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We've always done it, and whenever we've had an issue, it's been because of tree roots. Still, even if there aren't any trees, we'll have the line inspected for the peace of mind of just knowing what we're dealing with. It sounds like you have a pretty old house on your hands, but hopefully it already has a clean-out.
I 100% recommend them on all homes. Even new ones can sink and create bellies that hold water.
Out here they are $175 and totally worth it. I say about 25% of my transactions every year have sewer line problems. Newer and older homes. I sold two newer homes this year, a 2007 and 2017 build, that both had sewer line problems.
Sewer scopes are very common in the Seattle area for older homes - any decent agent in my area recommends that their clients get one. Tree roots/grease/clogs can be an issue with any sewer line at nearly any age (minus new construction) but typically tree roots/grease/clogs can be removed by hydrojetting the line sewer line for under $1k.
What you're really looking for in your sewer scope is a collapsed sewer line or an offset sewer line. 70+ years ago the sewer pipes were either made from concrete or clay and they break down over time. A collapsed line is just that, part or all of the line has collapsed in on it's self. An offset in the line is where water has been leaking from a pipe connection in the line and the earth below the pipe has eroded away causing one end of the pipe to be lower than the other (earthquakes can also cause this problem but more of an issue in my region of the country than yours!). There is newish technology where a sewer line company can insert a lining into the old sewer line so the part of the line with the issue doesn't have be dug up and replaced - that solution only works if the sewer line isn't completely collapsed or if offset isn't so bad that the new lining can't go through. In my area, and I assume in most municipalities around the country, the owner is responsible for the sewer line from their house until it meets the city sewer main in the street. Worst case scenario for an owner is to have a major sewer line issue under the city street but before the city sewer main - the issues involved with getting permits to dig up the street...ugh.
If you do a sewer scope, and there's tree roots/grease/clog and the camera can't get through and scope the entire line, I suggest that you request that the seller get the line cleared then you come back and have the line scoped again so you can see that the entire sewer line is in good shape. Your agent should be able to write this into the inspection response/contract.
A home inspector has no way of telling if the sewer line is in good shape or not short of a major sewer backup in a shower/toilet.
So, yes, for $500 or less, get a sewer scope. Ask your agent (if you're using one) or research a company online that specializes in sewer scopes/sewer line repair. As Mike noted, don't use Roto-Rooter.
Sewer line inspections are quite uncommon in my area. I've been a real estate agent for well over a decade and I've only witnessed one. it was my listing and the buyer's inspector recommended the pipe be scoped as he felt it wasn't pitched correctly (he was wrong as inspectors so often are it seems BTW). Any way, they hired Roto-Rooter to scope the sewer line and they caused all kinds of damage which they said wasn't their responsibility to fix as they had warned the buyer ahead of time that it might happen as the house was older. So, the buyer ended up footing the bill to have the RR plumber come by and fix everything.
I'm curious as to what kind of damage a "scope" could do. I have seen many sewers "scoped" and have never seen the scope cause damage!
BTW, no reason to scope the drain to determine pitch...totally not necessary as it is easy to to determine with a small level!
On an older house I would scope the underground drains...doesn't cost much to scope but it is quite expensive to fix an underground drain!
I would ALWAYS scope any cast iron or galvanized drain because they are likely past the end of their useful life.
Sewer line repairs and replacements are one of the high ticket items for home repairs. Personally I would never buy a property without a sewer leak test and camera inspection. In my area down south with no basement slab on grade construction, it is a must.
Pumping the tank and inspecting the lines are done by two different people in my area. The lines being discussed above are technically a bit different than septic lines. They serve a similar purpose though--get waste out of the house.
Here sellers often have the tank pumped prior to listing the house if it's not been done in the last five years or so. Buyers will often make the sellers paying to pump the tank part of the offer if the sellers haven't done it. The cost is about $150 in my area so it's not expensive.
You want a person that can inspect a septic system no matter the age of the house. That might include a video inspection.
I am impressed that having the tank pumped is so cheap in your area. You might want to check that number again. Here in Alabama, it is $500 to have the septic tank pumped. I had to pay an additional $150 because my tank was buried deeper than normal. So $650.
Having the tank pumped is an automatic part of the closing costs here in my county. The seller pays it.
I am not a real estate agent, just a nerd.
These days I cannot imagine buying a house (age does not matter) without:
1. regular inspection
2. radon test
3. sewer scoping
When we sold our 1926 house in 2011, our buyer had all 3 done.
When we bought our 2011 house, we only had a regular inspection (he found a nail thru a waste pipe).
We did not do a radon test because: our duplex neighbor had it done (6 pico curies) and we had a mitigation system installed.
We did not have the sewer line scoped because the house came with a 1-year warranty.
I am impressed that having the tank pumped is so cheap in your area. You might want to check that number again. Here in Alabama, it is $500 to have the septic tank pumped. I had to pay an additional $150 because my tank was buried deeper than normal. So $650.
Having the tank pumped is an automatic part of the closing costs here in my county. The seller pays it.
60 usd in Thailand for septic pumping. Carrier minisplit 18 SEER aircon was 600 USD installed, 17000 BTUs.
I am not a real estate agent, just a nerd.
These days I cannot imagine buying a house (age does not matter) without:
1. regular inspection
2. radon test
3. sewer scoping
When we sold our 1926 house in 2011, our buyer had all 3 done.
When we bought our 2011 house, we only had a regular inspection (he found a nail thru a waste pipe).
We did not do a radon test because: our duplex neighbor had it done (6 pico curies) and we had a mitigation system installed.
We did not have the sewer line scoped because the house came with a 1-year warranty.
The popular home warranties don't cover sewer lines. You can often get coverage through your water company.. 60 bucks per year for 4000 in coverage.
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