Drain Camera Inspection in Sydney
CCTV Drain Inspection Sydney
CCTV Drain Inspection Sydney – See Inside Your Pipes Before You Pay for a Repair
A drain that keeps blocking, a sewer smell you cannot trace, or an older house you are about to buy. Our CCTV drain inspection team sends a waterproof camera through your sewer or stormwater line, shows you the footage as it runs and marks any fault on the surface, with a $0 call-out fee and a fixed price before we start.
$0, every job
Sydney-wide
Same-day, 24/7
NSW Licensed & Insured
CCTV Drain & Sewer Camera Inspection Services
One camera, six very different reasons to use it. Whether you need to know why a drain keeps blocking, what is under the house you are buying, or whose pipe the fault is in, the inspection is set up around the question you need answered.
A drain that has been cleared more than once has a cause, and clearing it again will not find it. We camera the line after clearing to show whether it is roots, a cracked pipe, a sag or a displaced joint, so your next spend fixes the fault instead of the symptom.
A standard building and pest inspection does not put a camera down the sewer line. On an older Sydney home that leaves one of the most expensive unknowns unchecked. We inspect before you exchange, and you get footage and a written report to take into the negotiation.
We follow your private sewer line from the house to Sydney Water's point of connection, trace faults from above ground with a locator, and show you whether the problem sits on your side of the connection or theirs.
Stormwater and sewer are separate systems. When a yard floods every time it rains or a downpipe backs up, we camera the stormwater line to find silt, roots, crushed sections or poor falls before anything is dug up.
For owners corporations, strata managers and businesses, we trace shared stacks and common drainage lines to find where a fault starts and which lots it affects. Footage and a written report give the committee facts to decide on.
No one should quote relining or excavation without footage. The camera confirms the pipe length, diameter, material and condition, so the repair is sized correctly and the quote is fixed. Included free when you go ahead with relining.
What Is a CCTV Drain Inspection?
A camera inside your pipes, so the diagnosis is based on what is actually there rather than a guess from the symptoms.
A CCTV drain inspection is a video survey of the inside of a pipe. We feed a self-levelling, waterproof camera head on a flexible push rod into your drain through an inspection opening, boundary trap or gully, and watch the live picture on a monitor as it travels. The footage records the distance to every defect, so a crack, root mass or collapse can be pinned to an exact point along the line.
You will also hear it called a drain camera inspection, a CCTV pipe inspection, a sewer camera inspection or a CCTV drain survey. They all describe the same job. The camera head carries a sonde, a small transmitter we trace from above ground with a locator, so once a fault is found we can mark its position and approximate depth on the surface. That is the difference between knowing a pipe is broken and knowing where to fix it.
An inspection is the diagnosis, not the repair. It tells you whether a blocked drain needs a simple clean, whether roots will keep coming back, whether the line is a candidate for pipe relining, or whether a section has to be dug up and replaced. If the drain is blocked right now, our blocked drain plumbers clear it and camera it in the same visit.
You watch the footage with us on the day and keep a copy. Then you get a fixed quote for whatever the camera shows, with no obligation to go ahead. Call our Sydney CCTV drain inspection team on 0420 146 747.
- Sewer lines from the house to Sydney Water's connection
- Stormwater drains, downpipes and pits
- Clay, PVC, cast iron and concrete pipes
- Strata stacks and shared drainage lines
- Lines before and after relining or repair
How a CCTV Drain Inspection Works: Step by Step
Most residential inspections take 30 to 60 minutes on site, or 60 to 90 if the line needs jetting before the camera can pass. Here is what happens, from your first call to the footage in your hands.
Tell Us What Is Happening
On the phone we ask what the drain is doing, how often it has blocked, and whether the inspection is for a repair, a purchase, an insurance claim or a strata matter. That decides which lines we inspect and whether you need a written report.
Access & Line Preparation
We locate the nearest inspection opening, boundary trap or gully. If the line is blocked or heavily coated, we clear it with a high-pressure jetter first, because a camera cannot see through standing water, grease or a root mass.
