Sewer Lines & Camera Inspection
The sewer lateral is the one pipe on your property that nobody thinks about until it fails spectacularly. A camera inspection costs a fraction of a replacement and tells you exactly where you stand.
Camera inspection
We run a self-leveling camera the length of the lateral, from your cleanout out to the connection. You watch it with us on the monitor, and you get the footage.
What we're looking for: root intrusion at joints, cracks and fractures, bellies where the line has sagged and holds water, offset joints from ground movement, scale and grease buildup, and pipe material that's reached the end of its life. If we find a problem we locate it — we mark the depth and position on the surface so any repair is targeted.
Buying a house? Inspect the sewer.
A standard home inspection does not include the sewer lateral. It just doesn't. And on the Central Coast, where a lot of housing stock predates modern pipe materials, that's the single most expensive thing that can be wrong with a property and invisible during a walkthrough.
A sewer camera inspection during your contingency period is inexpensive relative to what it can save you. We turn around a report with footage the same day so it's usable inside your timeline. Real estate agents: we're glad to be on your regular list.
Repair options
Not every bad sewer line needs a full replacement.
- Root cutting and jetting — buys time on a line that's structurally sound but intruded. Recurring, but sometimes the right economics.
- Spot repair — excavate and replace a single failed section when the rest of the run is healthy.
- Full replacement — when the line is old clay, Orangeburg, or has multiple failures. Done right once.
We'll show you the footage and explain what each option realistically buys you. Some plumbers only sell replacements. We'd rather you trust us the next time.
Septic systems
A lot of properties around Creston, San Miguel, Shandon, and out on acreage are on septic rather than sewer. We handle the plumbing side — the lines from the house out to the tank, cleanouts, and diagnosing whether a backup is a house-side problem or a tank and leach field problem. That distinction matters, because they're very different repairs and very different bills.
Sewer & Camera FAQs
How much is a sewer camera inspection?
It's a flat fee, and we'll quote it on the phone. If it turns into a repair we credit it toward the work.
Do you need to dig up my yard?
Not for an inspection — we go in through an existing cleanout. For repairs, it depends on the location and the method. We tell you exactly what access we need before we start.
What causes roots in a sewer line?
Roots follow moisture. Any small crack or loose joint leaks a little vapor into the soil, roots find it, and then they grow into the pipe and expand the opening. Older clay lines with mortared joints are the classic case.
How long does a sewer line last?
Modern ABS or PVC, properly bedded, can run 50-plus years. Clay is often 50–60. Cast iron 50–75 depending on soil. Orangeburg — a bituminized fiber pipe used mid-century — was only ever good for about 50 and most of it is well past that.
Other services
Drain Cleaning
Slow drains, backed-up sinks, and stubborn main-line clogs cleared with cable machines, hydro-jetting, and camera confirmation.
Learn moreWater Heaters
Repairs, same-day replacements, and tankless conversions — sized properly and installed to code, with our hard water in mind.
Learn moreRepiping & Water Lines
Galvanized, polybutylene, and failing copper replaced with PEX or copper — planned around your household, not the other way around.
Learn moreNeed a plumber who picks up the phone?
Call and talk to someone who actually does the work. We'll tell you what's wrong, what it costs, and when we can be there.