Sewer Camera Inspection in St. Joseph, MO

A sewer camera inspection puts a waterproof camera on a push cable into the lateral from a cleanout and records the pipe from the inside. It shows what the pipe is made of, where the joints are, where roots come in, where sections have shifted or sagged, and where the line meets the city main. A locator above ground picks up the camera head's signal, so each problem can be marked on the lawn with its depth.

When an inspection is worth it

• Repeat clogs. If the line was snaked and backed up again within months, something in the pipe is catching solids.
• Buying an older home. About 27.5% of St. Joseph's housing was built in 1939 or earlier. The lateral is the buyer's once the sale closes, and it is not usually covered in a standard home inspection.
• Before a big repair. A quote for full replacement should come with footage that justifies it.
• Routine checks. The city's homeowner guide recommends having a licensed plumber inspect and clean the private lateral every two to five years.

What the footage tends to show in St. Joseph

Older homes here commonly have clay tile laterals in short sections with mortar-type joints, and roots at those joints are the most common finding. Homes from the 1940s into the 1970s may have Orangeburg fiber pipe, which deforms and flattens with age. Some lines have a mix of materials where earlier owners repaired part of the run. The camera shows each change in material and where it occurs.

If the camera cannot get through

A heavy root mass or a collapse can stop the camera. In that case we may need to clear the line first, or inspect from the other end. A camera stopped by a collapse is itself an answer, since it shows where the line has failed.

What you receive

You get the recording, the distances to each problem from the cleanout, and the depth readings at those spots. We walk you through the footage and explain what we would do, what can wait, and what needs attention now. You are free to use the footage to get other quotes.

No cleanout?

Many older St. Joseph houses have no outdoor cleanout and only an old basement fitting, or none that is accessible. The camera can sometimes go in through a toilet flange or vent, and if not, adding a cleanout is a small job that makes every future inspection and cleaning easier. We price that separately if it is needed.