Stop guessing what's in the pipe. Twenty minutes of video settles it.
Almost every expensive sewer decision comes down to one question: is this pipe sound? A camera answers it directly, and it's cheap relative to every decision that follows from it.
| Finding | What it means |
|---|---|
| Root intrusion | Roots entered through a joint or crack. The defect is still there after clearing |
| Belly | A sunken section holding water. Needs excavation, not lining |
| Offset joint | Sections shifted out of line, catching debris |
| Scale and corrosion | Typical of cast iron. Narrows the bore and grabs everything |
| Cracks or fractures | Entry points for roots and groundwater |
| Collapse | Structural failure. Replacement, not repair |
| Nothing wrong | A genuinely useful result. The problem is habits, not pipe |
That last row matters. Sometimes the line is fine and the answer is about what's going down it. We'll tell you that rather than finding a problem to match the invoice.
If the house was built before roughly 1975, assume cast iron until proven otherwise. Cast iron corrodes from the inside in Florida conditions, and a lateral that's near the end looks exactly like one that isn't from above ground. The seller doesn't necessarily know either.
What a pre-purchase survey tells you: the material, the condition, whether roots are already in, whether the grade is right, and roughly where it runs. That last point matters more than people expect, because a line under a driveway or a mature tree costs considerably more to replace than one under lawn.
If you're mid-purchase, say so when you book. It changes the urgency and sometimes the scope.
A recording of the survey, a clear account of what was found and where along the run, and a straight recommendation. Where we find a defect, we'll tell you whether it needs doing now, needs watching, or is cosmetic. Those are genuinely different categories and conflating them is how people get oversold.
A camera needs a way in. Properties with accessible cleanouts make this straightforward. Properties without one need a toilet pulled or roof access, which adds time and cost. If your property has no cleanout, installing one during other work is usually worth doing, because every future drain job is cheaper with one.
Sometimes the line is sound and the recurring blockage is about what is going down it, which is a far cheaper problem to solve. We report that when we find it. A survey that always discovers an expensive defect is not a survey, it is a sales call with a camera attached.
Knowing what a crack means in practice, and whether it needs doing now or watching for a year, comes from having carried out the repair rather than from the footage alone. Florida license CFC1425985 covers both the surveying and the work it recommends.
A lot of our surveys end up in front of a buyer, a seller or an agent, so the report has to hold up to someone with a reason to disagree with it. Our 4.7 across 1,179 Google reviews reflects years of that, and you get the recording either way.
4.7 out of 5 across 1,179 Google reviews. These are real reviews from our Google Business Profile.
★★★★★
I live in a townhouse and was never able to find a clean out. Michael had to go on the roof to scope it and found my pipe and clean out in my neighbor's yard. He came back and had to remove my neighbour's palm tree and many roots from an Oak to replace the pipe and clean out, which he replaced with an extended pipe so it can be easily found in the future. They cleaned up and carried away the palm tree and all of the tree cuttings.Victoria D. Karr
★★★★★
I needed to have the water heater in my house replaced urgently. I called TB Plumbers, and they dispatched a tech (Jason) immediately. He gave me a quote, which was reasonable. TB Plumbers (David) improved on their initial quote, and I went with them. Jason did a superb job with the replacement.Mark Mekki
★★★★★
Denis and Roland were a pleasure to work with. We had a detailed plan and restrictions we needed to work within for our project. They were able to complete everything that was asked of them, in a timely manner and at a great price! Definitely would recommend for your plumbing needs.Kyle Scannell
On an older property, yes. A standard home inspection does not look inside the sewer lateral, and that lateral is one of the most expensive things on the lot to replace. On Tampa homes built before the mid 1970s it's the single most worthwhile inspection to add.
Normally the full run from the access point to the connection, unless a blockage or collapse stops the camera. If something stops it part way, that in itself is a finding worth knowing about.
Yes. You get the recording along with an explanation of what's in it, which matters if you're using it in a purchase negotiation or deciding between repair options.
That's a useful outcome, not a wasted one. It tells you the recurring blockage is about what's going down the drain rather than the pipe, which is a much cheaper problem to solve.
Yes, but it takes longer because access means pulling a toilet or working from the roof. If your property has no cleanout, it's usually worth installing one, since every future drain job is cheaper and faster with one.
What happens after the camera finds something.
Learn moreClearing the blockage the camera explains.
Learn moreThe equivalent survey for properties on septic.
Learn moreAbout Tampa Bay Plumbers or see every service and area we cover.
Tell us whether it's for a purchase, a recurring blockage or a repair decision, and we'll tell you what the survey should cover.
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