Quick Answer: A sewer camera inspection sends a small waterproof camera through your main drain to show exactly what’s happening inside the pipe, without digging. It finds tree roots, sags (bellies) that hold water, shifted or separated joints, cracks, collapsed sections and grease or scale buildup, and it pinpoints where each problem sits in your yard. The footage tells you whether the line needs cleaning, a spot repair or a full replacement.
Your main sewer line runs from under the basement floor, out beneath the yard and to the city connection at the street, and you never see it. When it starts to fail, the first clues are vague: a slow basement drain, a gurgling toilet, a clog that keeps coming back. A sewer camera inspection replaces the guesswork with video. For Okanagan homeowners, that matters most in older neighbourhoods with mature trees and original clay or cast iron lines. This guide covers how the inspection works, what the camera finds, when to get one and what usually happens next.
How a Sewer Camera Inspection Works
The inspection is a video survey of your drain line from the inside, through an existing access point, so nothing gets dug up to take a look.
The technician starts at a cleanout, a capped access fitting usually found in the basement, crawlspace or just outside the foundation. If there’s no accessible cleanout, the camera can sometimes go in through a toilet drain once the toilet is pulled. The camera head sits on a flexible push rod with its own LED lights, and most heads self-level so the picture stays upright through bends.
As the camera travels down the line, the technician watches a live feed while a counter records the distance from the access point. When the camera reaches a problem, a small transmitter in the head lets the technician find that exact spot from above ground with a handheld locator and estimate its depth. That turns “there’s a problem out there somewhere” into “there’s a cracked joint about 12 metres out, under the side lawn.”
If the line is fully backed up, it usually needs to be cleared first, because a camera can’t see through standing sewage. Our drain camera inspections and sewer line services include the digital footage and a complete assessment, including whether the problem is on your side of the property line or the city’s.
What a Drain Camera Inspection Finds
Most findings fall into a handful of categories, and each one points toward a different fix.
Tree Roots in the Sewer Line
Roots are the most common finding in established neighbourhoods. They get in through joints and hairline cracks, drawn by moisture, and grow into a mat that catches paper and waste. Light intrusion can often be cleared, but roots that return quickly usually mean the joint itself has failed.
Bellies & Sags in the Sewer Pipe
A belly is a section of pipe that has sunk lower than the pipe on either side, usually because the soil underneath settled. Water and solids collect in the low spot, and on camera you’ll see the lens dip into standing water. Small bellies can often be managed with regular cleaning, while long or deep ones cause repeat clogs at the same distance every time.
Offset or Separated Pipe Joints
Older sewer lines were built from short sections joined together, and ground movement can push those sections out of line. An offset joint leaves a lip that snags waste, and a separated joint leaves a gap where water leaks out and roots or soil get in. Both show up clearly as a step or a dark gap in the pipe wall.
Cracked, Broken or Collapsed Sewer Pipe
Cracks range from hairline fractures to broken sections with soil visible behind them. A collapse is the most serious finding: the pipe has caved in enough that the camera can’t pass, and the locator marks exactly where it stopped. A collapsed section almost always needs to be dug up and replaced.
Grease, Scale & Buildup
Fats and oils poured down kitchen drains harden along the pipe walls and narrow the line over time, and corroding cast iron develops rough internal scale that catches debris. Both are usually good candidates for professional cleaning rather than repair. Our post on how to prevent clogged drains covers the habits that keep grease out of the line.
Poor Slope & Aging Sewer Pipe Materials
A sewer line needs a steady downhill grade, and where it’s too flat, the camera shows slow or standing water along a long stretch rather than at one low point. The inspection also identifies what the line is made of. Many older homes have clay tile or cast iron sewer lines. Some homes built from the 1940s to the 1960s have bituminous fibre pipe (often called no-corrode or Orangeburg), which softens and deforms with age. Newer homes typically have ABS or PVC plastic. Our guide to common plumbing issues in older homes covers the wider picture.
When to Get a Sewer Line Inspection
A camera inspection is worth it whenever the main line is suspected but not confirmed, and before any decision that would be expensive to get wrong.
