Sewer Scopes
Sewer scopes (and septic line scopes) have become popular over the past few years, and for good reason. Homeowners have realized that these drain lines are not checked during a routine home inspection and you inherit every bit of that pipe leading to the sewer connection. If a latent defect shows up after moving in you could be having to hire a company to dig that line up and repair it, which can cost an absolute fortune.
The Answer
The answer to this is having a quality sewer scope service performed on the home before the purchase. That way if you discover an issue that is not an easy fix, you can plan accordingly. For example, many homes in Tacoma have several sewer lines chained together in neighboring yards before they connect to the sewer. So, if your line is crushed on your neighbor's property and they don't feel like fixing it- then you absolutely NEED to know that before it potentially becomes a nightmare.
Septic systems typically have shorter lengths of drain lines from the home to the tank. You should know that these also are not checked unless you have a scope service on them.
Sewer scopes are optional. But, the prudent homebuyer often finds the fee to be menial in exchange for the peace-of-mind you get in return—especially on older homes.
Common issues
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