Should You Get a Sewer Inspection Before Buying a Home?

Published August 12, 2026 · Snake-It-Away Inc.

Yes, in most cases, especially on an older home. A sewer line problem is one of the most expensive things a buyer can inherit, and it is invisible during a standard home inspection. A quick camera scope before you close tells you what you are actually buying.

Why a normal home inspection isn't enough

A standard home inspection covers what the inspector can see and reach. It does not send a camera down the sewer line to the street. So a line that is cracked, collapsed, or full of roots looks perfectly fine on inspection day, right up until it backs up a few months after you move in, and the repair lands on you.

Why it matters more on Boston-area homes

So much of the housing stock here, in Medford, Arlington, Somerville, Cambridge and the surrounding towns, sits on original clay or cast-iron sewer pipe under mature trees. That is the exact combination where roots and pipe failure show up. The older and leafier the neighborhood, the more a scope is worth.

What a pre-purchase sewer inspection tells you

We run a waterproof camera the full length of the line, and you see exactly what is there on the screen: a clean, healthy pipe, or roots, cracks, a sag, or a collapse. You get the video and a straight assessment you can share with your agent. If there is a problem, it is not necessarily a dealbreaker, it is leverage: you can negotiate a credit or a price reduction, or plan the repair with eyes open.

Buying, selling, or an agent?

• Buyers: scope before you close, not after.
• Sellers: a clean scope removes a last-minute surprise that can kill a deal at the finish line.
• Agents and inspectors: we partner with local pros as their go-to for sewer scopes, with fast turnaround, honest findings, and video you can hand a client.

Get it checked before you close

We fit inspections into your closing window across the Boston metro. See our pre-purchase sewer inspection service, or call Snake It Away at (781) 858-8314. Family-owned since 1997, Medford-based.