Sewer Camera Inspection Before Buying a New Jersey Home

Why a sewer scope matters for NJ buyers

In most New Jersey towns, the homeowner owns the sewer lateral, the pipe that runs from the house to the connection at the street. If that pipe has problems, the cost of dealing with them falls on the owner, not the town. A general home inspection checks what can be seen, like fixtures and visible piping, but it usually does not look inside the buried line. Rules vary, so it is worth checking with the town.

A sewer camera inspection fills that gap. It shows the condition of the pipe you are about to own. That information matters most in older homes, homes with mature trees, and homes that have been vacant, where a problem may not show up until you move in and start using the drains every day. Problems often stay hidden while a house sits empty, because nobody is running water. Daily use by a new family is what finally shows them.

• Most NJ towns: the homeowner owns the lateral
• General home inspections usually skip the sewer line
• Vacant homes can hide drain problems
• The scope shows what you are buying

What the camera can find

A sewer camera shows the inside of the pipe in real time. Common findings include tree roots at joints, cracks, offset joints where sections have shifted, sags or bellies where water and waste collect, heavy grease or scale, and sections where the pipe has collapsed or deformed. The camera also shows the pipe material, which helps you understand how the line may age. Each finding has a different meaning for the future of the line.

The technician can also locate the line and mark the depth and position of any problem from the surface. That makes the finding specific and useful. Instead of a vague warning, you get a location, a description and recorded footage you can share with your agent, your attorney or anyone you ask for a second opinion. Ask for the footage in a format you can easily share, save and watch again later.

Older NJ homes and common pipe materials

New Jersey has a lot of older housing, and the pipe materials tell the story. Homes built before about 1950 often have clay tile laterals, which have joints that roots can enter. Many postwar suburban homes were built with Orangeburg pipe, a bituminous fiber pipe that can soften, blister and lose its shape over time. Cast iron is common inside older homes and can scale and corrode. Many homes mix materials, too.

Mature street trees, like oaks, maples and sycamores, line many older neighborhoods and send roots toward the water and nutrients in sewer lines. In Shore towns, high water tables and sandy soil add other concerns. A camera inspection shows how these factors have affected the specific home you are considering. Trees on neighboring lots and in the street strip can reach a line as easily as trees in your own yard. Shore homes may also have seen flooding during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which can push sand and debris into lines.

• Clay tile: common in pre 1950 homes, root prone joints
• Orangeburg: common in postwar suburbs, can deform
• Cast iron: can scale and corrode inside
• Mature street trees raise root risk

How to schedule a sewer scope

Schedule the inspection during your home inspection period, when you still have time to use what you learn. Ask the seller or listing agent about access to a cleanout. If there is no accessible cleanout, the technician may need to work through a toilet or another access point, so ask about that in advance. Give the technician the address, the age of the home if known and your inspection deadline so the visit fits your timeline.

Ask for the live view if you can be there, and ask for the recorded footage either way. A clear inspection includes the footage, a description of findings and the location and depth of any problem. If the line is clogged, the technician may need to clear it first to see the pipe, so ask how that would be handled before the visit. Clearing first is common in homes that have sat vacant for a while.

What to do with the results

If the line looks good, you have peace of mind and a baseline for the future. If the camera finds roots or buildup, cleaning may be enough, and a maintenance plan can keep it under control. If the camera finds a broken, collapsed or bellied pipe, you have a written finding with the location and depth to share with your attorney and agent. Either way, you know what you are buying.

Fullerton does sewer camera inspection and drain cleaning. We record the footage, mark the location and depth of any problem and give a written finding so you can plan the next step with the people helping you buy the home. We do not tell you whether to buy. We give you the facts so you can decide. Keep the footage and written finding with your closing papers for future reference. It also helps whoever services the line next.

• Good result: keep the footage as a baseline
• Roots or buildup: cleaning and maintenance
• Broken or bellied pipe: share the written finding
• Bring results to your attorney and agent