09/24/2026
This is exactly why I recommend getting a sewer scope when buying a home.
I recently scoped the sewer line on a house and found quite a bit of standing water in the main lateral. The line was holding water from underneath the house all the way out to the exterior cleanout, and then continued holding water for about another 3 feet toward the street.
That’s something you definitely want to know about before buying the house.
A sewer line is supposed to have enough slope for wastewater and solids to flow toward the main sewer. When you have an area holding this much water, there could be a low spot or belly in the pipe, improper slope, settlement, a blockage, or another issue preventing the line from draining properly.
The crazy part is that you would probably never know it was there just from walking through the house since it's not readily visible.
The toilets can flush fine. The sinks can drain. Everything can seem like it’s working normally while there’s an issue developing in the sewer line underground.
Over time, areas like this can collect waste, toilet paper and other debris and potentially lead to recurring clogs or even a sewer backup. And depending on what’s causing it and where it’s located, sewer line repairs can get expensive pretty quickly.
Thankfully, my clients had me do a sewer scope and I was able to find this BEFORE they bought the house instead of finding out after they moved in.
And sewer scopes aren’t just for people buying houses either.
If you already own your home and have never had your sewer line scoped, there’s nothing wrong with having it checked just to see what you’re working with. Especially if you have an older home, mature trees around the property, slow drains, recurring clogs or previous sewer problems.
A camera can reveal things we simply can’t see from inside the house, including roots, damaged piping, separated connections, buildup, standing water and other issues.
If you’ve been thinking about having your sewer line checked, shoot me a message and I’ll get you scheduled.
And if you’re buying a home and I’m already doing your general home inspection, you’ll get $100 OFF your sewer scope inspection when you add it to the inspection.
Sometimes it’s worth taking a look at what’s underground before it becomes a problem above ground.
