Main Line Clog Clearing
Main sewer line clearing from the cleanout with heavy cable machines and root cutters, for backups that hit the lowest drains in the house at the same time.
See the detailsSewer camera inspection in Los Angeles that shows what's really under the yard
Before anyone digs up your yard or quotes a sewer replacement, the pipe should be seen. We push a camera through the line, record what it shows, and locate problem spots from the surface.
- Answered 24/7
- From 746 S Broadway
- Drains & sewer
The short answer
A sewer camera inspection sends a waterproof camera on a flexible push rod through your main sewer line, usually from a cleanout. It records the pipe's material, condition, joints, roots, cracks and sags, and a locator finds the camera head's position and depth from above ground. You need one after repeated main line clogs, before buying an older home, or before any sewer repair.
What the camera actually shows
The camera head is a small waterproof unit with its own lights, mounted on a stiff but flexible push rod. As we feed it through the line, the picture appears on a monitor and records. A counter on the reel tracks distance from the access point, so every defect gets a footage mark.
Inside the pipe, we look for the material and any changes in it, the condition of each joint, roots coming through joints or cracks, offsets where one section has shifted relative to the next, bellies where the pipe sags and holds standing water, scale and corrosion in cast iron, and any section that's partly collapsed or crushed.
A built-in transmitter in the camera head lets a handheld locator find the camera from the surface. We mark the spot on the ground and read the depth, so if repair is needed, everyone knows exactly where to dig and how deep, instead of trenching the whole yard.
Reading the footage: common defects and what they mean
Not every flaw needs repair. A little root hair at one joint may be handled with periodic cutting. A slight belly holding an inch of water is often livable. On the other hand, a crushed section, a separated joint with soil visible, or a cast iron pipe with holes in the bottom is a repair that should not wait.
We walk you through the footage on screen and explain each item in plain language. If repair is needed, we talk about the options: a spot repair at a single bad joint, a sewer line repair by excavation, or trenchless replacement where the conditions allow it.
- Root intrusion at joints: common in clay, usually repairable
- Offset joint: section shifted, catches waste, may leak
- Belly or sag: standing water, slow drainage, buildup
- Cracked or broken pipe: leaks into soil, allows roots
- Heavy scale or holes in cast iron: thinning walls near end of life
Camera inspections when buying an older LA home
A general home inspection usually stops at the drains you can see. The lateral under the front yard, often clay or cast iron in homes built before 1970, is a separate item and one of the most expensive surprises a new owner can face. A camera inspection during escrow shows its real condition.
We record the full run and point out anything that will need attention soon. Some buyers use the video to negotiate a repair credit, others to plan work after closing. The seller should ideally confirm a cleanout exists and let us access it. A whole-house plumbing inspection can be done on the same visit if you want the supply side checked too.
Getting good access for a clear inspection
The best inspections run from a cleanout outside the house, ideally a two-way cleanout that lets us look toward the street and back toward the house. Without one, we can go in through a pulled toilet, though a toilet's tight bends limit how far the camera reaches in some homes.
A camera can't see through a full clog or standing sewage. If the line is backed up, we clear it first, then inspect. On grease-heavy lines, jetting before the camera gives a much clearer picture. Our article on roots in clay sewer pipe shows the kinds of defects that video often turns up under older LA homes.
What sewer cameras find under Los Angeles homes
Clay laterals with root intrusion are the most common finding under LA homes built before about 1970, especially on streets lined with mature ficus and sycamore. Cast iron under raised foundations shows scale and thinning bottoms. In parts of the Valley with expansive clay soil, cameras often find bellies and offset joints where the ground has shifted. The 1994 Northridge earthquake cracked and separated sewer lines across the Valley, and some of that damage was never found. Sewer lateral work in the City of Los Angeles may need permits through LADBS and, in the street, Public Works approvals.
Warning signs
When a sewer camera inspection makes sense
- Main line clogs more than onceA second backup within a year or two means something in the pipe keeps catching waste. The camera shows what and where.
- Roots on the cutter headIf clearing brought back roots, the line has open joints. Video shows how many and how bad, which guides the repair choice.
- Buying a pre-1970s houseOlder LA homes often have clay or cast iron laterals. Seeing the line before closing tells you if a major repair comes with the house.