Live Camera Inspection
The camera travels the line while you watch the live picture. We note the distance to every joint, junction and defect, and check the pipe material, the falls and any water sitting in a sag.
Locate & Mark the Fault
Where the camera finds a problem, we trace the sonde from above ground and mark the position and approximate depth on the surface. That is where any repair would start, and it keeps excavation to the smallest possible area.
Footage, Findings & Fixed Quote
We talk you through the footage before anything else is discussed. You keep a copy, a written report is available for purchases, insurers and strata, and if work is needed you get a fixed price before we start.
What a Drain Camera Finds in Sydney Pipes
These are the faults we find most often under Sydney homes. Each one has a different fix, which is why seeing it first matters more than guessing from the symptoms.
Tree Root Intrusion
Roots find a hairline gap at a joint, grow in and spread. On camera they show as fine strands or a solid mass across the pipe. Cutting them clears the flow, but the gap they came through is still there, so they return. The footage shows whether the joint needs sealing.
Cracked & Broken Pipes
Old clay and earthenware pipes crack with age, ground movement and roots. The camera shows whether it is a hairline crack, a missing piece of pipe wall or a section starting to break away, and that decides between a patch, a full reline or replacement.
Displaced Joints & Sags
When a joint slips out of line, it leaves a lip that catches waste. A sag, or belly, is a section that has dropped and holds water. Both cause repeat blockages, and neither can be seen from inside the house.
Grease, Scale & Foreign Objects
Fat, scale, wipes and building debris narrow the bore until it blocks. This is usually a cleaning job rather than a structural one, and the camera confirms the pipe underneath is sound once the line has been jetted.
Collapsed or Crushed Sections
A camera that stops short has usually hit a collapse, a crushed pipe or a badly offset joint. Where it stops tells us the distance and depth of the fault, which is exactly the information needed to price the repair.
Camera Diagnosis vs Clearing and Hoping
When a drain blocks, you can clear it and hope, or clear it and look. For a first blockage with an obvious cause, clearing is often enough. For a drain that keeps coming back, a smell you cannot trace or a property you are buying, the camera is the cheaper path.
| CCTV Drain Inspection | Clearing Without a Camera |
|---|---|
| Shows the exact cause of the blockage | Cause is guessed from the symptoms |
| Fault located and marked on the surface | No idea where along the line the fault is |
| Repair quoted on what the footage shows | Quotes based on assumptions that can change |
| Footage you keep for insurers, buyers or strata | Nothing to show anyone afterwards |
| Shows whether the fault is yours or Sydney Water’s | Responsibility is left unresolved |
| One visit can end the repeat call-outs | The same blockage returns and costs again |
How Much Does a CCTV Drain Inspection Cost in Sydney?
A standard residential CCTV drain inspection in Sydney typically costs $250 to $600, and adding one to a drain-clearing visit costs considerably less than booking it on its own. The range is wide because the job is. A short run from an inspection opening is a quick look. A long line that has to be jetted first, with a written report for a purchase or an insurer, is a bigger job. Either way, you get a fixed price before we start, and there is no call-out fee.
Added to a drain-clearing visit: $200 to $450. A standard camera inspection booked on its own: $250 to $600. A full survey with footage and a written report for a purchase, insurer or strata: $350 to $550. Jetting plus inspection, where the line has to be cleaned first: $450 to $750. For the full breakdown, read our CCTV drain inspection cost guide.
Tell us what the drain is doing and what the inspection is for. We will give you a fixed price before any work starts, there is no call-out fee, and if you go ahead with relining the inspection is included. Call 0420 146 747.
What Drives the Price
- Length of the run - a short line to the boundary trap is quicker than a long run to a rear-lane connection.
- Access - an existing inspection opening keeps costs down; a line reached only through a fixture takes longer.
- Jetting first - a blocked or heavily coated line has to be cleaned before the camera can see anything.
- The report - live viewing and footage are standard; a written report for a purchase, insurer or strata adds time.
- Number of lines - sewer and stormwater are separate systems, and inspecting both is a separate scope.
- Timing - adding the camera to a clearing visit you are already having is the cheapest way to get one.
