The drains are the one part of a house nobody sees at an open home. Four questions say whether this one needs a drain camera inspection before you sign, and give you a plumbing checklist to take along.
Five minutes at the open home or building inspection tells you a lot.
Every tap, the shower and a toilet flush together. Watch the drains, listen for gurgling, and check the gully outside.
Water stains, swollen cupboard floors or a damp smell point to a slow leak.
The date is on the label. Over about 10 years old, budget for a replacement.
Big trees over the drain line, soggy patches, and where the downpipes go.
Big trees on the block? Check the root risk On septic? Check the system
Older pipes, big trees or a flood history make a hidden drain problem likely, and none of it shows at an open home. A camera inspection of the sewer line before you sign, or within the cooling-off period, shows cracks, roots and sagging sections. It is far cheaper than finding them after settlement.
Typical cost: $250–$350 for a camera inspection. Fixing a root-damaged line later is typically $2,900–$6,400 if it can be relined.
There is some risk in the drains, but nothing that stands out. A camera inspection is cheap insurance on the biggest purchase most people make. At the least, run every tap and flush every toilet at the inspection and watch for slow drains or gurgling.
Typical cost: $250–$350 for a camera inspection.
A newer house, sound PVC drains and no big trees make serious drain problems unlikely. Run every tap and flush every toilet at the inspection, check under the sinks for leaks, and look at the hot water system’s age. The checklist below covers the rest.
Typical cost: No drain inspection needed unless the checks find something.
For an older home, one with big trees near the drain, or one in a flood-affected street, yes. A camera inspection is typically $250–$350 and shows roots, cracks and sagging pipes that no open home will.
Usually not the underground drains. A building inspection looks at what is visible; the sewer line under the yard needs a camera.
Yes, as long as the seller gives access. Many buyers make the contract subject to a satisfactory plumbing or drainage inspection instead.
Ask the agent, and look for a tank lid or treatment plant in the yard. The seller’s Urban Utilities bill shows a sewerage charge if it is on town sewer.
Root-damaged clay sewer lines, flood silt in drains and gullies, ageing hot water systems, and in some suburbs pipes shifted by ground movement over old mine workings.
Send the address and your settlement date. A licensed local plumber who covers the area gets back to you with a price for a pre-purchase camera inspection.