- Sewer smell in the yardA persistent sewage odor outdoors, or a patch of greener grass over the sewer path, can point to a broken section leaking into the soil.
- Planning a remodel or ADUAdding a bathroom or a backyard unit puts more flow into the existing lateral. Confirming its condition first avoids surprises after the work is done.
- Slow drains after cleaningIf a cleared line still drains slowly, the pipe may have a belly, an offset joint or heavy scale that cleaning alone can't fix.
On the job
How a sewer camera inspection is done
- STEP1
Choose the access point
We find the cleanout, or if none exists, plan to go through a toilet flange or another fitting with a clear path to the main.
- STEP2
Clear if needed
If the line is backed up or coated heavily, we clear or flush it so the camera can see the pipe wall.
- STEP3
Run the camera
The camera travels the full length to the city connection, pausing at joints and defects while the footage records.
- STEP4
Locate and mark
At each important defect, a locator pinpoints the camera head from the surface and we mark the ground and note the depth.
- STEP5
Review the video together
We go through the footage with you, explain what each finding means, and give you the recording.
- STEP6
Lay out your options
If repair is needed, you get the realistic choices for your line, from maintenance to spot repair to replacement, with typical ranges.
Typical pricing
Sewer camera inspection costs in Los Angeles
The access point, the length of the line, and whether it needs clearing before the camera can see all affect the price.
| Job | Typical LA range |
|---|---|
| Camera inspection from an accessible cleanout, with recording | $250 to $500 |
| Inspection through a pulled toilet | $350 to $650 |
| Inspection with locating and depth marking of defects | $350 to $700 |
| Main line clearing plus camera inspection | $550 to $1,100 |
These are typical ranges, not a quote; no cleanout, a backed-up line, very long laterals and multi-unit buildings change the final number. See every job in our LA price guide.
Questions we hear
Sewer Camera Inspection questions from LA customers
How long does a sewer camera inspection take?
With an accessible cleanout and a clear line, most inspections take about an hour, including locating and reviewing the video with you. Lines that need clearing first, homes without a cleanout, or long laterals take longer. Large multi-unit buildings with several laterals may need half a day.
Can a sewer camera inspection find damage from the Northridge earthquake?
It can show cracks, separated joints and offsets that fit with old ground movement, though it can't date them. Many Valley homes had sewer lines shifted in 1994 without any obvious sign at the time. Roots often move into those gaps over the years, so the camera finds the damage once roots or backups start.
Do I get to keep the sewer camera inspection video?
Yes. We give you the recording, with footage marks at each finding. It is useful if you are buying or selling a home, getting a second opinion, filing a claim, or planning repairs. You can share it with anyone you like.
Is a sewer camera inspection worth it if my drains seem fine?
For most homes with no history of backups, it's optional. It is worth doing when buying a pre-1970s house, before a remodel or an ADU adds fixtures, when big trees grow near the sewer path, or when the line has been cleared before. A modest inspection fee is small next to an unplanned lateral repair.
Coverage
Where we handle sewer camera inspection most
These are the communities that call us for this most often, with their main ZIP codes. The same 24/7 line covers every one of our 68 service areas.
- Los Angeles 90014
- Long Beach 90802
- Santa Clarita 91355
- Glendale 91205
- Pasadena 91101
- Torrance 90503
- Downey 90241
- Burbank 91502
- Reseda 91335
- Sylmar 91342
- Pacoima 91331
- Panorama City 91402
- North Hills 91343
- San Pedro 90731
- Granada Hills 91344
- Inglewood 90301
- El Monte 91731
- West Covina 91790
- Anaheim 92805
- Santa Ana 92701
- Whittier 90601
Often booked together
Related plumbing work
Sewer Line Repair
Broken, bellied or root-choked sewer laterals repaired by spot excavation or sectional liner, after a camera shows exactly where the failure sits.
See the detailsTrenchless Sewer Replacement
A failing sewer lateral replaced end to end by pipe bursting or a cured-in-place liner, working from two small pits and leaving driveways and trees in place.
See the detailsHydro Jetting
High-pressure water jetting that scours grease, scale, sludge and fine roots off the pipe wall, for lines that keep clogging after a cable has gone through.
See the detailsNeed sewer camera inspection today?
Call the line any hour. A plumber answers, asks what you are seeing and tells you what happens next.