In a market with this much pre-war housing and this much property changing hands, a camera inspection is the cheapest insurance available.
Before you buy
A standard home inspection does not include the sewer lateral. On a Park Circle house with an original clay line, that is the single most expensive thing that can go wrong after closing, and it is entirely invisible until it backs up. An hour with a camera beforehand tells you what you are buying.
Before you buy an investment property
North Charleston moves a lot of rental stock. A lateral that fails six months after purchase, with tenants in place, is a far worse problem than one you priced into the offer.
Before approving any sewer repair
Ask to see the footage. Roots, a belly, a crack and a collapse are four different repairs at four very different prices, and you should be able to see the one you are paying to fix.
What we report
- Pipe material and approximate age
- Root intrusion and entry points
- Low spots holding water
- Cracks, offsets, separated joints
- Whether it can be lined or must be replaced
- Depth and location marked from the surface