What Is the Difference Between a Plumbing Inspection and a Sewer Inspection?

Written by Steven Shipler, Texas Licensed Master Plumber, Responsible Master Plumber (RMP), MBA, and host of The 4 Guys Education on YouTube.

A plumbing inspection and a sewer inspection are not the same thing. Both are important, but they answer different questions for a home buyer. A plumbing inspection usually looks at visible and accessible plumbing components inside and around the home. A sewer inspection uses a sewer camera to look inside the accessible underground sewer line.

This difference matters because the most expensive plumbing problem in a home may not be visible. A house can have working faucets, flushing toilets, a clean water heater area, and no obvious leaks while the underground sewer line has roots, standing water, sewer bellies, pipe offsets, pipe separations, cast iron deterioration, broken pipe, or under-slab sewer defects.

The Sewer Inspection Company provides sewer camera inspections, buyer sewer scopes, under-slab sewer evaluations, cast iron sewer inspections, drain diagnostics, line locating, plumbing inspection support, and Master Plumber review throughout Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Richardson, North Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Las Colinas, Irving, Coppell, and surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth areas.

Simple Answer: Plumbing Inspection vs Sewer Inspection

A plumbing inspection usually checks the visible and accessible plumbing system. That may include faucets, toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, water heater, visible water lines, visible drain lines, shutoff valves, hose bibbs, water pressure, leaks, fixture operation, and other accessible plumbing components.

A sewer inspection is more specific. It uses a sewer camera to inspect the accessible underground sewer line. The goal is to find visible sewer defects inside the pipe before the buyer closes, negotiates, accepts repairs, or takes ownership of the home.

A regular plumbing inspection may tell you whether the toilet flushes. A sewer camera inspection may tell you whether the sewer line below the home has standing water, roots, cast iron deterioration, offsets, pipe separation, or a sewer belly.

What a Plumbing Inspection Usually Checks

A plumbing inspection can be valuable because it looks at the visible plumbing system and how the fixtures perform at the time of inspection. This is especially helpful for older homes, remodeled homes, rental properties, flipped houses, and homes with visible plumbing changes.

A plumbing inspection may include checking:

• Water heater condition and installation
• Visible leaks below sinks and near fixtures
• Toilet operation and visible toilet leaks
• Faucets, sinks, tubs, and showers
• Water pressure concerns
• Visible water supply lines
• Visible drain piping
• Hose bibbs and exterior faucets
• Garbage disposal operation
• Fixture drainage at the time of inspection
• Visible plumbing code concerns
• Gas water heater venting and gas connection concerns when applicable

This inspection is important, but it does not automatically inspect the inside of the underground sewer lateral. That is where many buyers get confused.

What a Sewer Inspection Checks

A sewer inspection, also called a sewer camera inspection or sewer scope, focuses on the underground sewer line. A camera is inserted through an accessible cleanout or other approved access point. The camera travels through the pipe so the inspector can look for visible defects inside the accessible sewer line.

A sewer camera inspection may find:

• Tree roots inside the sewer line
• Standing water
• Sewer bellies
• Improper slope
• Offset pipe joints
• Pipe separations
• Broken pipe
• Collapsed sewer sections
• Cast iron deterioration
• Clay pipe separation
• Orangeburg pipe concerns
• PVC settlement
• Grease, sludge, and debris buildup
• Previous repairs
• Camera access limitations
• Under-slab sewer concerns

The purpose is not just to see whether water drains today. The purpose is to understand the visible condition of the underground sewer line before the buyer owns the problem.

Why Flushing Toilets Is Not a Sewer Inspection

A toilet can flush during a showing even when the sewer line has hidden problems. Water can move through a partially restricted line for a short time. That does not prove the pipe is healthy, properly sloped, free from roots, or free from under-slab defects.

A sewer line may still drain while it has:

• Roots entering through a cracked joint
• Standing water from a belly
• Cast iron scale restricting flow
• A pipe offset catching debris
• A separation allowing soil to enter
• A broken section under the slab
• Previous repairs that were never verified by camera

Plumbing Inspection vs Sewer Inspection Comparison Chart

Why a Home Buyer Should Order Both

A plumbing inspection and a sewer inspection are not competitors. They work together. The plumbing inspection helps evaluate what is visible and accessible. The sewer inspection helps evaluate what is hidden underground.

If you are buying a home, you are buying the sinks, toilets, water heater, fixtures, and visible plumbing. But you are also buying the underground sewer line. That sewer line may run under the yard, driveway, sidewalk, landscaping, alley, or concrete slab.

If the sewer line fails after closing, the cost may become your responsibility. That is why it is smart to camera the line before closing.

When a Sewer Inspection Is Especially Important

A sewer camera inspection is smart for many home purchases, but it becomes especially important when the home has risk factors.

