Sewer Scope Inspection
See exactly what's happening inside your sewer line — before you dig
What Is a Sewer Scope?
A sewer scope is a specially housed video camera with built-in lights, mounted on the end of a 200' flexible cable. We push it through your sewer line to record exactly what's happening inside the pipe — root intrusion, offsets, bellies, cracks, blockages, and full failures all show up on the camera.
A sewer scope inspection is the difference between guessing and knowing. Without one, the only way to diagnose a sewer line problem is to dig it up. With one, we can show you the exact condition of your line, pinpoint the problem to within a few feet, and recommend the right repair — not the most expensive one.
Stollwerck Plumbing & Sewer offers sewer scope service across Snohomish County and Whidbey Island, both for active sewer problems and as a pre-purchase inspection for home buyers.
Signs You Need a Sewer Scope
Slow-Draining Toilets
Multiple slow drains across the house often signal a main-line issue, not a single fixture.
Recurring Backups
A line that clears with a snake but backs up again within months usually has a structural problem.
Gurgling Drains
Air trapped in the line surfacing as gurgles often indicates a partial blockage or break.
Wet Spots in the Yard
Soggy patches, especially over your sewer line path, can mean a leak or break.
Sewer Smell Around the House
A persistent sewer odor without a clear source often traces back to a damaged line.
Plumbing That Won’t Stay Fixed
When snaking, jetting, or other quick fixes only solve the problem briefly, a scope reveals the real cause.
Buying an Older Home
Pre-purchase scopes catch problems while you can still negotiate or walk away.
Owning a Rental Property
Rentals get heavy, varied use — annual or twice-yearly scoping prevents the surprise call about a broken line during a rainstorm.
Why Schedule a Sewer Scope?
1. It Can Save You From an Expensive Repair
The most common reason people scope is they have no idea what condition their sewer line is in. By spotting a small crack now, you can prevent an expensive repair down the road and the misery of a sewage backup on your property.
2. Fix a Section, Not the Whole Line
The most common problem we see when scoping is a tree root cracking the pipe. Without a scope, you'd be forced to replace the entire run. With the camera footage, we can see exactly which section needs work — saving thousands on what would otherwise be a full replacement.
3. Pre-Purchase Inspections (Buying a Home)
A standard home inspection doesn't scope the sewer. The line could be on the verge of failure and you'd never know. Pre-purchase sewer scopes are one of the highest-ROI inspections you can do — they're a small fee that can save tens of thousands, or save you from buying the wrong house entirely.
How Sewer Scoping Works
1. Clear the Line (If Needed)
The line must be cleared enough for the camera to see — you can't scope through dirty water. If there's a blockage, we'll first clear it with a mechanical drain machine or hydro jetter through your cleanout. (No cleanout? We can install one — it's much better than running machines through your bathroom.)
2. Insert the Camera
The flexible camera cable feeds down the line. Sewer pipes can be made of clay, concrete, asbestos concrete, or plastic — usually pushed together with gasket connections — and the camera reveals every joint, every transition, and every defect.
3. Record & Walk You Through
We record the inspection and walk through it with you. You see the same footage we do — root intrusion, bellies, offsets, cracks. Then we recommend a fix and give you an honest cost. No pressure, no inflated repair scopes.
Sewer Scope FAQs
Should I scope an older home or rental property periodically?
Yes. Older homes are likely to have root intrusion or other damage that has cracked the sewer line. For rental property, scope at least once a year, ideally twice — it’s much cheaper than a sewage emergency at 2 a.m. Modern lines can be scoped every few years; older clay or concrete lines benefit from more frequent inspection.
Should I scope before I buy a home?
Standard home inspections do not scope the sewer. Previous owners may not know the condition of the line, or may have used less water than the new occupants will. A pre-purchase scope is one of the highest-ROI inspections you can do — small fee, peace of mind for the first year, and leverage to negotiate or walk away if the line is in bad shape.
What pipe materials do you see in Snohomish County sewers?
Older homes often have clay, concrete, or asbestos concrete sewer pipe joined together with gasket connections. Newer homes have plastic. Each material has trade-offs — concrete and clay can crack and shift; asbestos concrete can deteriorate; plastic can be displaced by roots if joints are poor. The camera shows us the material and condition pipe by pipe.
What’s the difference between wastewater and stormwater?
Wastewater is everything that comes from inside your house — kitchen, bathroom, and laundry drains all collect into a sewer line that connects to the city or county main, and ultimately the local treatment plant before discharge into Puget Sound. Stormwater is rain runoff from gutters, driveways, and yards, and flows through a separate system into local streams, rivers, and the Sound. Both can be scoped — and they should never cross-connect.
Could my sewer line be shared with neighbors?
In some older neighborhoods, multiple homes share a single sewer line that runs to the city main. A scope identifies whether your line is shared and where the property-line transitions are — important so you know what you’re responsible for before agreeing to a repair.
Why Choose Stollwerck for Your Sewer Scope
20+ Years in the Greater Mukilteo / Everett Area
Two decades scoping and repairing sewers across Snohomish County and Whidbey Island.
Commercially Licensed Plumbers
Sewer work crosses property lines and code boundaries — every team member is fully licensed for residential, multi-unit, and commercial work.
Insured Above State Mandates
Coverage that exceeds Washington state minimums.
Full 1-Year Labor Guarantee
The plumbing industry standard is 90 days. We back our work for a full year.
Honest Repair Recommendations
When you watch the footage with us, the recommendation makes sense. We don’t inflate scope.
Multi-Unit & Property Manager Friendly
We work with property management companies on scheduled scoping and emergency response across Snohomish County.
Need full sewer line repair or replacement?
Sewer scope is just one part of our sewer line work. Visit our main sewer line page for repair, replacement, and emergency sewer service.
← All Sewer Line ServicesSchedule a Sewer Scope Today
Buying a home? Sewer issue? Don't guess — let's look at the line.