Drains and sewers

Sewer camera inspection: when to run the camera, what to report, and how to price it

A camera turns a sewer call from a guess into a diagnosis the customer can see. Here is when to run one, what you'll find, how NASSCO codes defects, what the codes say about cleanouts, what the camera makers' specs mean, where a city requires a lateral inspection at sale, and the price-book lines to quote it.

Plumbo

By the Plumbo team · 9 min read

On this page
  1. When to run the camera
  2. What you'll see
  3. NASSCO certification: PACP, LACP and BSDI
  4. Access: cleanouts and what to do without one
  5. The equipment
  6. Locating the line and the problem
  7. Recording and the customer report
  8. Where a lateral inspection is required at sale
  9. How to price a camera inspection
  10. Questions plumbers ask

Without a camera, a main line stoppage is a cable, a guess and a callback. With one, it's a recording of exactly what's in the pipe, at what distance and how deep, that you can show the homeowner on the spot. That changes the conversation from “it's probably roots” to “here's the offset joint at 42 feet, under the driveway.”

This guide is for a small residential shop adding camera inspections: when to run one, what you'll see, access, equipment, the customer report, city rules at sale, and the price-book lines.

When to run the camera

  • Recurring stoppages. If you've cleared the same main twice, the camera tells you why: roots at a joint, a belly holding water, a broken section.
  • After cleaning a main. Once the line flows, run it to confirm it's clear and find the cause. A backed-up line is full of water and shows little.
  • Home purchase. The American Society of Home Inspectors standard of practice has the inspector check interior drain, waste and vent systems, and doesn't require inspecting septic and other sewage disposal systems. The sewer under the yard isn't on that list.
  • Pre-listing and point of sale. Where a city or sewer agency requires lateral work before a sale (see below), the seller often starts with a camera inspection.
  • Before replacement or trenchless lining. You need the length, material, depth and every defect before you price a dig or a liner, and a second run documents the finished work.

What you'll see

NASSCO's Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) gives field workers, in NASSCO's words, a common language to classify conditions and record their severity. Its syllabus groups codes into four families: structural, operation and maintenance, construction, and miscellaneous. Using the same categories makes your reports clearer, certified or not.

PACP code familyExamples from NASSCO's syllabusWhat it means for the homeowner
StructuralCrack, fracture, broken, hole, deformed, collapse, jointThe pipe itself is damaged; usually a repair or replacement conversation
Operation and maintenanceDeposits, roots, infiltration, obstacles and obstructionsSomething is in the pipe (grease, scale, roots, groundwater); often a cleaning, then a decision on the cause
ConstructionTap, intruding sealing material, line, access pointsHow the line was built: connections, joints, cleanouts

A sag or belly shows up as standing water where the camera head goes under; note where it starts and ends. Record changes in pipe material (cast iron to clay, clay to PVC) too.

NASSCO certification: PACP, LACP and BSDI

Three NASSCO programs matter to a plumbing shop:

  • PACP for mainlines. Certification is valid for 3 years from issuance.
  • LACP for laterals. NASSCO describes it as a continuation of PACP: the same observation and defect codes apply to laterals, except for tap codes. LACP inspections start from the main and work toward the building.
  • BSDI (Building Sewer and Drain Inspection), written for plumbers, small contractors and inspectors who assess building sewers and drains: a self-paced online course of about 1.5 hours with an exam. Its codes are heavily based on PACP, and its inspections typically start from inside or very close to the building.

NASSCO describes PACP, LACP and MACP as tools for pipeline system owners to build condition databases and plan repairs. A homeowner needs a clear report with distances, photos and plain-language notes; BSDI is the natural credential if you want it to follow a recognized standard.

Access: cleanouts and what to do without one

Access decides how long the job takes. The 2021 IPC (Section 708) and IRC (Section P3005.2) set the same basic cleanout rules for building drains and sewers:

  • A cleanout at the junction of the building drain and the building sewer, or within 10 feet of developed length upstream of it. A two-way cleanout is allowed there.
  • Cleanouts at intervals of no more than 100 feet on building sewers smaller than 8 inches.
  • A cleanout at each change of horizontal direction greater than 45 degrees (one cleanout can serve several changes within 40 feet).
  • At least 18 inches of clearance in front of cleanouts on 6 inch and smaller pipe, and no cleanouts in concealed locations.
  • For the junction cleanout, the code says removing a water closet shall not be required to provide cleanout access.

Older houses often have no usable cleanout, a buried one, or one rusted shut. Then you pull a toilet, go down a roof vent, or install a cleanout first; each is its own line on the quote, so ask about access when you book. Local codes amend these rules, so check yours.

The equipment

A push camera is a camera head on a semi-rigid push cable in a reel, connected to a monitor or hub that records. The specs that matter: line size, cable length, the sonde and recording.

Example system (manufacturer specs)Line sizePush cableNotes
RIDGID SeeSnake Standard DSL2 to 12 in200 or 325 ftDigital self-leveling head, 512 Hz FleXmitter sonde, TruSense distance counter
Milwaukee M18 200' Stiff Pipeline Inspection System3 to 10 in200 ft34 mm self-leveling 1080p head, 500 GB control hub that stores recordings
Milwaukee M18 120' Mid-Stiff system2 to 6 in120 ftFor smaller lines

Match the reel to the line size and the distance to the main. RIDGID's manual adds two habits: use pipe guides to center the camera and protect the head, and pull the cable back with slow, steady force, wiping it as it goes into the drum.

