Sewer Scope
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What’s a Sewer Scope Inspection?
A sewer scope inspection is a specialized, non-invasive diagnostic service used to examine the condition of a home’s main sewer line—the underground pipe that carries wastewater from the home to the municipal sewer system.
It’s a vital step for both new homes—which can hide construction defects that may not be visible until damage is already done—and older homes, where aging infrastructure poses serious risks.
Using a high-resolution, self-leveling video camera attached to a flexible cable, our inspectors visually inspect the interior of the pipe from an accessible cleanout. The camera travels up to 150 feet through the sewer line, recording a real-time view of the pipe’s condition.
This process identifies a wide range of potential issues, including:
- Cracked, broken, or collapsed pipes
- Tree root intrusions and blockages
- Sagging or “belly” sections that collect waste
- Pipe misalignment or separation at joints
- Deterioration of materials such as cast iron, clay, or Orangeburg
- Foreign objects or grease buildup obstructing flow
Because sewer lines are hidden underground, problems can go unnoticed until a major backup or failure occurs—often resulting in costly excavation and repairs. A sewer scope allows you to make informed decisions before problems surface.
Whether you’re buying a home, experiencing slow drains, or planning major renovations, a sewer scope inspection gives you a clear picture of what’s happening beneath your feet—so there are no expensive surprises later.
Why a Sewer Scope Inspection Matters—Even on a New Build
It’s easy to assume that a brand-new home means every system is flawless. Unfortunately, when it comes to underground sewer lines, “new” doesn’t always mean “problem-free.” A sewer scope inspection on new construction is a proactive way to catch defects early—before they become expensive homeowner issues.
Why a Sewer Scope Inspection Matters—Even on a New Build
It’s easy to assume that a brand-new home means every system is flawless. Unfortunately, when it comes to underground sewer lines, “new” doesn’t always mean “problem-free.” A sewer scope inspection on new construction is a proactive way to catch defects early—before they become expensive homeowner issues.
Common Sewer Line Issues in New Construction
Construction Debris in the Line
From concrete and insulation to soda cans and plastic wrappers, construction debris frequently ends up inside the sewer line during the building process. If not removed, it can cause partial or complete blockages shortly after move-in.
Improper Slope or Grading
Sewer lines need a precise slope to function properly. A line that’s too flat—or has dips (called “bellies”)—can result in standing water, waste buildup, and repeat clogs. These issues are often due to rushed or careless trenching.
Crushed or Damaged Pipes
Heavy equipment and backfilling errors can damage or crush pipes before the home is even finished. These issues may not present symptoms until months later—well after the builder is out of the picture.
Installation Defects or Poor Materials
Not all builders follow best practices or use high-quality materials for sewer lines. A sewer scope inspection can identify poor workmanship, misaligned joints, or even missing sections of piping.
Limited Municipal Oversight
Local code inspections may approve connection points but rarely assess the full length of the sewer line. A third-party sewer scope provides full visibility from the home to the main line, ensuring no surprises post-closing.
Construction Debris in the Line
From concrete and insulation to soda cans and plastic wrappers, construction debris frequently ends up inside the sewer line during the building process. If not removed, it can cause partial or complete blockages shortly after move-in.
Improper Slope or Grading
Sewer lines need a precise slope to function properly. A line that’s too flat—or has dips (called “bellies”)—can result in standing water, waste buildup, and repeat clogs. These issues are often due to rushed or careless trenching.
Crushed or Damaged Pipes
Heavy equipment and backfilling errors can damage or crush pipes before the home is even finished. These issues may not present symptoms until months later—well after the builder is out of the picture.
Installation Defects or Poor Materials
Not all builders follow best practices or use high-quality materials for sewer lines. A sewer scope inspection can identify poor workmanship, misaligned joints, or even missing sections of piping.
Limited Municipal Oversight
Local code inspections may approve connection points but rarely assess the full length of the sewer line. A third-party sewer scope provides full visibility from the home to the main line, ensuring no surprises post-closing.
