Should the line be cleaned before the camera goes in?

Often the first pass is done as found, so the contractor sees the debris and roots in place. A second pass after cleaning then shows the true condition of the pipe wall.

Will I get a copy of the footage?

Ask for it before the work starts. Recorded video, still images and a locate depth are what let you compare quotations on equal terms.

Sewer Camera Inspection Canada

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How a CCTV sewer inspection is carried out

A self-levelling camera on a flexible rod is fed into the lateral, usually from a cleanout, and pushed toward the municipal connection while the operator watches a monitor. A sonde in the camera head lets the technician locate the position and depth of a defect from the surface, marking exactly where any access pit would need to go.

What the camera identifies

Root intrusion — fine roots at joints, or a root mass restricting flow
Cracks and fractures — longitudinal, circumferential or open breaks
Offset joints — sections that have shifted out of alignment
Collapsed sections — pipe that has lost its shape or caved in
Sags and standing water — settlement holding water in the run
Pipe material and diameter — clay, cast iron, concrete, ABS or PVC
Scale, grease and debris — build-up reducing the effective bore

Why inspection comes before lining or bursting

Lining needs a host pipe that still holds its shape; bursting needs a clear, locatable path and workable pit locations. Neither decision can be made responsibly from symptoms alone. The inspection also sets the scope — the length to be treated, the cleaning required, and which branch connections have to be reinstated afterwards.