & Son Plumbing at (786) 922-5974 to set up a sewer camera inspection. We're a family-owned, licensed and insured plumbing company (Florida license CFC1433358) working from our bases in Hallandale Beach and Aventura. We're open Monday through Friday and Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM (closed Saturday), with same-day appointments when the schedule allows. If the camera turns up a problem, you'll get a written price before any work starts, and the $49 service call is waived when you go ahead with the repair.