The inspection

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

In this illustrative example, a buyer is under contract on a ranch home in an older part of south Thornton with a partly finished basement. The general inspection notes a faint sewer smell and staining on the concrete around the floor drain. The buyer adds a sewer camera inspection.

  1. The camera enters through a basement cleanout and travels toward the street.
  2. About midway under the front yard, the footage shows root intrusion at two joints and an offset where one pipe section has shifted.
  3. Closer to the main, the pipe material changes, suggesting a section was replaced at some point.
  4. The buyer asks the seller for any history of backups or line work.
  5. The seller discloses a past backup that was cleaned up and a period of yearly root cleaning.

The buyer negotiated a repair of the damaged section before closing, kept the camera footage, and budgeted to replace the basement carpet near the drain with hard flooring after moving in.

Choices the buyer weighed

  • IfAsk for a repair before closingThenGets the work done on the seller's side, but the buyer has less control over the method and contractor.
  • IfAsk for a price reduction or creditThenLets the buyer choose the plumber and method later, if the lender allows it.
  • IfAccept as is and schedule root cleaningThenLower upfront cost but the backup risk remains; not chosen here.

Questions the buyer asked the seller

  1. Has sewage ever come up a drain in this house? When, and who cleaned it up?
  2. What was removed during that cleanup, and was the area dried and checked?
  3. Has the sewer line been cleaned, repaired or lined? Are there invoices?
  4. Is there a backwater valve, and where is it?
  5. Was there an insurance claim for a backup?

Why this matters in older neighborhoods

Many homes in Thornton's oldest neighborhoods have laterals that have been patched over the years in different materials. A camera inspection costs far less than a single backup cleanup and gives the buyer a record of the line's condition on the day they bought the home. Keeping that footage also helps the next plumber compare conditions over time.

General information for Thornton, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.