09/11/2026
Your home inspector is not going to look inside your sewer line. Most first-time buyers in the Chicago area have no idea that's a separate test.
Here's why it matters around here: a huge share of homes in Orland Park, Oak Forest, Palos Hills, Worth, Bridgeview and the city's Southwest Side were built in the 1950s-70s, and many still sit on the original clay or cast-iron sewer lines. Sixty-plus years of tree roots, ground shifting and rust means cracks, offsets and root balls that you will never see from inside the house. Everything drains fine on inspection day, then the first heavy rain after closing backs up into the basement.
A sewer scope is simple: a licensed plumber runs a camera from the house cleanout out to the city main and records the whole line. It takes about an hour and typically costs $150-$350 in our area. A full line replacement, especially where the break is under the parkway or the street, can run $8,000-$25,000. That math is not close.
How to handle it:
1. Order the scope inside your 5-business-day inspection window, same day as the general inspection if you can.
2. Ask for the video, not just a verbal "looks okay."
3. If there's a break, offset or heavy roots, that's a real repair, not cosmetic. Ask for a seller credit or a repair by a licensed plumber before closing.
4. Homes with mature trees in the front yard, finished basements or a "recently rodded" note in the disclosure get the scope every time.
I recommend this on nearly every pre-1980 house my buyers write on. Skipping it to save $250 is one of the most expensive shortcuts I see.
Buying your first home in the Southwest Suburbs or Chicago? Message me or start at the link below and I'll walk you through what to inspect, in what order, so nothing gets missed.
https://faressuleiman.kawashgroup.com
Buying or selling in Orland Park, Palos Park, New Lenox & the southwest Chicago suburbs? Fares Suleiman, Kawash Group specializes in luxury homes $600K+ and commercial real estate investment, plus fast mortgage pre-approval through our preferred lending partner.
