A camera inspection is the cheapest way to avoid paying for the wrong repair, and in Summerville there are two moments when it earns its keep.
Before you buy a house
Summerville turns over a lot of property, and a standard home inspection does not include the sewer lateral. On an older home near downtown that is the single most expensive thing that can go wrong after closing. On a newer build it catches construction debris and bad grade before the warranty window shuts.
Before you approve a repair
If a plumber has quoted you a sewer repair without showing you footage, ask for it. Roots, a belly, a crack and a collapse look nothing alike on camera and cost very different amounts to fix. You should be able to see the problem you are paying to solve.
What the footage tells us
- Pipe material and rough age
- Root intrusion and where it is entering
- Low spots holding water
- Cracks, offsets and separated joints
- Whether the line can be lined or has to be replaced
We locate and mark depth from the surface too, so if digging is genuinely required it happens in one known spot rather than across the yard.