Signs You Need a CCTV Drain Inspection
A drain problem you cannot see is the one that gets expensive. A CCTV drain inspection will show the cause and the best fix.
Call 0420 146 747- You see the fault yourself instead of taking someone's word for it
- The repair is sized to the actual damage, not a guess
- The fault is marked on the surface, so any digging is kept small
- The footage shows whether the fault is yours or Sydney Water's
- A record for insurers, buyers, sellers or a strata committee
- No more paying to clear the same blockage again and again
Is the Fault Yours or Sydney Water's?
It is the question behind a lot of Sydney inspections, and the answer is not simply the front boundary. Under Sydney Water's rules, the property owner is responsible for the private sewer line up to and including the point of connection to the Sydney Water main, and that point can sit in the backyard or even in a neighbour's yard. The camera and locator settle where the fault actually is.
Your Private Sewer Line
Everything from your fixtures, through the pipes under and around the house, to the point of connection is the property owner's responsibility. Most of the blockages, cracks and root intrusions we find are here, so this is where the repair bill usually falls.
The Point of Connection
This is the junction where your line joins the Sydney Water main. Owners are responsible up to and including this point, including clearing tree roots that get into the junction. Your sewer service diagram shows roughly where it is; the camera shows what condition it is in.
When Sydney Water Pays
If Sydney Water clears a blockage, it will camera the sideline to find the cause, and if it accepts the fault is in its junction or main, it pays for that repair. Report faults in its system on 13 20 90. Its approval is needed before anyone excavates at the junction.
Your Sewer Service Diagram
Sydney Water's sewer service diagram shows where your private line runs and where it connects, and you can order it through Sydney Water's Tap in service. It is a record, not a survey. It says nothing about the pipe's condition, and pipes are not always exactly where it shows. We check it against the footage.
Why Sydney Homeowners Choose R&G for CCTV Drain Inspections
A camera is only as useful as the person reading the footage. R&G Plumbing inspects, explains and quotes on what the camera actually shows, and tells you when an inspection is not worth paying for.
You See the Footage
You watch the live picture with us and keep a copy of the footage, so the diagnosis is something you can check for yourself, not just something you are told.
Faults Located, Not Just Found
Our camera heads carry a sonde, so every fault is traced and marked on the surface with its approximate depth. Any repair starts in exactly the right place.
Fixed Price, $0 Call-Out
No call-out fee and a fixed price before we start, for the inspection and for any work that follows it.
Licensed Drainage Plumbers
Every inspection is carried out by a licensed, insured Sydney plumber who can also clear, repair or reline whatever the camera finds.
Honest About When You Do Not Need One
A first blockage with an obvious cause rarely needs a camera. If an inspection would not tell you anything useful, we will say so rather than book one.
Real Reviews from Satisfied Clients
I really appreciated the honest advice, attention to detail, and fair pricing. I highly recommend R&G Plumbing to anyone looking for reliable, fairly priced, and professional plumbing services.
Thank you again to the entire R&G Plumbing team!
Initially, it looked like the floor would need to be dug up for a 1.5 day job$$, which we couldn’t afford. Instead, Jack kept investigating and found another access point through our neighbour’s carpark ceiling. He organised access to neighbours garage, removed the roots, and repaired the pipe at a much more affordable price. The roots were way worse than we expected.
As a young couple and first home buyers, this was our first time dealing with a plumber and we were pretty stressed since we thought it was a simple blockage but it turned out to be a complex issue. I gotta check the drainage when im purchase property in the future. Learnt my lesson!
Jeremy and Zac explained everything clearly and provided a detailed report and invoice so we can raise it with strata, as the drainage is linked to other units and may have further issues.
Really grateful for the honesty and effort. We’ve definitely found a plumber we trust and would happily connect with Jeremy’s team again.
Book your CCTV drain inspection with us and you will see the inside of your pipes on the day, keep the footage, and get a fixed, no-obligation quote for any work it shows. If you go ahead with pipe relining, the inspection is included.