Protect Your Warranty and Your Wallet
Many builder warranties only last 12 months. A sewer scope inspection gives homeowners the chance to identify issues early—while they’re still covered. Waiting until a problem surfaces could mean footing the repair bill yourself.
Bottom Line:
Just because a home is brand new doesn’t mean the sewer line is flawless. A sewer scope inspection on a new build is a low-cost, high-impact way to ensure your investment is protected from the ground down.
Why It’s Important to Have a Sewer Scope Inspection on an Older Home
Older homes come with charm, character—and aging infrastructure. One of the most commonly overlooked (and potentially most expensive) systems in any home is the sewer line. In an older home, a sewer scope inspection isn’t just recommended—it’s critical to uncover hidden issues before they become costly repairs.
Common Issues in Older Sewer Lines
Outdated Materials
Many older homes were built using sewer piping materials such as clay, cast iron, or Orangeburg. Over time, these materials are prone to cracking, corrosion, or total collapse. Orangeburg in particular—essentially compressed tar paper—was never intended to last for the long haul.
Root Intrusion
Mature landscaping means mature root systems. Older sewer lines often have joints or cracks that make it easy for tree roots to penetrate and cause significant blockages or structural damage to the pipe.
Undetected Damage
A standard home inspection does not include the sewer line. Without a sewer scope, critical issues like bellies, cracks, offsets, or collapsed sections can go completely unnoticed—until you’re faced with a backup, a major repair, or worse.
The Financial Risk
Sewer line repairs or full replacements can run anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000+, depending on length, depth, and location. A sewer scope inspection is a small investment that can protect you from major, unexpected expenses.
Buyer Protection & Negotiation Power
Identifying issues prior to closing gives buyers the opportunity to negotiate repairs or credits with the seller. And if no issues are found, the inspection provides valuable peace of mind that the property’s underground plumbing is in sound condition.
Bottom Line:
In an older home, what’s underground can be just as important as what’s above. A sewer scope inspection is a proactive, cost-effective way to protect your investment—and prevent a financial drain down the road.
See What Our Clients Are Saying!
My ex- husband I and purchased a home as first time home buyers in 2019. We used Fox Mountain's Colby Cloude as our inspector and boy was that a mistake! Unfortunately, he missed a large amount of water damage that had been covered by paint. A couple of months later our balcony fell off the side of our home revealing years of rotted wood that the former owners covered. They had replaced the siding in 2017 and it was obvious based on the amount of damage that they knew about it and covered it anyway. Under the impression that we would have some very basic upgrades to tend to, we purchased the home. Insurance refuses to cover it and I'm not a rich individual. You may ask why am I writing this now and not when it occurred? Simply because I am still dealing with this years later. I would not trust these people.
Just had a great inspection with Seth for our new-construction townhouse. He caught a couple of things we never would have seen OR expected in new construction. I highly recommend Fox Mountain and Seth! They’re worth their weight in gold.
It was a pleasant experience working with the property inspector from Fox Mountain. He was very professional, courteous, patient, and knowledgeabl. He addressed all my questions and concerns.
Colby was professional and very informative while he did my home inspection. I would definitely use Fox Mountain Property Inspections again and I do recommend them!
Outstanding service, very detail oriented. Very glad to have used Fox Mountain Property Inspections for my inspection. I would absolutely recommend them!
As a Realtor Fox Mountain is always my trusted resource in WW for inspections. 100% excellent.
I was very impressed by the professionalism and thoroughness of the Fox Mountain inspection for my new home. They systematically walked through a complete checklist of items, recording data and photographs on tablets and even using a thermal camera to evaluate HVAC performance. I was very comfortable at the end of the inspection that the house was in good shape and I wouldn't hesitate to strongly recommend Fox Mountain to other homebuyers. Thanks!
