Trenchless methods
Sewer camera inspection in Boston
Every no-dig repair starts with a camera in the line. The inspection finds what is wrong, where, and how deep, and it is the only honest basis for a quote.
Serving Boston · Suffolk County
New England Pipe Restoration, Inc.
CIPP Verified installer. Camera inspection before any quote; permits and inspections handled. More about New England Pipe Restoration →
Why the camera comes first
A sewer line fails underground, out of sight, and every symptom at the surface, a slow drain, a gurgling toilet, a wet basement floor, a backup after a heavy rain, has several possible causes. A camera inspection replaces guessing with footage. A self-leveling color camera on a push rod travels the lateral from the basement cleanout to the main in the street, recording the pipe wall, the joints, every root, crack, offset and belly, and the condition of the connection at the main. In Boston that recording decides whether the line needs jetting, a sectional repair, a full liner or bursting, and it is the basis of any quote worth the paper. A contractor who proposes a repair before the camera has been in the line is guessing with your money.
What the inspection finds
Root intrusion at joints, the most common finding under older Boston homes. Open or offset joints where a century of frost has moved the pipe. Cracks and fractures. Channeling in cast iron, where the bottom of the pipe has corroded away. Bellies, low spots that hold standing water. Infiltration, groundwater entering at joints when the water table rises in spring. Orangeburg that has gone oval. A connection at the main that was never properly made. Each defect is recorded with its distance from the cleanout, and the camera head's transmitter lets a surface locator mark its position and depth. the verified installer for Boston provides the inspection and the written finding in Boston.
What you should receive
The recording itself, in a format you can keep. A written finding that lists each defect, its location and depth, and what it means. And a recommendation that follows from the footage: jetting if the line is sound but dirty, a sectional repair if one joint is bad, a full liner if the line is failing along its length, bursting if it has collapsed or bellied. The recommendation should say why, in terms of what is on the video.
Inspections when buying or selling
A general home inspection stops at the fixtures. The sewer lateral, which the owner is responsible for all the way to the main, is not looked at unless someone puts a camera in it. On an older house in Boston, and most of them are older, that is the single most useful plumbing check before closing: a problem found before close is negotiated, a problem found after is paid for. Sellers benefit too; a clean inspection, or a lined line with a post-repair video and warranty, answers the question before it is asked.
Inspections after repair
The camera goes back in after any trenchless work. The post-repair video proves the liner cured whole, the branch connections were reopened, the bursting pull is clean, or the sectional sleeve is where it should be. It is part of the deliverable and part of the warranty file; keep it with the house papers. What a verified installer has to be able to show is described at installer standards.
Choosing who inspects
An inspection is only as good as the person reading it. Verified installers, checked for license, equipment and completed work, inspect with the repair in mind and will tell you when the right answer is to do nothing yet. They are listed at the installer directory.
Estimates are free. Call now: (877) 627-4401.
Other trenchless services in Boston
Trenchless Sewer Repair Boston
Repair or replace a failed sewer line with little or no excavation.
Sewer Pipe Lining (CIPP) Boston
A resin-saturated liner cured in place forms a new, jointless pipe inside the old one.
Pipe Bursting Boston
A bursting head splits the old pipe while pulling new HDPE pipe in behind it, through two small pits.
Sectional Point Repair Boston
A short liner fixes one bad spot and leaves the rest of a sound line alone.
Hydro Jetting Boston
High-pressure water strips roots, grease and scale so the pipe can be inspected and lined.
Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Boston
When a line cannot be lined: spot excavation or trenchless replacement, chosen from the footage.
Questions we hear about sewer camera inspection
What does a sewer camera inspection cost in Boston?+
The inspection is part of the free estimate when a repair is being considered. You receive the recording and a written finding regardless of whether you go ahead. Call the number on this page to schedule one.
How does the camera get into the line?+
Through the cleanout, usually in the basement where the lateral leaves the house. If a house has no cleanout, the camera goes in through a pulled toilet or a roof vent, and installing a cleanout is usually recommended as part of any repair.
Can the inspection tell how deep the pipe is?+
Yes. The camera head carries a transmitter, and a locator on the surface finds it and reads its depth. Each defect is marked with its depth and distance from the cleanout, which is what a repair plan is built from.
Should I get an inspection before buying a house in Boston?+
Yes, for any house built before about 1980. A general home inspection does not look inside the sewer line. On an older Suffolk County house, a lateral inspection before closing is the single most useful plumbing check there is.
How do I schedule one?+
Call or send the form. Estimates are free; call now, and the inspection is normally the first visit.