CCTV Drain Inspections Across Sydney
We inspect drains across northern, western and inner western Sydney, with the North Shore as our priority area. Not sure if you are covered? Call us, and we will confirm on the spot.
North Shore & Lower North Shore
Hornsby, Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon, Warrawee, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville, Chatswood, Willoughby, Artarmon, St Leonards, Crows Nest, North Sydney and Mosman, plus Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Epping and Eastwood.
The Hills & Central North
Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Seven Hills, Winston Hills, Northmead, Carlingford, North Parramatta and Parramatta.
Inner West & Western Sydney
Strathfield, Burwood, Ashfield, Leichhardt, Newtown, Hurlstone Park, Lidcombe, Silverwater and Newington, plus Blacktown, Mount Druitt and the surrounding suburbs.
CCTV Drain Inspection Sydney FAQs
How much does a CCTV drain inspection cost in Sydney?
Most standard residential inspections in Sydney cost $250 to $600, and adding one to a drain-clearing visit costs less than booking it separately. A full survey with a written report for a purchase or insurer is typically $350 to $550, and a line that has to be jetted first is typically $450 to $750. We give you a fixed price before we start, with no call-out fee.
What can a CCTV drain camera find?
Tree roots, cracked or broken pipes, displaced joints, sags that hold water, grease and scale build-up, foreign objects, and collapsed or crushed sections. It also shows the pipe material, where the junctions are and the distance to every defect.
How long does a CCTV drain inspection take?
A standard residential inspection takes 30 to 60 minutes on site, or 60 to 90 minutes if the line has to be jetted before the camera can pass. A larger property or several lines take longer, and we tell you beforehand.
Do I get a copy of the footage and a report?
Yes, you keep a copy of the footage. A written report is available when the inspection is for a property purchase, an insurance claim or a strata committee, and we confirm it in the quote so you know exactly what is included.
Should I get a drain inspection before buying a house in Sydney?
On an older home, it is well worth it. A standard building and pest inspection does not put a camera down the sewer line, so the drains are one of the few significant unknowns left. Cracked clay pipes or roots found before exchange are a negotiating point; found after settlement, they are your bill.
Is the blocked pipe my responsibility or Sydney Water's?
Under Sydney Water's rules, the owner is responsible for the private sewer line up to and including the point of connection to the main, and that point is not always at the front boundary. A camera inspection with a locator shows where the fault is. If it is in Sydney Water's system, you can report it on 13 20 90.
Do you need to dig up my yard to inspect the drains?
No. The camera goes in through an existing inspection opening, boundary trap or gully, so nothing is dug up for the inspection. If a repair is needed, marking the fault on the surface keeps any excavation as small as possible.
What if the drain is blocked when you arrive?
We clear it first, usually with a high-pressure jetter, and then run the camera. A camera cannot see through standing water or a root mass, and the most useful footage is taken straight after clearing, while the cause is still visible.
Can you inspect stormwater drains as well as sewer lines?
Yes. Stormwater and sewer are separate systems, so tell us which one is causing trouble or ask for both. Stormwater inspections are common where a yard floods in heavy rain or downpipes back up.
Can a CCTV inspection report support an insurance claim?
Footage and a written report give an insurer a clear record of the damage, where it is and what likely caused it. Whether a claim is accepted depends on your policy, so check your cover, but you will have the evidence an assessor asks for.
Do I need a CCTV inspection for every blocked drain?
No. A first blockage with an obvious cause that clears easily usually does not need one. A camera earns its cost when a drain keeps blocking, when you are buying a property, or before relining or a major repair. Our guide on whether you actually need a CCTV inspection goes through it in detail.
Book Your CCTV Drain Inspection
Tell us what the drain is doing and what the inspection is for. Our team will get back to you quickly with a fixed, no-obligation price.
No charge to attend. You see a fixed price first.
Watch it live on the day and keep a copy afterwards.
Licensed, insured and covered by our workmanship guarantee.
Tell us what is going on and our team will get back to you quickly.
Stop paying to clear the same drain again and again. Call now for a CCTV drain inspection with a $0 call-out fee, footage you keep, and a clear price before we start.