How much does a sewer line cost to inspect in Tampa?
Are you experiencing clogging in your home’s drains? Have your water bills recently spiked? Have you noticed a foul sewage odor in or around your house?
If so, it might be a good idea to have your sewer line inspected by a professional Tampa plumber. Inspecting a sewer line is one of the best ways to determine whether your pipes have a clog and if there are more severe issues that need repair.
Most Florida plumbers charge a flat fee for this type of service, but your sewer line inspection costs can vary depending on these factors:
We’ll take a look at these factors that impact the cost. But first, let’s go over some of the reasons you might need a camera inspection and the process of a sewer line inspection.
Keep in mind that a clean main sewer line is vital to preventing unnecessary plumbing services and keeping your home’s water clean. You can read more in our blog, “How To Keep Your Main Sewer Line Clean.”
Call us or schedule an appointment online. We’ll send one of our plumbers to your home to diagnose your sewer line issue and get your system flowing freely again.
You might need a sewer camera inspection to look inside your pipes.
Sewer camera inspections are the best way for you and your plumber to clearly and easily see inside your pipes. Therefore, allowing for an easier and more accurate diagnosis of any issues or repairs required. Your plumber can find clogs, damaged pipes, pipe build-up, and tree root infiltration using the sewer camera.
The inspection involves a flexible pole inserted into your pipes with a high-resolution video camera on the tip. The camera can record and help the plumber determine the depth and the physical location of any obstructions.
Situations in which a camera inspection can save you money in the long run and is worth the cost include:
A camera inspection will add to the overall cost of your sewer line inspection, so keep that in mind.
If you’re wondering how a plumber can get a camera into piping located under your house or in difficult-to-reach areas, let us explain.
A professional plumber will identify the best way into the sewer line, which is usually through a plumbing cleanout. Most plumbers prefer going in through a cleanout, but if your home doesn’t have one or if it isn’t accessible, they will need to find other options.
With a sewer line clog caused by an obstruction, the plumber will usually remove the obstruction with an auger or hydrojetting before using the camera. Then, they will push the camera through the pipe, starting at the cleanout and ending at the main line to the city sewer.
Sewer lines buried deep underground are harder to access.
If your plumber has difficulty accessing your piping or sewer line, the cost of your inspection will increase.
Why? If your damaged pipe is hard to reach (i.e., buried deep underground, surrounded by trees or landscaping, or covered by a backyard deck, etc.), your plumber will need more tools and more time to inspect your sewer lines and repair any damage.
For example, the contractor will need additional tools to break up the concrete and reach the pipe directly beneath your driveway, under your basement floor, or underneath your sidewalk. This extra time and expensive machinery required to complete the job will increase the overall cost.
You may have to partially or entirely replace your sewer line.
When part of your main sewer line needs replacement, you will have to pay for the materials and labor to replace it. Depending on the type of materials your pipes are made from, these costs will dictate how much you pay per foot for replacement.
More expensive pipe materials include copper, iron, steel, clay, and concrete. Less expensive pipe materials include PVC or ABS.
Higher-quality contractors will charge more for their labor. But don’t let that keep you from hiring a qualified, experienced contractor for your sewer line inspection. While repairs can be costly, a repair done poorly will cost you a lot more money in future repairs.
They’re also more likely to charge a fixed rate. Fixed-rate contractors charge a flat rate for the entire sewer line inspection, no matter how long the service takes. With this type of pricing, you will know what you’ll precisely owe before any work begins, and there won’t be any surprises.
Meanwhile, hourly-rate contractors charge you for each hour it takes to complete the job. The problem with hiring a plumber who charges hourly is that you won’t know your exact cost until you’re paying the bill.
When hiring a plumber for your Tampa sewer line inspection, we recommend you:
Get a written estimate to know exactly how much your repair will cost.
Red Cap plumbers go through extensive training for sewer line inspections.
Contact us 24/7 online. We’ll send one of our highly-trained plumbers to inspect your sewer line, diagnose the issue thoroughly so we can get you back to an odor-free home, and provide you with an upfront fixed quote for a repair. Our team is committed to always arriving on time and providing quality service for all repair or replacement jobs.