Excellent, prompt, knowledgeable inspectors. Prompt and efficient. They made it look easy!
Richard was professional, knowledgeable and explained clearly what he was doing and what issues were in the house inspected. I highly recommend using his services, excellent service.
Colby was polite, thorough, and informative. I feel like I know the house I plan on purchasing on a whole new level.
I use Richard and his team whenever I need a property inspection, be it commercial or residential. Reliable, professional and efficient.
Very professional and informative inspectors, and very thorough report provided same day of inspection.
Richard was absolutely great. My new house had construction spreading from 1800 through 1990. And Richard new the ins-and-outs of all of it. Incredibly thorough and easy to talk to, Richard explained each issue and what to do out them. I would absolutely use Richard and Fox mountain again.
Lori from Fox Mt. Property Inspections was fantastic. She got the well test and results back quickly for a last minute well test before closing!
She is always professional and courteous. Job well done Lori!
She is always professional and courteous. Job well done Lori!
Richard was very thorough and explained everything to us. I appreciate how much he talked to us about what he was seeing while doing the inspection. I would absolutely recommend this company!
Seth was amazing! As a first-time home buyer, I had many questions! He was able to provide hands on demonstrations and answered all my questions (even about heat anomalies). Thank you for taking your time to reassure me during this huge life-event and even a detailed report with pictures showed how dedicated Seth was!! 5 out of 5 stars- would recommend!!
Keith was excellent - provided a wonderful, detailed inspection. Took time to answer any and all questions, with an informative but easy to understand approach. Excellent communication from the company and turn-around time on the inspection report. I'd fully recommend the company and use them again.
Seth was wonderful to work with! We had a difficult property for him to look at and he did a very efficient and thorough job. Answering all of our questions and taking time to show me specific areas and details that I had concerns about. Will be contacting again when I need another home inspection!
Fox Mountain provided a professional, thorough, and on-time inspection. I learned a lot from the inspection team. It was sincerely a pleasure to do business with them!
Richard and Seth are extremely knowledgeable, resourceful and thorough! I learned a lot from today’s inspection walkthrough and I’d highly recommend them!
Keith was punctual and full of knowledge. He came to my address and conducted a 1-Year home warranty inspection. He was very knowledgeable and informed us of all findings - bonus points for being a dog lover! Lastly, he even got in the hard to reach spots to document any concerns I had!
Seth was great! Professional, thorough, patient with our questions and very informative. 2nd time inspection with Seth and we are confident with our home purchase . We will definitely recommend Fox Mountain Property Inspections and Seth to our friends and families, and new neighbors:)
Richard was super friendly and professionally thorough. He did an excellent job answering our questions and providing explanations.
Keith was very thorough and knowledgeable. He arrived early and gave me great insight to the new build framing/pre-drywall inspection. I even received the report the same day!! I definitely recommend Fox Mountain for all your inspection needs.
Seth really went above and beyond on our families home inspection taking the time to check every little detail about our to be home. Everything was documented in a very clean, professional inspection report including pictures. It will be very handy to reference in the future. Thank you Fox Mountain for making us feel more confident going into our purchase.
I had a great experience with Rich. He was thorough and explained everything to me in a way I could understand it and caught a problem before it became a problem. Would highly recommend Fox Mountain Property Inspections!.
The next time I need a house inspected, I'm gonna request Seth. He is professional, personable, and down-to-earth.
Seth was great with being thorough with his inspection and keeping us updated as he was performing the inspection. He was clear with breaking down everything that he had looked at.
Richard id fantastic and has been extremely helpful throughout my home buying process.
I would strongly recommend fox mountain to anyone in a similar situation because of their high level of knowledge and professionalism.
I would strongly recommend fox mountain to anyone in a similar situation because of their high level of knowledge and professionalism.
Richard was helpful, friendly, and thorough. He answered all questions and gave good advice. Highly recommend!
