See inside the sewer line before anyone digs

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A sewer camera is a reel of push cable with a lens on the end. It goes in through a cleanout, travels the lateral to the main, and sends back a picture of whatever is down there: roots, a cracked joint, a belly holding water, or a collapsed section.

Why scope it before spending?

Because sewer repairs are priced after the pipe gets seen, not before. In Seattle the homeowner owns the side sewer all the way to the main in the street, so a failure between your foundation and the city main is your bill, and "dig it all up" is the expensive guess. A scope turns it into "the joint at 38 feet under the driveway is cracked," which is a smaller, targeted fix.

When is a scope worth it?

• Before buying a house, especially pre-1970s construction anywhere in the county
• A drain that keeps re-clogging after being cleared once
• Before a sewer replacement quote, know what you're actually paying to fix
• Wet spots or sinkholes in the yard over the lateral's path

What does it find out here?

Root intrusion at clay joints is the common one in the older towns. In newer subdivisions the usual find is a belly where fill soil settled. Either way, you get footage and a locating mark at the surface, the plumber marks the spot, and the repair quote is for that spot.