When Buying a Home, Should I Inspect the Main Sewer Line?

There is only ONE answer to the question of “should I inspect the main sewer line?” The answer every time is “yes.”

In my area, which I consider to be the Denver Metro. (Denver, Douglas, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Adams and Boulder Counties)  Every home sale whether a new build or 100 year old historical home needs to have a sewer scope. I cannot say it enough just pay and get it done.

Hole in the bottom of pipe before the downturn into the city main.

I’ve covered the topic of sewer scopes and whether you should order a sewer inspection when buying a home many times over the years as a real estate blogger but it never gets old. People seem to shy away and think it’s ok to skip it and take their chances.

Map of Parker, CO neighborhoods.

I’m buying a home should I have the sewer scoped? Reasons why.

1. A sewer scope in the Denver Metro costs around $200.
2. The lest expensive sewer repair I’ve ever seen was around $500 but that was just for a clean out roto rooter type job where they run a drill type head down the line to clean out tree roots.
3. The average main sewer line repair I see is around $4,000.
4. The most expensive main sewer line repair I’ve been associated with was over $10,000.
5. The most expensive main sewer line repair I’ve heard about was $22,000 for an entire new line and hook up to the sewer main at the street. Luckily this was not my client.
6. Cleaning a sewer line is an easy fix that can take a couple of hours to complete.
7. Repairing a main sewer line can take a day or two and involves digging up the yard and often times can involve tree removal. It can be a huge mess. Good repair companies will also repair the turf and area they were digging so you can hardly see where the work was done.
8. Also read: Sewer Scope – Do it or Lose Thousands!

I’m buying a brand new home. Do I need to have the main sewer line inspected?

I’ve seen a brand new home with a broken main sewer line. The landscaping and grading crew separated the line while backfilling the house. The owner that just had the house built was being transferred and needed to sell quickly so it was a good deal for my buyer. I insisted my buyer client have the $200 sewer scope inspection. They thought I was wasting their money. The sewer line was separated by nearly a foot and there was a huge sink hole forming under the sewer line from all the water seeping into the ground. It was a $4,000 repair. My clients were very happy they paid the $200 fee to have the line scoped.

I agree that the market is fast paced and booming at the moment but don’t get caught up in the hype and forget to do what is needed to make smart decisions when buying a home.

As a Realtor that has sold hundreds of homes I’ve had each home I have personally bought scoped. I suggest you do it too.

Send Steven Beam an email.

Steven Beam is a Parker, Colorado real estate broker. 303-941-4663.