- Recurring clogs: If the same drain backs up every few months, something in the pipe is catching waste. Repeated augering without looking treats the symptom and leaves the cause in place.
- Several slow drains at once: Slow drains, gurgling toilets or water rising in the basement floor drain point to the main line rather than a single fixture. Our post on sewer line problems in the Okanagan covers these warning signs in more detail.
- Buying an older home: A sewer scope inspection before subject removal tells you whether the line is sound or close to replacement. Standard home inspections generally don’t include the sewer line, so it usually has to be arranged separately.
- Before renovating: If you’re adding a bathroom, finishing a basement or building a suite, confirm the existing line is sound before new floors and walls go in over it.
- After a sewer backup: Once the line is cleared, the camera shows whether the backup was a one-off blockage or a sign of damage. The Insurance Bureau of Canada notes that sewer backup damage is typically not covered by a standard home policy without optional coverage, so footage of the cause is useful when you talk to your insurer.
If sewage is actively backing up into the house, don’t wait for a scheduled inspection. Our 24/7 emergency plumbers in Kelowna and our 24/7 emergency plumbing team in Vernon can clear the line first.
What Happens After a Sewer Camera Inspection
The footage decides the next step, and that step is often smaller than homeowners expect. Our technicians walk you through the video, explain each finding and recommend the least invasive option that actually solves the problem.
- Cleaning: Roots, grease and scale in an otherwise sound pipe are usually cleared with mechanical augering or hydro-jetting, followed by a camera pass to confirm the line is clear.
- Spot repair: When the damage is limited to one joint, crack or short collapsed section, the locator marks let the crew dig only at that spot and replace the damaged piece. The rest of the yard stays intact.
- Full line replacement: If the camera shows damage along much of the line, or a pipe material that’s failing throughout, replacement is often more cost-effective than a series of spot repairs.
Sewer Camera Inspection Cost in Kelowna
A standard residential sewer camera inspection through an accessible cleanout typically costs $250 to $500. Clearing a blocked line first, pulling a toilet for access, or a longer or deeper line can add to that. The cost of any repair depends on what the camera finds, how deep the line is and how far the problem sits from the house, which is why the inspection comes first.
Financing options are available for larger projects.
Sewer Camera Inspections in Kelowna, West Kelowna & Vernon
A sewer camera inspection shows what’s inside the pipe, where it is and how serious it is, so the fix matches the problem. Getting it right the first time saves repeat service calls and unnecessary digging.
Vision Plumbing Heating Cooling has provided drain camera inspections and sewer line repair across Kelowna and West Kelowna since 1986, along with plumbing services in Vernon and the surrounding Okanagan. For businesses, restaurants and strata buildings, our commercial drain and sewer services cover larger lines. Contact us to get a quote.
Sewer Camera Inspection FAQs
Does a sewer camera inspection require digging?
No. The camera enters through an existing cleanout or, if needed, through a toilet drain once the toilet is removed. Digging only happens later if the inspection finds damage that needs a spot repair or replacement, and the locator marks keep that excavation to a specific area.
How long does a drain camera inspection take?
A typical residential inspection takes one to two hours, including setup, the camera run and reviewing the footage. It takes longer if the line has to be cleared first or if there is no accessible cleanout.
Should I get a sewer scope before buying a house?
It’s worth it for most homes more than 30 years old, homes with large trees near the sewer line and any home with a history of drain problems. A standard home inspection generally doesn’t cover the sewer line, and finding a cracked or root-filled line before subject removal gives you time to factor repair costs into your decision.
How often should a sewer line be inspected?
Homes with older clay or cast iron lines, or with known root problems, generally benefit from a camera inspection every one to two years. Newer homes with plastic sewer pipe and no history of problems usually only need one when symptoms appear or before a major renovation.
Does home insurance cover sewer backup damage?
A standard home insurance policy in Canada typically doesn’t cover sewer backup damage. Most insurers offer sewer backup coverage as an optional add-on, so check your policy or ask your broker.