I really enjoyed working with Richard and Erin at the inspection of my historic property. They were thorough and informative - I learned a lot about my new home.
Everyone we talked or worked with was pleasant, professional, and thorough. Reasonably priced and returned the results on time. We'd definitely recommend them to anyone who needs a home inspection.
Keith was on time and very professional. His report was very thorough and caught several details the builder hadn’t noticed. Scheduling and payment were very easy!
Colby at Fox Mt property inspection was great. He was personable and very thorough with the inspection; making sure to take his time. He answered every question I had and explained the inspection report in detail, once it was complete. I would highly recommend him.
The inspector was honest. He explained in detail what steps would be taken, what to expect in the process, and made recommendations.
Roy did and excellent and thorough job. Went above and beyond my expectations and was very personable. Well done!
Seth performed our home inspection and did a complete thorough job! He was very kind and professional! Highly recommended!
Seth was great, very thorough and talked to us about what he was doing. He gave great advice for things to watch for. Definitely would recommend.
Roy Delgado—the inspector assigned to my future home—was very considerate in explaining the important points of his inspection. In great detail he described what the house needs to change and the positive findings of the house. His report helped me determine if I wanted to continue the purchase process. It especially helped that he considered speaking in Spanish when I didn't understand the English terms of inspection very well.
Roy was awesome! He didn’t miss a single thing and was sure to explain every detail along with provide recommendations.
Keith performed my first inspection. He was courteous, professional and patient with my questions. And best of all, he uncovered a serious issue, saving me a major headache and potentially 10's of thousands in repairs. Keith was a wealth of knowledge and took his time to do a thorough inspection. I can't say enough great things about him.
My second inspection went better and was performed by the owner, Richard and he was every bit as thorough, professional and patient.
Thank you Keith and Richard. I'll be using your company going forward and recommending you to friends and family.
My second inspection went better and was performed by the owner, Richard and he was every bit as thorough, professional and patient.
Thank you Keith and Richard. I'll be using your company going forward and recommending you to friends and family.
Richard was professional, personable, and great to work with! As first time home buyers, he was thorough in his inspection and made sure WE understood everything that was going on! Thanks so much, Richard!
Good experience with Fox Mountain Property Inspections. They were able to schedule quickly to accommodate our contract needs. The inspectors were there on time and performed a thorough inspection, explained everything they were doing, and answered all of our questions.
I just had my first home inspection ever with Keith at Fox Mountain Property Inspections. The overall inspection took about 3 hours and it was obvious that he was carefully evaluating every part of the home. I absolutely appreciated his thoroughness and ability to explain the more complicated parts of the inspection. As a first time homebuyer without any inspection experience, Keith (and his report which was done within an hour of leaving the property) made it easy to understand what parts of the house need our attention. Thank you Keith and Fox Mountain Property Inspections!
Both Rich and Seth are amazing and beyond attentive to detail! They are certainly your go to men for knowing you are walking into a safe home and knowing up front what you're walking into. 10/10 recommend Fox Mountain for all your home inspections!
Fox Mountain was fast, thorough, included pictures and explanations of every issue, and gave a very helpful summary at the end. Any safety issues were flagged.
Keith was my inspector he did a fantastic job. I am a first time homebuyer and he was very informative on potential problems, as well as letting me know positives about the house. Took extra steps on keeping me informed. Great experience thanks to Keith.
Richard and Seth were a pleasure to work with during our home inspection. They were very professional, answered all our questions thoroughly without judgement, and did a fantastic job. If I ever buy a house again I will definitely hire Fox Mountain!
(from a home buyer’s perspective) Very professional service. Couldn’t be happier with the team. I would recommend Fox to my family, friends, and neighbors.
They were excellent to work with for both home inspections we had done. Two different inspectors who took the time to not only do a thorough inspection, they made sure we undstood their findings. Highly recommend their service!
These guys are great. Richard and Seth were punctual, friendly, knowledgeable and thorough. I was absolutely thrilled with their services.
