The cheapest diagnostic in plumbing, and one of the most useful. A sewer camera inspection runs a small high-resolution camera on a flexible cable through your sewer lateral, records the journey on video, and gives you (and us) a definitive picture of what’s going on inside the pipe. Roots, cracks, breaks, bellies, joint separation, scale, collapse. All visible. Nothing to guess at.

If you’re hearing about a sewer problem (a slow basement drain, a recurring backup, a wet spot in the yard, a home inspection finding) the first move is almost always a camera inspection. We provide video, a written report, and a real estimate of what (if anything) needs to be done.

When a camera inspection makes sense

You’re buying a home. Especially a home built before 1970. A pre-purchase camera scope of the sewer lateral is one of the most cost-effective due-diligence steps you can take. We’ve saved buyers tens of thousands of dollars by catching a failing line before closing. We’ve also reassured plenty of buyers that the sewer was sound, which mattered just as much.

You’re selling a home. Some PA municipalities require dye testing or sewer scope at the point of sale. We do both. Having a clean recent video in hand can also strengthen your position in negotiation.

You have recurring drain problems. A drain that backs up once a year, every year, is usually doing it because the sewer line itself has a problem. Camera tells us what.

You have a single sudden problem. A backup that came out of nowhere. The camera tells us whether it’s a one-time clog, a chronic issue, or a structural failure that needs more work.

You’re planning a renovation or addition. Before you put a new bathroom in, before you finish a basement, before you put in a hardscape that buries the sewer route, get a baseline camera so you know what you’re working with.

The municipality is asking for one. Some Pittsburgh-area municipalities require a sewer inspection report at point of sale. We provide the report in the format the municipality accepts.

You haven’t had one in 10-plus years and the home is older than 50. Defensible due diligence. Roots and corrosion don’t stop just because nothing’s actively backing up.

What we actually do during the inspection

1. Access a clean-out. The camera needs a clean-out (an access point on your sewer line) to enter the pipe. Most homes have at least one, often at the foundation or in the basement. If yours doesn’t, we discuss the cost of adding one or accessing through a pulled toilet.
2. Run the camera. High-resolution color camera on a 200-foot cable. We push it through the lateral, all the way to the city main connection (or as far as the line allows).
3. Record video. Continuous video, with on-screen footage markers showing distance from the access point.
4. Use a locator. The camera head emits a signal that a surface locator picks up. We mark depth and surface location of any features (a joint, a defect, the city connection) so we know exactly where everything is.
5. Annotate findings. We pause the camera at each defect, capture a still frame, and note distance and severity.
6. Walk you through the video. On site, in real time. Not a five-page report mailed to you a week later.
7. Provide the video. Digital copy of the full inspection, plus a written summary report.
8. Recommend next steps (or no next steps). If the line is sound, we tell you. If something needs attention, we walk you through options with pricing.

What the video can show

• Tree root intrusion. Visible as masses of fibrous roots growing through joints or cracks.
• Cracks and fractures. Visible as dark lines in the pipe wall.
• Joint separation. Where two pipe sections have pulled apart, often with a step or offset.
• Bellies (sags). Visible as standing water collecting at the low point. We measure water depth.
• Collapses. Visible as drastically reduced pipe diameter or pipe shape distortion.
• Scale and corrosion. Visible as rough pipe wall, scale buildup, or pitting in cast iron.
• Orangeburg deformation. Visible as ovaled pipe (no longer round).
• Foreign objects. Wipes, toys, contractor debris (yes, we’ve seen all of it).
• The connection at the city main. Often the highest-failure point.

When the camera can’t tell us everything

A camera is a great diagnostic tool, but it has limits.

• It can’t see outside the pipe. Soil voids, dirt around the pipe, surrounding utilities, are all invisible.
• It can’t measure pipe wall thickness directly. We can see surface degradation but not how thin the remaining wall is on cast iron.
• It can’t predict future failures with certainty. A pipe that looks marginal might last another 10 years. A pipe that looks OK might fail next year.

We’re honest about these limits. Camera inspection narrows the possibilities; it doesn’t always give a single answer.

Dye testing (Pennsylvania-specific)

Some Pennsylvania municipalities require dye testing at home sale to confirm that storm water from your roof and yard isn’t entering the sanitary sewer (which would burden the treatment plant) and that your sanitary drains aren’t connected to the storm sewer (which would dump waste into rivers).

Wahl does dye testing as a stand-alone service or combined with a camera inspection. We flush colored dye through your downspouts and your sanitary drains and observe where it ends up at the municipal sewer or storm drain. We provide the report the municipality requires.

Pricing

We present exact pricing on the call when you schedule. Tiers below show relative investment, not real numbers.

• Camera inspection (standard): entry tier ($). Includes video, locate, written summary.
• Dye test: entry tier ($). Adjusts with number of access points.
• Combined camera and dye test: entry tier ($).
• Inspection credit: if you proceed with repair or replacement work within 30 days, we typically credit the inspection cost back to the repair job.

Final number varies by access (clean-out available or not), travel time, and report format required. We quote before we start.

What’s included

• High-resolution video of the full lateral.
• Surface locating and depth marking.
• Still-frame annotations of any defects.
• On-site walkthrough of findings with the technician.
• Digital copy of the video provided to you.
• Written summary report.
• Quote for any recommended repair work (no obligation).

For real estate transactions

Real estate-related inspections often need specific deliverables. Wahl provides:

• PDF report with photos and findings, suitable for an inspection contingency.
• Video file in MP4 format, viewable in any media player.
• Quick turnaround. Most inspection reports go out within 24 hours of the inspection.
• Direct communication with the agent or attorney if the transaction needs it.
• Dye test results in the format the municipality requires.

If a transaction depends on it, we move fast.