A standard home inspection in Encino, CA does not include the sewer line. This is the single most common gap in real estate due diligence, and it creates ten-thousand-dollar surprises for new homeowners within the first year of ownership. American Home Repair Services performs sewer scope inspections specifically for real estate transactions, providing buyers, sellers, and agents with HD video of the sewer lateral and a written report of findings.
Why Standard Inspections Miss the Sewer
Home inspectors evaluate what they can see. The sewer lateral is buried, often dozens or hundreds of feet long, and runs from inside the house to the city tap at the street. None of that is visible without specialized camera equipment. A standard home inspector will note that drains operate during the inspection but cannot assess the structural condition of the line itself.
The result is that buyers close on Encino homes without knowing whether the sewer lateral is original cast iron from 1955, partially replaced PVC, or somewhere in between. They find out when the line backs up six months later, by which point the seller has moved and the inspection contingency window has closed.
What a Sewer Scope Detects
A sewer camera inspection by American Home Repair Services pushes a self-leveling HD camera through the lateral from an accessible cleanout (or from the main stack if no cleanout exists) all the way to the city connection at the street. The technician records the entire run and identifies pipe material like cast iron, clay tile, Orangeburg, PVC, ABS, or HDPE, each of which has a different remaining service life.
The camera also reveals root intrusion through joints or cracks, bellies (low sections of pipe that hold water and trap solids), cracks and offsets in the pipe wall caused by ground movement or earthquakes, foreign objects like wipes or toys lodged in the line, collapsed sections that require full replacement, and improper connections including illegal cross-connections or unpermitted modifications.
How Sewer Scope Findings Affect a Real Estate Deal
Findings from a sewer scope give buyers concrete options during due diligence. Minor findings like light root intrusion or surface scale can usually be cleaned with hydro jetting and noted as preventive maintenance. Moderate findings like offset joints, isolated cracks, or moderate bellies typically lead to a price reduction negotiation or a seller-paid repair credit, often in the $2,000 to $8,000 range. Major findings like collapsed sections, full root takeover, Orangeburg pipe, or failed clay can mean $15,000 to $35,000+ in repair costs, which often becomes a deal-breaker or major price reduction.
Without a sewer scope, none of this information is available during the negotiation window. After closing, all of it becomes the buyer’s expense.
What Buyers Should Ask For
When ordering a sewer scope for an Encino real estate transaction, buyers should request a video file delivered after the inspection, a written report summarizing findings in plain language, a cost estimate for any flagged issues, and an inspection from an actual cleanout rather than just a sink. Pushing a camera through a sink drain risks getting stuck and only sees a partial line.
American Home Repair Services provides all four as standard practice for every real estate sewer scope.
Why This Matters Especially in Encino
Encino has a concentration of mid-century housing stock with original sewer laterals approaching 70 years of service life. Many homes also sit under or near mature trees with aggressive root systems. The probability that a 1955-era Encino home has at least one significant sewer issue is high. Buyers who skip the sewer scope are gambling on a major hidden cost.
Schedule a Pre-Purchase Sewer Scope in Encino
To schedule a sewer scope inspection during your Encino home purchase, contact American Home Repair Services at (818) 765-7240. Most inspections are completed within 24 to 48 hours of request, with the video and written report delivered the same day.