Being a first time home buyer has been a daunting process, but my home & pest inspection by Roy made me so much more confident in my decision! Very thorough, while walking me through everything in detail. Great experience!
Inspector was extremely thorough and knowledgeable. Shared all information without any apparent bias. Quite friendly and very communicative. Follow up report is easily read and well documented.
Keith was our inspector, and he did a great job identifying any issues with the property. His report was in great detail and explained everything so we could understand exactly what needed to be done on repairs. His recommendations will be used to gather cost estimates, so we can get the house back up to standards. Thanks for all your expertise.
The inspection was so smooth, and our inspector was informative and so very professional and nice, he really did a thorough job.
Very knowledgeable, courteous, and thorough. I would use them again and recommend them to others.
Buying a house can be stressful. Knowing what to look for and how was taken care of in a professional manner with Keith from Fox Mountain Property Inspections. Communication and patience in explaining the why behind each item was greatly appreciated. Keith was on time and answered my questions and ask for more. I highly recommend.
Do yourself a favor and use this company for your home inspection! The guy that did ours was friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and very thorough. He took the time to explain everything to us and at the end ran down all of his findings and answered our questions. I highly recommend them!
Richard and Seth were fantastic for our home inspection. They took the time to explain the home issues they were seeing and very patiently answered all of our questions. They enabled us to make a very informed decision about the home and we learned a lot along the way. We would highly recommend Fox Mountain to any agent or prospective buyer!
Keith and Seth were fantastic during the inspection of our 100+ year old house. They were warm and friendly while being informative and thorough. We weren’t able to stay the entire time and Keith followed up with me afterwards to give a status update on the rest of the inspection. The report produced was complete and the pictures were great, and even the process to schedule and pay was seamless. I’ve had several home inspections done and Fox Mountain were some of the best!
Fox Mountain did an incredible job inspecting the home I am purchasing. They used pole cameras to inspect the roof and documented any deficiencies with photos. Spend the time and money and get Fox Mountain to inspect your property
Customer service is terrible! I’ve been reaching out every day for a week now due to some issues regarding home inspection and NO ONE responds. I’m beyond frustrated. The home inspector was super friendly and we felt confident using them.. now I’m not so sure.
We had a fantastic experience with Richard and Seth as home inspectors. They were thorough, knowledgeable, and professional. It was an educational experience for us as Richard patiently taught and walked us through all systems and details of the home we are purchasing. Highest recommendation.
Richard and Seth did a fantastic job on an inspection of the property that we were interested in. They were thorough, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. Highly recommend their services to anyone in need of a top-notch inspection.
Roy was super friendly and knowledgeable. He explained everything perfectly, and even answered any questions we had. The price is also a bonus! The whole process was very easy.
A great unexpected gem of professionals to work with. Thorough, knowledgeable, patient answering questions wise advice, and problem solvers. Thank you for providing expert advice on making our decision on a property.
Extremely knowledgeable and helpful! So grateful for the work they did for me. Highly recommend!
The inspector was very thorough, and answered all of my questions with patience and skill. I felt a part of the inspection of my new home, and every penny was worth the knowledge going into the settlement process.
Keith performed our home inspection. We were impressed by his knowledge and thoroughness. He prioritized issues and gave detailed explanations for his findings. He was more than happy to answer questions and provided a report that included photos. The process made us comfortable with our decision to move forward with our home purchase. I highly recommend Fox Mountain Property Inspections.
Keith helped us through two inspections. He helped us feel prepared and well informed for our home purchase decisions. He welcomed questions and did a great job creating a dialogue so I felt like we got a good understanding of all his observations. Highly recommend. I would share his card with my family members.
Had a great experience and am glad I used this company for my first home inspection. Keith Corley did a great job explaining things and was very thorough with the inspection.