• The home is older
• The home may have cast iron drain lines
• The property has mature trees
• The home has foundation repair history
• The seller discloses prior drain cleaning
• The seller discloses prior sewer repair
• The home is a flip or investor remodel
• The home has slow drains or gurgling toilets
• There is sewer odor inside or outside
• The property has no visible cleanout
• The sewer line may run under a slab, driveway, or expensive finished area

Why the Difference Matters in Texas Homes

Texas homes can have unique underground plumbing and foundation concerns because of soil movement, mature trees, slab foundations, older cast iron piping, clay pipe, and prior repairs. A visible plumbing inspection may not identify what is happening inside the sewer line below the slab or yard.

In Plano, Frisco, Dallas, McKinney, Richardson, Allen, North Dallas, Las Colinas, Irving, Carrollton, Addison, and Coppell, buyers should pay close attention to sewer line age, pipe material, foundation history, tree locations, and cleanout access.

A plumbing inspection may identify visible plumbing concerns. A sewer camera inspection may reveal the hidden underground condition that changes the buyer’s negotiation strategy.

What a Sewer Inspection Report Should Include

A strong sewer inspection report should make the findings clear. A buyer should not have to guess what the camera found.

A sewer inspection report may include:

• Property address and inspection date
• Access point used
• Direction of inspection
• Pipe material observed
• Visible defects
• Approximate locations of major findings
• Whether the camera reached the city tap or other termination point
• Limitations of the inspection
• Video links or embedded video
• Recommendations for repair, cleaning, locating, or further evaluation

The Sewer Inspection Company helps buyers understand the findings in plain English, so they can make better decisions during the option period.

What Happens If the Sewer Camera Finds a Problem?

Finding a sewer problem does not always mean you should walk away from the home. It means you should slow down and understand the risk.

Depending on the sewer camera findings, the next step may include:

• Seller repair request
• Seller credit request
• Purchase price negotiation
• Drain cleaning and reinspection
• Line locating
• Hydrostatic or isolation testing
• Repair estimate
• Spot repair
• Partial replacement
• Under-slab sewer evaluation
• Reroute evaluation
• Full replacement evaluation

The key is to get the information before closing. After closing, the same defect may become your responsibility.

How The Sewer Inspection Company Helps Home Buyers

The Sewer Inspection Company helps buyers understand whether the underground sewer line is serviceable, damaged, limited, or in need of further evaluation.

Our process may include:

Questions Buyers Should Ask Before Closing

Before closing on a home, ask these questions:

• Did the plumbing inspection include a sewer camera inspection?
• Was a sewer camera video recorded?
• Where is the exterior cleanout?
• Could the camera reach the full accessible sewer line?
• Was the line inspected toward the city tap?
• Was the under-slab section inspected?
• What pipe material was visible?
• Were roots, standing water, bellies, offsets, or separations found?
• Was cast iron pipe present?
• Were previous repairs visible?
• Does the line need cleaning, repair, locating, testing, or further evaluation?
• Can the seller provide repair records or prior sewer inspection reports?

City References for North Texas Buyers

Plumbing and sewer work may be affected by local city rules, adopted codes, permitting, and inspection requirements. Buyers and homeowners should verify local requirements before major sewer work.

• Plano: Buyers in Plano should pay attention to older cast iron drain lines, mature trees, and cleanout access.
• Frisco: Buyers in Frisco should not assume new construction or newer subdivisions are automatically free from sewer slope, settlement, or construction debris concerns.
• Dallas: Buyers in Dallas and North Dallas should be especially careful with older homes, older drain materials, prior remodels, and under-slab plumbing history.

Tools and Equipment Used in Sewer Inspections

A sewer inspection depends on the right equipment and a trained person who knows what to look for. The following tools are commonly related to sewer inspection and locating work:

• RIDGID SeeSnake sewer camera: Used to video inspect the inside of accessible sewer lines.
• RIDGID SeekTech SR-20 locator: Used to help locate the approximate position and depth of certain camera heads or utility signals.
• RIDGID SeekTech ST-305 transmitter: Used to energize metallic lines for tracing when applicable.

Final Answer: Plumbing Inspection vs Sewer Inspection

A plumbing inspection checks visible and accessible plumbing components. A sewer inspection uses a camera to inspect the inside of the accessible underground sewer line.

A buyer should not treat one as a replacement for the other. The plumbing inspection helps identify visible plumbing issues. The sewer inspection helps identify hidden underground sewer defects that may not be visible during a normal home inspection.

If you are buying a home in Plano, Frisco, Dallas, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, North Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Las Colinas, Irving, or Coppell, schedule a sewer camera inspection before your option period ends.

Call The Sewer Inspection Company today at 972-333-5448.

Helpful Internal Links

• The Ultimate Guide to Sewer Inspections Before Buying a Home
• Sewer Inspection vs Home Inspection
• What Can a Sewer Camera Inspection Find?
• What Does a Sewer Inspection Report Look Like?
• Understanding Sewer Inspection Terminology for Home Buyers
• Should I Buy a House With Cast Iron Pipes?
• What Are the Signs of a Damaged Sewer Line?
• Testimonials
• Contact Us

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