Reasons to put a camera down
- More than one main backup this year
- You are buying an older home with mature trees out front
- A basement finish is coming and you need to know the drain is sound first
- Something valuable went down a toilet
- You smell sewer gas but cannot find a dry trap
What happens during the inspection
- We uncap the main cleanout, which in most homes is by the front foundation.
- The camera head goes in and travels toward the street, recording as it goes.
- A locator beacon behind the lens is traced from the surface or driveway and mark depth and position.
- We stop at anything unusual so you can see it, and note the distance from the wall.
- You get an honest explanation of the footage and whether any repair is warranted.
Reading what we see
Clay tile laterals, common in homes built before the 1970s, show joints every few feet; roots like those joints. Cast iron shows scale and sometimes a rotted bottom. Newer PVC should be smooth, though we sometimes find a sag where backfill settled, holding standing water. An offset joint leaves a lip that catches paper. Each of these has a different fix, from routine clearing to a spot repair.
If a line is fully blocked, we usually need to clear it before the camera can travel. Expect the inspection to follow a clearing visit on those calls.
Buying a house?
A sewer camera inspection is not part of a standard home inspection. Our pre-purchase guide explains why it is worth booking separately for older properties.
What we open up on this job
| Part | Where we find it | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Clay tile lateral | Pre-1970s streets in Woodbridge and Thornhill | Root cut, camera, spot or full replacement |
| Cast-iron building drain | Houses of the 1950s to 1970s | Scale cut, inspect for cracks and channelling |
| PVC lateral | Most homes from the 1980s on | Clear, locate sags or offset joints |
| Backwater valve | Required in many new builds and retrofits | Open the lid, clean the flap, test the gate |
Signs it is time to call
- All the fixtures go sluggish together
- Water comes up the floor drain when you do laundry
- Toilet bubbles while a sink drains
- Soggy dip in the grass above where the lateral runs
- Roots pulled back on the cable last time
On the truck for this one
- Sectional machine with root cutter
- Hydro-jetter with sewer nozzles
- Push camera with locator sonde
- Receiver to mark depth on the lawn
- Test plugs and ball
Quick answers
Do I get the video?
Mention it on the phone and we will set out how the recording reaches you.
Could you run it through the toilet?
Sometimes, but the cleanout is a much better route for the main line.