Deep excavation exposing a sewer line in Utah

Why We Camera-Scope a Sewer Line Before We Dig

By Court Lundberg

Digging is the expensive part. The camera is the cheap part that tells us whether digging is even the right move.

On a Utah sewer call, we scope the line first. Not because we like selling inspections. Because a trench through a driveway, a patio, or a finished yard is hard to undo, and the camera usually shows us something we cannot guess from the cleanout.

On this page

What the camera is actually answering

Is the line collapsed, or just plugged? Is the break under the slab, under the park strip, or past the property line? Is the pipe Orangeburg, cast iron that has scaled shut, or PVC with a single offset? Those answers change the repair, the price, and whether trenchless even fits.

If we dig first and guess wrong, you paid for excavation and still need a different repair. That is the outcome we refuse to sell.

What we will tell you after the scope

Sometimes the honest answer is a jet and a cleanout. Sometimes it is a liner. Sometimes it is a dig. And sometimes the line is fine and the problem is inside the house. When the camera shows a healthy line, we say that out loud and send you home with the recording, not a trench.

When we still dig

We dig when the pipe is crushed, when the belly is too severe to line, when the camera cannot pass a total collapse, or when the access geometry makes trenchless a bad fit. The scope is how we know which of those we are in. It is not a delay tactic.

What the visit looks like

We work a 3-hour appointment window. We find the cleanout, run the camera, walk you through the video on site, and put a real number on the next step before anyone opens the ground. Call 385-449-0144 if your drains are backing up or you were told you need a dig and nobody scoped it first.

FAQ

Why scope a sewer line before digging?

Digging is the expensive part. The camera shows whether the line is collapsed, plugged, under the slab, under the park strip, or past the property line. Guessing wrong means you paid for excavation and still need a different repair.

What will you tell me after the camera?

Sometimes a jet and a cleanout. Sometimes a liner. Sometimes a dig. Sometimes the line is fine and the problem is inside the house. When the camera shows a healthy line, we say that out loud.

When do you still dig after a scope?

When the pipe is crushed, the belly is too severe to line, the camera cannot pass a total collapse, or access makes trenchless a bad fit. The scope is how we know which case we are in.

How long is the appointment window?

We work a 3-hour appointment window. We find the cleanout, run the camera, walk you through the video on site, and put a real number on the next step before anyone opens the ground.

What if another company already said I need a dig?

Ask whether they scoped it first. Call 385-449-0144 if your drains are backing up or you were told to dig without a camera.

Related: Sewer Camera Inspection | Sewer Line Problems | Pipe Lining