Full-length video of the lateral
We run the camera from an access point out toward the public sewer main and record what the line actually looks like along its length.
Drain & Sewer · Northern Virginia
See what is actually inside the line before you pay to fix it.
Quick answer
A sewer camera inspection sends a waterproof video camera down your sewer lateral so we can see the real condition of the pipe — roots at a joint, a crack, a belly holding water, or a blockage — instead of guessing. LeMaster Plumber cameras lines for homeowners across Northern Virginia, and we use what we find to recommend the smallest fix that actually solves the problem. Fairfax County’s own guidance says the best way to assess a lateral’s condition is a CCTV examination.
Repeated backups are a symptom, not a diagnosis. Cabling a line clears today’s clog but tells you almost nothing about why it clogged — and paying to dig based on a guess is how a small problem becomes an expensive one. A camera inspection turns the question into something you can see: we put a camera in the line, walk it to the problem, and show you the footage.
We run the camera from an access point out toward the public sewer main and record what the line actually looks like along its length.
We identify where along the run the defect sits and roughly how deep, so any repair is targeted instead of exploratory.
Root intrusion at a joint, a crack or offset, a belly holding standing water, scale buildup, or a foreign obstruction — each points to a different fix.
We tell you what we saw, what it means, and the options — including doing nothing yet, when that is genuinely reasonable.
Being clear about the edges of a job is how you avoid a surprise halfway through it:
We start at the cleanout where the lateral can be reached. If your home does not have one, or it is buried, we talk through the options before doing anything.
A camera cannot read a line packed with debris. If the line is blocked, we cable or jet it first so the footage is worth having.
The camera travels the line while we watch. You are welcome to watch with us — most people find it far more convincing than a description.
We explain what the footage shows, then price any recommended repair upfront for your approval before work begins.
Why LeMaster Plumber
You approve the price before we start — no surprises and no pressure. You’ll always know the cost before any work begins.
Every job is backed by proper training, the right permits, and a workmanship guarantee.
We show up on time, protect your space, and leave the job cleaner than we found it.
We quote every job upfront and you approve the price before any work begins. What we cannot do honestly is put a number on this page without seeing your situation — so here is what actually moves it:
A camera run on an accessible, flowing line is straightforward. A line that must be cabled or jetted before the camera can pass is two jobs, not one.
An accessible exterior cleanout is the easy case. No cleanout, a buried one, or roof-vent access all take longer.
A short, straight lateral reads quickly. A long run with multiple bends, or a line that branches, takes more time.
Pinpointing the depth and position of a defect on the surface is extra work beyond simply viewing the line.
In Fairfax County the sewer lateral — the pipe from your home out to the public main — is the homeowner’s. The county’s own homeowner guidance states that the building lateral is considered part of the home and that maintenance, repair and replacement are the property owner’s responsibility, enforceable under Section 504.1 of the Virginia Property Maintenance Code, while the county maintains the public sewer in the street or easement (Fairfax County, Sanitary Sewer House Lateral).
The same guidance names CCTV examination as the best way to assess a lateral’s condition, and notes that a repair or replacement on private property requires a county plumbing permit — with a state permit as well if the work reaches into the VDOT right-of-way — performed by a licensed plumber and inspected by the Building Inspections Branch. An inspection itself does not require a permit; the repair it leads to may.
If you have an active sewage backup or an overflow, Fairfax County runs a 24-hour Customer Communications Center at 703-323-1211 (TTY 711) for problems in the public system (Fairfax County DPWES, Wastewater Construction and Maintenance).
Ready to get it sorted? Pick your own appointment time online.
Or call (703) 832-9090 — we answer 24/7.
We cover all of Fairfax County — Fairfax, Centreville, Chantilly, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Burke, Springfield, McLean, Annandale and every community in between — plus Ashburn, Sterling and South Riding in Loudoun, and neighboring Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and Manassas.
Snaking clears a blockage; a camera tells you why it happened. Cabling a line that is failing because of root intrusion or a collapsed section buys weeks, not years. Seeing the pipe is what turns a repeating expense into a decision you can make once.
A cleanout is the easiest access point, and Fairfax County describes it as a roughly 4-inch capped access point where the lateral can be serviced. If you cannot find one, you may not have one or it may be buried — that is common in older homes, and we can help locate it or discuss adding one.
Not usefully. The camera needs to be able to travel the pipe, so a fully blocked line has to be cabled or jetted first. We will tell you upfront if that is the case rather than running a camera that cannot see anything.
A belly is a low spot where the pipe has sagged, so water and solids sit in it instead of flowing through. It shows up on camera as standing water. Bellies cause recurring clogs and generally do not improve on their own — but the right response depends on how severe it is, which is exactly what the footage tells us.
It is one of the more useful things you can check, particularly on an older home with mature trees. A standard home inspection does not include a camera run of the sewer lateral, and the lateral becomes your responsibility the day you own it.
Yes. You are welcome to watch the inspection live, and we will walk you through what you are looking at. We would much rather you see the problem than take our word for it.
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