Why Do I Need a Sewer Scope?
When buying a home it is generally a good idea to pay for a sewer scope in addition to other home inspections. A scope will typically run about $200, take 30-45 minutes, and can often be completed without anyone needing to enter the home.
What happens in a sewer scope?
During a sewer scope, a technician will use a camera on a cable to view the inside of the sewer pipe from the home out to where it connects to the city sewer line. This portion of sewer infrastructure belongs to you as the homeowner and is your responsibility in the event of a line break. By viewing the inside of the pipe, they will note issues including bulges, breaks, grading issues, tree roots, clogs, and any other concerns that could cause waste water to not flow out from the house.
My house is new construction, why do I need a sewer scope?
You might be surprised. Even in the case of new construction, there can be issues with the sewer pipe. For example, it could be found that the pipe wasn’t installed at a grade that allows waste water to flow freely toward the sewer - in some cases it could even be tilted back toward the house. In other cases, the pipe might contain gravel or other remains from construction that could cause blockages.
How Will a Technician Access the Sewer Pipe?
Around the outside of your house you may have noticed a capped pipe, generally with a four inch or larger diameter. This is a cleanout, and its purpose is to allow access to the sewer pipe in the event of a blockage. Depending on the distance from your house to the city connection there may even be multiple cleanouts along the pipe. Particularly in older homes there may not be an external cleanout available or the cleanout may be in a crawspace or basement. In these cases, the technician may try to access the sewer pipe either through the sewer venting to the roof or via one of the toilets. This is generally the last resort, as they will need to remove the toilet in order to access the pipe below, and are likely to charge extra for the labor.
What are the likely to find?
Particularly in homes built before 1970, it’s not uncommon to find Orangeburg pipe. This is a fiber pipe, most easily described as being made from layers of rolled tar paper. As strange as that might sound, it was a very common type of pipe used nationally from the 1860s onward, and has a useful life of about 50 years. As the years tick forward, things like tree roots take their toll and eventually it needs to be replaced. It’s very common to find Orangeburg pipe in the Walla Walla area.
What happens if there is a problem?
Negotiations! Assuming the pipe needs to be replaced, it will be a negotiation between buyer and seller to determine how to cover the cost. The challenge is often cash - a buyer is incurring the cost of a move, the down payment on the house, and possibly other repairs. A seller likewise may also be in the process of buying another house and may not have the money available to make the repair. Your agent can help negotiate an amicable solution as there are options available.