What should a sewer-camera inspection report include?

Define the pipe segment and zero point, keep the full video, map findings and limits, re-scope after cleaning, and settle the repair handoff.

A sewer camera inspection report should let someone else identify the exact pipe segment, replay the full run, and find a reported condition again. Before the camera enters, define the access point, inspection direction, intended endpoint, and the zero point used for distance. Afterward, require the complete video, written findings, limits, surface locations when marked, and a clean handoff to whoever will diagnose or repair the line.

Name the segment before discussing defects

Record the property address, date, inspector, access type and location, direction of travel, and the fixtures or structures served. State whether the intended segment is a building drain, private lateral from the house toward a public connection, line to a septic tank, or something else. InterNACHI defines a sewer scope as a video inspection of the lateral from the house at or near the foundation to the municipal or association tap or septic tank. It also says the report should identify portions inspected and explain areas not inspected.

Distance needs an origin. “Roots at 42 feet” is hard to use unless the report says 42 feet from the exterior cleanout rim, basement cleanout, roof vent entry, or another fixed zero. Note counter resets, camera reversals, branches, and whether the footage display is approximate. If a technician marks the surface, require a photograph, paint or flag description, measured ties to fixed features, locator method, and stated uncertainty. InterNACHI's standard does not require an inspector to locate a defect at the surface, so confirm that service before assuming it is included.

Get the full video and a finding log

InterNACHI calls for recording the entire inspection and giving the video to the client, plus documenting observed defects. Ask for the original continuous file or a durable link, not only selected still frames. The written log should pair each finding with video time, camera distance, pipe material when reasonably identified, flow direction, image, observation, and recommended next step.

Use descriptive words before conclusions: visible root entry at a joint, standing water over a stated distance, offset, crack, scale, debris, deformation, or blocked view. InterNACHI lists visible cracks, root intrusion, blockage, crushed or separated pipe, excessive rust or scale, deterioration, and other observed conditions for reporting, while also warning that the inspection is not technically exhaustive and cannot reveal concealed or latent defects.

Make limitations specific

A useful report says where the camera stopped and why: standing water, debris, grease, roots, a tight bend, a smaller pipe, offset, trap, unsafe access, equipment limit, or risk of damage. It should name uninspected branches and any underfloor or in-house piping outside the agreement. The date matters too. InterNACHI states that a scope records conditions observed that day, not future performance.

My view: a five-minute highlight reel is not a sewer-scope deliverable when the camera traveled much farther. The quiet sections establish continuity, materials, joints, and where the run actually went. Keep them.

Separate cleaning from the re-scope

If buildup or a blockage prevents a clear view, the report should recommend the appropriate qualified drain or sewer service without pretending the hidden segment passed. Get a separate cleaning authorization that states method, access, disposal, risk to fragile pipe, and stop conditions. Then re-scope the same segment from the same zero point and retain both videos. Restored flow alone does not document pipe condition.

Sewage, an active backup, damaged piping, confined-space access, roof access, excavation, and cutting or high-pressure cleaning are not homeowner inspection tasks. Keep people and pets away from wastewater, stop unnecessary water use, and use qualified help. The slow-drain or sewer-line guide covers the immediate response and explains why ownership cannot be guessed from indoor symptoms.

Hand repair bidders the same evidence

Ask the serving utility, municipality, association, septic authority, survey, and title or property documents where responsibility changes. Ownership rules vary by address, and a camera crossing a connection does not settle the legal boundary. Identify permits, utility coordination, easements, restoration, and inspection requirements before accepting excavation, lining, bursting, or spot repair.

Give each bidder the full video, report, zero-point definition, surface marks, and requested outcome. Require repair limits by distance and map, material and dimensions, access and restoration, bypass or service interruption, testing, permits, warranty, changes, and a post-repair video of the same segment. The contractor quote comparison helps keep those offers on one scope. Preserve the before-and-after files; they are the repair handoff, not an optional attachment.