Fox Mountain Property Inspections is extremely easy to work with. We needed a quick turnaround and even with inclement weather they were able to accommodate. They are professional, thorough, and explained all their findings in detail. We would highly recommend them.
Worth every Penny! As a first-time home buyer never having gone through this process before I was pretty nervous. Fox Mountain Property Inspections took care of everything, walked me through the process and made me feel at ease.
Our Inspector Keith was amazing, and I truly can't say enough good things about him. Very Knowledgeable, thorough and just a nice person! From getting on top of the roof to check for damages all the way down to testing for moisture in the basement. This is the person you want inspecting your future home!
Unfortunately, the house didn't work out, but rest assure I will be calling Fox Mountain back when I am in need of another home inspection.
Our Inspector Keith was amazing, and I truly can't say enough good things about him. Very Knowledgeable, thorough and just a nice person! From getting on top of the roof to check for damages all the way down to testing for moisture in the basement. This is the person you want inspecting your future home!
Unfortunately, the house didn't work out, but rest assure I will be calling Fox Mountain back when I am in need of another home inspection.
I had the great pleasure of working with Keith for my July home inspection and I couldn’t be more pleased with his exceptional service. From start to finish, he demonstrated a high level of professionalism and expertise.
He arrived punctually and thoroughly examined every aspect of the property. His attention to detail was truly impressive, and he took great care and time to answer my (many) questions about the house. He was super thorough in explaining all of his findings. It was evident that he had a deep knowledge of home construction and maintenance.
What sets Keith apart is not only his technical competence but also his dedication to ensuring I understood the condition of the property. He provided valuable insights and recommendations, which gave me confidence in my home purchase decision. I can’t thank him enough for his outstanding work and would undoubtedly seek his services again in the future.
He arrived punctually and thoroughly examined every aspect of the property. His attention to detail was truly impressive, and he took great care and time to answer my (many) questions about the house. He was super thorough in explaining all of his findings. It was evident that he had a deep knowledge of home construction and maintenance.
What sets Keith apart is not only his technical competence but also his dedication to ensuring I understood the condition of the property. He provided valuable insights and recommendations, which gave me confidence in my home purchase decision. I can’t thank him enough for his outstanding work and would undoubtedly seek his services again in the future.
Fox Mountain Property Inspection was very thourough, professional, and was very timely.
Keith and his co-worker were great. Very informative and explained things clearly. Very thorough with everything. We recommend your services to anyone.
Thank you,
Mark & Kim
Thank you,
Mark & Kim
100 stars! Richard was on time, thorough, empathic and detailed. We got the information we needed in a timely manner with recommendations. I can't say enough good things and will continue to recommend Fox Mountain to everyone!
The operations manager and owner made personal efforts to ensure we could have the inspection in time to make an informed offer. Richard was knowledgeable and pleasant. It’s nice to see someone who is not only great at their job, but seems to truly enjoy it. Dan (operations) said we’d like him, and he was right!
I want to add that this is our second time using the professionals at Fox for an inspection in this challenging home buying market. Both times we left feeling confident we got the information we needed (and more) in order to make an informed decision. They are great- call them!
I want to add that this is our second time using the professionals at Fox for an inspection in this challenging home buying market. Both times we left feeling confident we got the information we needed (and more) in order to make an informed decision. They are great- call them!
Keith was awesome. Super helpful and professional. He answered all of my questions and helped me to really understand what was going on with the house. He encouraged me to be educated in the home we were in the process of purchasing, even pointing out areas we'd need to know about for later (water shut offs, etc.). I can't day enough about his friendly and professional demeanor. Thank you, Keith! You rock!
We bought our first home and called Fox Mountain Property Inspections to inspect the house. They fit us into their schedule within 4 days of calling and were early to the appointment. Incredibly knowledgeable and very thorough inspection. Richard even took the time to explain the inner workings of all the mechanical so we knew what to expect. It was a fantastic experience and you should absolutely call them for all your home inspection needs.
