Sewer Camera Inspection in Ogden
A camera inspection tells you why a line blocked and whether it will do it again. On a modern line that blocked once for an obvious reason it is usually unnecessary. On an older Ogden property that has blocked twice it is the most useful money you can spend.
What to do right now
Do these first. None of them need tools or plumbing knowledge, and they limit what this ends up costing you.
- Have the line cleared firstA camera cannot see through standing water and debris. Inspection after clearing shows the pipe. Inspection before it shows the blockage and very little else.
Does this need a plumber tonight?
- You have had two or more backups in a year
- A backup returned within days of being cleared
- You are about to buy an older property
- A single blockage with an obvious cause that cleared normally
- A modern line with no history of problems
What it actually shows
Pipe material, root intrusion and where it enters, cracks and offsets at joints, bellies where the line has sagged and holds water, and the point at which any of it becomes serious.
The distinction that matters most is between a line that is intact and dirty and a line that is failing. The first is maintenance. The second is a repair conversation with a very different number attached.
It also locates and measures. Knowing a failure sits eleven feet from the cleanout under the lawn rather than somewhere under the driveway changes the cost of fixing it substantially.
- Pipe material and its condition
- Root intrusion and its entry points
- Cracks, offsets and collapsed sections
- Bellies that hold water and catch debris
- Distance and depth to any problem found
When it is not worth it
When a modern line blocked once for a reason you already understand. If a family flushed something they should not have and the line cleared cleanly, a camera will show you a healthy pipe you already knew was healthy.
We would rather say that than sell an inspection on every call. The honest test is whether the answer would change what you do next. If it would not, do not buy it.
What an inspection costs
[PLACEHOLDER: PRICING] Pending from the client.
Usually a modest addition to a clearing visit and considerably cheaper than a second emergency call out. Ask for the recording, because it is yours and it is useful to a future buyer or contractor.
Questions people ask about this
Should I get one before buying an older house?
On a pre 1970 Ogden property with mature trees, it is one of the more useful inspections available and it is frequently not part of a standard home inspection. A failing lateral is a five figure problem that is invisible from inside the house.
Do I get to see the footage?
You should, from anyone. Ask for a copy. If a contractor tells you a line is failing but will not show you, get a second opinion.
Can you inspect without clearing first?
Rarely usefully. The camera cannot see through standing water, so a blocked line has to be cleared before it can be assessed.
If that is not quite what you have
Not sure how urgent this is?
Describe what you can see and hear. We will tell you whether it needs someone tonight, and what to do in the meantime either way.
Or send it over
Four things and a photo.