A sewer scope inspection report template for home inspectors and plumbers who push a camera down the lateral — the private pipe that carries everything from the house to the public sewer or the septic tank. It records where you entered the line, how far the camera got, what the pipe is made of, and every defect at its footage from the access point, then ends with one plain recommendation the buyer can act on.
Why footage is the most important number in the report
A defect with no distance attached is almost useless to the contractor who has to fix it. Reset the counter at the access point, note which way the line runs, and read the footage off the screen at every observation. A belly from 38 to 46 feet tells the excavator where to dig and roughly how long the trench will be.
Each observation in this form is its own entry: footage, what you saw, how serious it is and a frame grab. Moderate and severe entries go to the top of the report automatically; minor ones stay in the observation table so the client still sees them.
Pipe material changes the advice
The same crack means different things in different pipe. Clay and cast iron fail at joints and with age; cast iron also scales and corrodes from the inside, which is why descaling appears among the recommendations. Bituminous fiber pipe, often called Orangeburg, deforms and collapses, and many inspectors recommend replacing it outright. Modern PVC or ABS usually fails only where it was installed badly or crushed.
Many laterals change material partway, often where an earlier repair was made or where the private line meets the city stub. Log the footage where the material changes as its own observation.
Where the camera stopped, and why
A scope that reaches the main or the tank answers the question the buyer asked. One that stops short leaves part of the line unseen, and the report has to say so: how many feet were scoped, where it stopped, and whether that was a blockage, a drop, a turn the camera could not take, water too deep to see through, or the end of the push cable.
Do not force the camera past an obstruction, and do not push into the city tap, a backflow device or the septic tank. If the line could not be completed from one access point, the recommendation can be to clean the line and scope it again, or to scope from a second access.
Keep the video and link it
The frame grabs in the report are the evidence a buyer reads; the recording is what a plumber will want to watch before quoting. Add a link to the video, note the counter time of the key observations, and say how long you keep the file.
Common questions
What does a sewer scope inspection report include?
The access point used, the camera equipment, the length scoped and whether it reached the city main or septic tank, the pipe materials seen, each observation with its distance, type, severity and a still image, a link to the video, a recommendation, and what could not be inspected.
Is a sewer scope part of a standard home inspection?
No. A general home inspection looks at the plumbing that can be seen inside the house. The underground lateral is out of sight, so scoping it is an extra service, usually booked alongside the home inspection for older homes or homes with large trees near the line.
Which defects should I always report?
Root intrusion, cracks, breaks, offset or separated joints, bellies that hold water, collapsed or deformed pipe, heavy scale, grease and debris. Record every one with its footage, even the minor ones, so the next scope can show whether they are getting worse.
Should the report include a repair cost?
This form leaves cost out on purpose. Repair prices depend on depth, access, local permits and the method a contractor chooses. The recommendation names the kind of work and who should quote it, which keeps the report a record of what you saw.
What if the camera cannot reach the main?
Record the length you did scope, where it stopped and the reason. That section of line is then listed under limitations, and the usual recommendation is to have the line cleaned and scoped again, or scoped from another access point.
Can I scope through a toilet or a roof vent?
Sometimes, when there is no usable cleanout. Pulling a toilet needs the owner's permission in advance, and a roof vent adds a long vertical drop. Record which access you used, since it affects what the camera could see.