Roots at a joint
Fine roots coming in where two pipe sections meet. Common in older clay lines near trees, and they grow back each year.
What it means: cut them out now, then decide between yearly clearing or a lining or spot repair.
Sewer camera inspection
See what's actually in the line, and keep the recording.
A camera on a cable shows us the inside of your sewer pipe. You watch it live, and we send you the video afterwards.
$299
Inspection with locate, recording and written note. $199 when added to a drain clearing on the same visit.
How it works
About an hour, start to finish
- Access. We go in through the cleanout. If there isn't one, we lift a toilet and reset it with a new wax seal afterwards.
- The run. The camera head travels to the city connection, usually 10 to 30 metres. Distance counts up on screen.
- Locate. At anything worth noting, we find the camera from above and mark the ground with paint or a flag.
- Talk it through. We replay the parts that matter and answer questions before we pack up.
What you get
The recording is yours, whatever you decide.
Some customers send it to a second plumber for another opinion. That's fine with us.
Video
The full run
A download link, sent the same day, with distance readings on screen throughout.
Note
Plain-words summary
Pipe material, what we saw and where, in metres from the cleanout, with a still picture of each finding.
Options
Priced, if needed
If something needs work, the choices with flat prices or a written quote. Often the answer is "nothing yet".
Sample findings
What you might see, explained
Illustrations of common findings, each with a typical position on the run. Every line is different; your note will describe yours.
Offset joint
One section of pipe has shifted, leaving a lip that catches paper and waste. Frost and settling soil cause most of these.
What it means: a small offset can be watched. A big one usually needs a spot repair.
Belly (a sag)
A low section where water and solids sit instead of draining. On camera, the lens goes under water for a stretch.
What it means: shallow ones are managed with jetting. Deep ones are re-laid at the right slope.
Crack or break
A split in the pipe wall. In clay and cast iron you may see soil or a missing piece behind it.
What it means: check how long the crack runs. Short ones are spot repairs, long ones point to replacement.
Grease build-up
A thick layer along the bottom and sides that narrows the pipe. Usually from a kitchen line.
What it means: snaking pokes a hole through it. Hydro-jetting scours it off the walls.
Scale in cast iron
Rough, rusty ridges inside an old cast-iron pipe that snag waste and slow drainage.
What it means: descaling can buy years. If the wall is thin, we'll say so and show you.
Buying a house
Scope the sewer before you sign.
A general home inspection doesn't look inside the sewer line. In older parts of Halifax and Dartmouth, many houses still have clay or cast-iron pipe, and a failing line can cost more than a new roof.
- Most worth it for homes built before the 1980s, or with big trees in the front yard
- We work around your inspection date and condition deadline
- We need the seller's permission to enter; your agent usually arranges it
- The note is written so your agent and lawyer can read it
Pre-purchase sewer scope: $329, including the recording and written summary.
When it's worth it
Good reasons to put a camera in
The second backup
One backup can be bad luck. Two in a year means something in the line is catching waste.
Before a renovation
Finishing a basement or adding a bathroom? Check the line underneath before the floor goes down.
Before a big quote
If someone says you need a new sewer line, ask to see the video. If they didn't take one, we can.
Want to see inside your line?
Request a camera inspection and tell us whether you're buying, renovating or dealing with backups. We'll suggest a time.