Pre-purchase sewer inspection

What to insist on receiving

Ask for these at the point of booking, in writing. Afterwards they are frequently unavailable.

• the complete original recording, in a form you can keep, not a clip shown on a phone
• a written report identifying the access point and direction
• a statement of how far the inspection reached and what stopped it
• observations tied to distances, kept separate from recommendations
• whether the line was cleaned first
• a statement of anything that could not be inspected

What a finding does and does not tell you

A finding establishes what was observed on that date, over the length reached. It does not establish what work is required, what that work would cost, or who between buyer and seller should bear it. Those are commercial and, in places, legal questions.

It is also worth being clear about what a quote obtained during an inspection period is: a price for a described scope under time pressure, from a company that knows a deadline exists. It is useful information. It is not an estimate of what the work will eventually cost.