What is a Lateral Sewer Line? 6 Reasons to Have an Inspection!
Believe it or not, many people don’t have a clue as to what a lateral sewer line is all about. And yet, everyone who owns a home has one!
If you have owned your home for over 20 years, you probably purchased it without having an inspection of this all-important connection underground. Nowadays, it is common practice for potential home buyers to include this inspection when submitting a contract to buy.
Unfortunately, our environment and love of our old trees can create havoc on our (aging) sewer systems. Here are some reasons to have a complete inspection of the pipes you are about to “purchase.”
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To begin with, inspections are inexpensive and can be done quickly. However, the repairs can be very costly and most often not covered by your insurance due to the natural cause of that “lovely old tree” out front that you have loved and enjoyed for years. Tree roots LOVE sewer lines. If gone unnoticed for too long, sewer backups begin which can cause flooding and leaking toxic sewer gas.
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Even without the contribution of that lovely old tree, natural wear and tear happens. Even new systems can have problems occasionally and become blocked but for the most part it is much more likely to happen with older systems. Many setups are still utilizing clay pipes which in time break down and erode causing them to collapse.
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Sewer scope inspections are relatively inexpensive (see our pricing.) This is done with a camera and takes very little time to survey.
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By having the initial inspection you may save yourself some serious expenses down the road. It is not unusual to spend over $15,000 to have your lateral sewer line replaced. If your inspector spots some minor tree root growth inside the pipes, often they can be removed without having to replace the entire system. This can prevent future issues.
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If you are in the process of selling your home, most likely a potential buyer will request this type of inspection. As a seller, you can choose to repair it prior to accepting an offer or plan on crediting the buyer at closing. Having the estimates for the work ahead of time will help make a smooth negotiation on the price.
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If you are a potential buyer, this inspection is quite necessary. There is nothing like a huge surprise after closing on your “dream home.” The work that has to be done is invasive to your front yard and will create a period of time when your water is shut off for the repairs. This is a good time to be proactive. Our highly qualified team can inspect the sewer lines and provide you with a detailed report to offer up with your contract. This is so valuable to have in hand. Let us do the inspection for you.
Give Clear Path Inspections a call at 314-332-6008, email us or order your inspection online with our easy to use website.
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