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How a sewer camera inspection can protect your pipes — and your home
Sewer and drain cameras are high-tech tools in a plumber's kit. Here's how they help plumbers and homeowners.
In this story
When plumbers work to clear drain clogs, they often work blind, clearing gunk and detritus from invisible sections of pipe. A sewer camera changes this, giving plumbers a look into the depths of your home’s plumbing and sewer. For this reason, these tools are often used in plumbing inspections.
However, drain cameras aren’t only useful for diagnosing a problem; they also help demonstrate that a clog has been cleared away. This can help prove the value of a plumber’s drain-clearing job. In some cases, it can help establish the conditions under which a plumbing company can offer a guarantee or warranty for its service work.
Travis Hargrave of Hargrave’s Plumbing, a Lafayette, La.-based plumbing company, told us that his company uses sewer cameras “literally every single day.” Here’s why drain cameras are an important tool for plumbers and their customers.
How do sewer cameras work?
Drain or sewer cameras use a small camera at the end of a long cable. These miniature cameras snake into sewers or drains like earthworms to reveal the interior of a pipe, which is displayed on a screen at the plumber’s end of the cable.
Shaylin King, a plumber at Mr. Rooter in Washington, told us that sewer cameras aren’t used to clear drains on their own. “If the line is clogged, it will first need to be cleared using a mechanical device like a snake or hydroscrubber. When the line is full of water due to a blockage, the camera isn't able to see anything.” When the line is clear, the camera can do its work, identifying the problem.
Many sewer cameras feature location devices that enable plumbers to pinpoint underground blockages. “The SeeSnake cameras we use also have locators. So not only do we know how far down the line the problem is, we also pinpoint its exact location,” Hargrave told us. SeeSnake cameras are expensive products that cost thousands of dollars.
Hargrave also told us that his cameras identify the slope of the line. “If the plumber who installed the line didn't put proper grade on the pipe, it can cause build in the line with eventual clogs. Our camera measures pipe slope in degrees and tells the whole story.”
The benefits of drain cameras
Diagnostics
First and foremost, drain cameras are used to establish the cause of line clogs and blockages. If something is intruding on the line or there’s another type of physical issue, a drain camera can diagnose the problem.
John Griesbach, owner of Diamond H2O, a water quality company, told us that without a drain camera, they might have to “cut into walls or dig up a yard” to diagnose a problem. “We use cameras to check if a backup is being caused by a simple hair/paper/product clog, a collapsed line, or maybe even tree roots that have broken through.”
Proof of task
Most pertinent to homeowners is how drain cameras can prove that plumbers have successfully completed work — or show that it’s necessary.
Megan Doser, owner of Doctor Fix-It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, a Denver-based plumbing company, told us that, “even though the main purpose of drain cameras is inspecting and finding the clog or any other issue, it also helps plumbers in situations when clients are skeptical about recommended repairs or when they need video documentation to validate the condition of the line for warranty coverage.”
Planning remodels
Hargrave mentioned that his company also uses drain cameras extensively when planning for remodels. “You can find the nearest pipe that is big enough for the new items to drain down.”
When you’re expanding on a home, adding fixtures or adding to a sewer system, drain cameras help you understand where pipes are and what pipes are usable. Digging blindly can cause major issues. When you fail to locate pipes and other home infrastructure underground, you can create costly problems.
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Drain cameras reinforce warranties
Plumbing work can often feel pricey, so most customers would like a guarantee or warranty that protects them if the clog comes back a day or a week after the plumber finishes. Guarantees ensure homeowners won’t have to pay twice for negligence on their plumber’s end. However, that’s hard to prove when you can’t see the inside of a pipe — but when you can?
Drain cameras help plumbers provide warranties. Hence, the footage and documentation they provide protect both the homeowner and the plumber.
Hargrave told us that “as a company, we do not offer warranty on simple rooter jobs because we are unable to verify that clogs weren’t caused by backfall or roots. When we are permitted to use a camera we do. This is extremely valuable to both the customer and us.”
When clogs come from material wedged in a pipe — like baby wipes — a repeat clog is often caused by negligence on the homeowner’s part. Drain cameras help determine whether new clogs are the homeowner's or the plumber's fault. This helps companies provide guarantees that are based on conditions. For example, Griesbach said that a drain camera “allows us to compare future footage to the original recording if we are called back out for the same problem. If there is a new blockage in the same line and at a closer distance than before, then it isn't a warranty service.”
How much does a sewer camera inspection cost?
Drain cameras are expensive technology. But they still save time; before sewer cameras, drain inspectors often needed to dig up pipes to inspect them for clogs and other problems.
According to Balkan Sewer and Water Main, a New York-based plumbing company, a sewer camera inspection will usually cost between $250 and $1,200. It writes that the most expensive inspections might cost up to $6,000 when they include further pipe maintenance. Sanyipace, a sewer camera manufacturer, quotes slightly lower numbers, writing that a basic inspection of one drain could cost as little as $150, while a full home inspection could cost up to $1,000, with special services increasing the cost further.
There are a few factors that can increase cost. Advanced technology may increase pricing, as plumbers will need to recoup their expenses. The length of the section of piping being inspected can also add to the cost. For example, if a small section of piping underneath a sink is being evaluated, this will generally cost much less than a comprehensive sewer inspection of a large home. Local labor cost is usually the most significant source of price fluctuation. Always ask your plumber about their pricing before you authorize work.
Consider the sewer camera
Drain cameras are expensive technology, so not every plumber will offer to use one every time. Sometimes, plumbers will give you the choice, allowing you to pay a little more for them to image your sewer. Since plumbing work can often feel expensive already, you might think twice.
If you’re weighing the price of diagnostic work with a sewer camera vs. a simple drain job without one, consider the long-term benefits. When you hire a plumber to use a sewer camera, you’ll get evidence about the state of your pipes, and usually learn the precise cause of any blockages. Often, this knowledge is well worth the money.
