Sewer
Signs Your Sewer Line May Need Inspection
Updated · Written by the SteadWell team
Short answerGet your sewer line inspected if you have more than one main-line backup, gurgling drains throughout the house, sewer odor indoors or in the yard, or a soggy strip of lawn over the line. It's also smart before buying a home over 40 years old.
Warning signs
- Water backs up in the lowest drain when a toilet flushes or the washer drains
- Multiple fixtures are slow at the same time
- Sewer smell near floor drains or in the yard
- A patch of grass that's greener or wetter than the rest
- Roots found every time the line is cleared
What the inspection shows
A camera recording from the cleanout to the city tap shows the pipe material, roots, cracks, offsets and sags, with distances. A locator marks where each problem is on the ground and how deep.
Pipe materials and what they tend to do
Clay: roots at joints. Cast iron: cracks and scale. Orangeburg (1940s–70s): deforms and collapses. PVC: generally sound, but can sag if bedding was poor.
This guide is general information, not a substitute for an on-site assessment. Read our editorial standards.