Top Reasons To Get A Sewer Inspection Before Buying a House

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When you are purchasing a house you will find there are many different things that need to be sorted, from finances to surveys and even organizing the moving company. However, many people don’t think about including the sewer pipes in their surveys and pre-purchase inspections. But, you should consider it essential.

How The Sewer Inspection Works

You can purchase a drain camera yourself or get a professional company to use theirs. The camera is on wheels and gently placed inside the sewer pies through one of the inspection hatches. It can then be guided forward or backward via a rod. At the same time, it will provide a live feed showing you what the inside of your pipe looks like.

Drain cameras are very effective at locating clogs in your pipes or damage/breaks in the pipes.

Unfortunately, because the sewer pipes are generally underground they are often overlooked and forgotten about.

How The Sewer Inspection Works

You can purchase a drain camera yourself or get a professional company to use theirs. The camera is on wheels and gently placed inside the sewer pipes through one of the inspection hatches. It can then be guided forward or backward via a rod. At the same time, it will provide a live feed showing you what the inside of your pipe looks like.

Drain cameras are very effective at locating clogs in your pipes or damage/breaks in the pipes.

Unfortunately, because the sewer pipes are generally underground they are often overlooked and forgotten about.

Repairs Can Be Expensive

If there is a crack in your sewer pipe it is possible a balloon structure can be inserted into your pipe and placed over the crack, preventing any issues from further damage.

However, if the pipe is already broken there is a good chance that this technique won’t work. That means the pipe will need to be dug up and the damaged section replaced.

But, what most people don’t realize is that if the sewer pipe is on your land, it is your responsibility. That means you’ll have to pay to have part of your yard dug up, the pipe replaced, and then everything returned to normal.

It’s messy, inconvenient, and surprisingly costly. In short, if you are buying a property and find a problem with the sewer pipes, you’re going to want to adjust the purchase price.

Don’t forget that many breaks in sewer lines are actually caused by tree roots. That means you may not just be dealing with a sewer line issue, you may also have to fell the tree or have professionals look at the roots. That’s more mess and more expense. 

It Causes Problems In Your Home

A damaged or clogged sewer pipe means that your appliances will drain much slower than usual. However, as you will have just moved in, you may not realize that the drains are slow. This means you won’t do anything about it and the clog will gradually get worse.

The end result will be sewage backfilling into your appliances and your home. That’s not something you want to be dealing with.

Time & Hassle

It’s not just the expense of repairing or replacing a sewer line. You also need to consider the amount of time it can take and the hassle it can cause as they dig up your yard to address the issue. It will usually be a few months after you have moved in and got settled, making it particularly annoying.

Having an inspection prevents all these issues and allows you to budget for repairs, renegotiate the price, or simply walk away. Of course, walking away can be hard if you think you have found the perfect home. But, if the seller isn’t prepared to meet you on the issue of sewer pipes then you may need to question what else they may be hiding.

Older Homes

Don’t forget that the materials used in older homes are different from those used today. If you’re looking at an older home it is particularly important to have the sewer pipes inspected as you are more likely to be dealing with age-related issues that can be costly to resolve.

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