Sonde and locator

The sonde is a small transmitter behind the camera head. RIDGID's is 512 Hz; Milwaukee lists 512 Hz, 640 Hz and 33 kHz on its M18 systems, and its hub has a built-in transmitter that energizes the whole push cable for tracing the line. A locator, such as Milwaukee's M12 Pipeline Locator, finds the sonde from the surface and follows an energized line.

Locating the line and the problem

At each defect, stop the camera, locate the sonde from above, and mark the spot and the locator's depth reading. Mark the line's path too, especially under driveways and patios. That turns a video into a repair quote: the customer sees where the hole will be and how deep. If anyone is going to dig, the utility locate comes first; our guide to water line replacement covers calling 811.

Recording and the customer report

Record the whole run, not just the defect. Milwaukee's hub stores recordings and shares photos and video from the monitor; RIDGID says its reel works with SeeSnake monitors to record and distribute inspections. A good report includes:

  • Address, date, who ran the camera, and the access point used.
  • Pipe size and material, and where it changes.
  • Each observation with its distance from the access point, a still photo, and a plain-language note (you can use PACP-style categories).
  • Located positions and depths, with a sketch or photo of the marks.
  • How far the camera got, and why it stopped if it didn't reach the main.
  • Your recommendation, and a quote for the work as a separate document.

Keep your own copy for the next call.

Where a lateral inspection is required at sale

Some cities and sewer agencies require owners to prove their private sewer lateral is sound before a sale. The East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area is one example.

ProgramWhen a certificate is neededHow it's passed
EBMUD Regional Private Sewer Lateral program (its FAQ lists Alameda, Albany, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, El Cerrito, Kensington and the Richmond Annex)Buying or selling (to close escrow); building or remodeling over $100,000 (at final permit sign-off); changing the water meter sizeA contractor assesses the lateral, typically with a video survey, gets city permits, does the work, and sets up an air or water pressure verification test that EBMUD witnesses
City of BerkeleyBefore close of escrow, before a building permit for major construction, when the city finds the lateral may be a nuisance, or when the owner repairs or replaces itA contractor applies for a PSL permit, inspects, makes any fixes, and schedules a verification test with a city inspector

Note that the camera is the assessment, not the pass: the certificate comes from the verification test. When the work can't be done before closing, EBMUD offers a time extension certificate: 180 days, with a $4,500 refundable deposit. EBMUD's FAQ says owners are responsible for the whole lateral to the main, except in Alameda and Albany, where responsibility ends at the property line or curbside cleanout.

These are examples, not your rules. Ask your city and sewer agency whether a lateral inspection, test or certificate is required at sale or remodel, and what they accept as proof.

How to price a camera inspection

There's no official price for a sewer camera inspection. Access, length, cleaning, locating and reporting vary, so build them into fixed lines:

Line (example structure; use your own prices)Notes
Sewer camera inspection, existing cleanoutOne access point, up to a set length
Additional access point or extra lengthSecond cleanout, or beyond the included footage
Access through toilet: pull and resetNew wax ring or seal included
Access through roof ventWhen there's no other way in
Clear the line before camera (cable or jet)Separate line, so the customer sees why
Locate and mark line and defects, with depthPer locate, or included up to a number of points
Written report with video filesFor real estate, lining and city programs
Install cleanoutWhen there's no usable access
Post-repair inspection videoDocuments the finished work
Lateral verification test setupWhere a city program requires one

Decide whether the inspection is credited toward a repair, and say so on the quote. And count the camera itself: our guide to how to price plumbing jobs covers building equipment like a camera into your overhead, and the plumbing tools list covers when it's time to buy one.

Plumbo builds the quote from your own price book, so “camera through the toilet, locate two spots, report” becomes the right lines at your prices. The customer signs on your phone, and the approved quote becomes an invoice in one tap. Plumbo is on the App Store and Google Play. Try the 60-second demo →

Questions plumbers ask

Should you clean the line before a sewer camera inspection?

If it's backed up, yes: quote the cleaning as its own line, then run the camera. On a flowing line for a real estate inspection, run the camera first so the buyer sees the line as it is.

Do you need NASSCO certification to do camera inspections?

Not for ordinary residential work, unless a client or agency asks for it. NASSCO's BSDI program is aimed at plumbers and small contractors; PACP covers mainlines.

Is a camera inspection enough for a sewer lateral certificate?

Not in the East Bay programs. EBMUD and Berkeley both issue the certificate after a verification test; the video survey is how the contractor assesses the lateral before the work.

What size camera do you need for a house sewer?

One rated for the line size you find at the cleanout, with enough cable to reach the main. RIDGID's SeeSnake Standard covers 2 to 12 inch lines with 200 or 325 feet of cable; Milwaukee's M18 200' Stiff system covers 3 to 10 inch lines.

Sources

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