Sewer lines are one of the few systems in a house that can fail catastrophically without giving you much warning.
No drips.
No stains.
No slow clues inside the house.
Everything can look fine… right up until sewage comes back the wrong direction.
That’s why sewer scoping is one of the first add-ons I recommend — especially in older Mid-South homes.
Why a Standard Inspection Isn’t Enough Here
During a normal home inspection, I can:
- Run fixtures
- Observe drainage behavior
- Look for backups or slow flow
- Check visible cleanouts
What I can’t do is see underground.
Once a pipe disappears into the slab or yard, it’s blind without a camera. And blind systems are where expensive surprises live.
A Real Inspection Where the Camera Changed the Deal
I reviewed an inspection report from one of our inspectors in the Jackson area where everything inside the house drained perfectly. No gurgling. No backups. No red flags.
Camera told a different story.
Orangeburg pipe. Crushed in two sections. Roots pushing through the joints. Partial collapse already restricting flow.
The buyer avoided a five-figure repair because they didn’t trust “it seems fine.”
The Pipes That Worry Me Most
Certain materials get my attention immediately:
- Orangeburg (compressed fiber pipe — notorious failure)
- Clay tile with offset joints
- Cast iron with internal scaling
- Early PVC with poor joints
Age matters, but soil and trees matter more.
In parts of West Tennessee, shifting soils and mature root systems are brutal on older sewer lines.
Why Problems Don’t Show Up Right Away
Sewer lines fail slowly.
Roots start as hairline intrusions. Cracks widen over time. Scale builds up inside cast iron and reduces diameter little by little.
By the time you notice:
- Sewage smells
- Repeated clogs
- Backups after heavy rain
The damage is already done.
A camera catches the problem before symptoms reach the house.
What a Proper Sewer Scope Actually Looks Like
A real sewer scope isn’t just “we stuck a camera in.”
It should include:
- Full run from cleanout to connection
- Identification of pipe material
- Condition of joints
- Root intrusion locations
- Bellies or sags
- Breaks, offsets, or collapses
- Video documentation
Still photos without video context don’t tell the full story.
Bellies: The Silent Line Killers
One of the most common issues I see on camera is a belly — a low spot where waste and water collect.
Bellies:
- Slow flow
- Catch debris
- Accelerate corrosion
- Create chronic clogs
I’ve seen bellies in homes near Bolivar that hadn’t caused a backup yet — but the camera showed standing water that never drained. That pipe was already on borrowed time.
Why Tree Roots Always Win
Tree roots don’t crush pipes out of spite. They follow moisture.
Even small root intrusions:
- Grow rapidly
- Widen joints
- Break brittle materials
- Return after cutting if not repaired
If there’s a mature tree between the house and the street, a camera is not optional.
What Buyers Should Understand
Sewer repairs are:
- Expensive
- Disruptive
- Often not covered by insurance
- Rarely negotiable after closing
Spending a few hundred dollars before buying can save tens of thousands later.
The Inspector’s Bottom Line
If you can’t see it, you don’t know it.
Sewer lines don’t announce failure politely. They wait until the worst possible moment — holidays, storms, family visits — and then make themselves known.
Buying a home without scoping the sewer is gambling on the one system you absolutely can’t afford to guess about.
