Sewer scope questions

A small camera on a flexible rod goes down the pipe that carries waste from the house to the city main or the septic tank. We record the run, mark what we see, and write it up. It shows roots, breaks, shifted joints and low spots that no one can see from the yard.

The line from the house to the city main belongs to the owner, not the city. A scope is how a buyer finds out what that line looks like before the closing, while there is still time to ask for a repair or a credit.

No. A home inspector looks at the whole house. A scope is one close look at the sewer line, which an inspector often can't see.

Most scopes take about an hour at the house, longer for a long run or a second line. The written report, stills and video link go out by the close of that business day.

Someone needs to let us in and show us the cleanout, or the toilet we will pull. For an occupied home we agree an arrival time with the seller's agent. We don't need to be let into the rest of the house.

We pull one toilet, run the camera through the closet bend, and reset it with a new wax ring. If the toilet is stuck or the flange is damaged, we stop, tell you, and don't force it. That work is part of the written price we text before the van leaves.

The report says where it stopped and what stopped it: a break, a heavy offset, roots, or a pipe full of water. We say what we would try next. You pay for the visit that was done.

It sees the sewer pipe the camera can reach: from the access point to the street or the tank. It does not see inside walls, under slabs, or the water supply pipes.

We run the camera to the septic tank inlet. We don't pump, probe or certify the tank or the drain field.

The price depends on how we get into the pipe, and each one includes the visit, the camera run and the written report. A repair, cleaning or digging is not part of a scope visit and gets its own written price. We text the price before the van leaves.

The person who booked it owns it. We send a copy to the inspector or agent only when that person says yes, so a buyer's report never goes out without the buyer.

A buyer's scope is a report, not a sales call. The report lists the options. Ask any plumber, including us, for a written repair price.

Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Lincoln and the towns on the service area page. We don't take night calls. For a backup tonight, call a plumber with a night line.

The state registration and the city plumbing license are listed in the footer of every page with the board that issues each one, so you can look them up before you book.