# Buried Drain Line Camera Survey for Denver Properties

A buried drain scope runs a camera from the building's main cleanout out to the sewer main or septic connection, well past the fixtures and branch lines inside the walls. Denver Sewer and Water uses this survey to establish pipe material, condition, root intrusion, and grade on the underground drain line before recommending any repair.

- Camera survey of the underground drain from building to connection.
- Sonde locating to trace and mark the buried line from the surface.
- Root entry points and joint separations recorded on video.
- Findings shown to you, not just described.
- Residential and commercial buried drain systems.

## What Does a Buried Drain Scope Actually Find?

The camera reads the pipe the way nothing else can. It shows whether root hair is entering through a joint, whether the pipe has separated or corroded, and whether solids are collecting in a low spot because the line has lost its fall. On older Denver properties with clay or cast iron drains, all three of these show up together often enough that guessing which one is causing a given backup wastes money.

The survey also establishes where the line actually runs and how deep it sits, which matters more on buried drains than on almost anything else in a building, because so many older properties were never documented when the drain was installed.

- Pipe material, diameter, and installation quality.
- Root intrusion at joints and fittings.
- Bellied or settled sections holding standing water.
- Corrosion, cracking, or separation in the pipe wall.
- Depth and path of the line, traced and marked from the surface.
- The connection point and its condition.

## Why We Locate and Mark Depth With a Sonde

A camera head carrying a sonde transmitter lets us trace the exact path of a buried drain from ground level and mark both the route and the depth. On a property with no record of where the drain runs, this is often the first time anyone has known the actual location of the pipe.

That depth and path matter directly if excavation or trenchless repair ends up being the answer, because digging blind on a buried utility line is how other utilities get hit.

- A belly deep enough to require excavation and re-grading.
- Root intrusion isolated to a single joint versus spread along the run.
- A collapsed section under a driveway or slab.
- A connection point that has shifted or separated.

## How a Buried Drain Scope Runs

1. **Open the access point** Main cleanout located or, where none exists, an access point identified for the survey.
2. **Run the camera to the connection** Full run recorded from the building drain out to the sewer main or septic tie-in.
3. **Locate and mark with the sonde** Path and depth traced from the surface so the property has a record of where the line runs.
4. **Report with the footage** Findings explained with the video and what each one means for repair or cleaning.

## What a Buried Drain Scope Involves

Access is the main variable. A property with a proper main cleanout is a quick survey. A property with no cleanout at all needs one identified or cut in before the camera can run the full length.

It is the cheapest step in any buried drain project, because every repair decision downstream depends on what the camera actually shows.

Call (720) 935-6221 to book a survey.

## Frequently asked questions

**Does this cover the pipes behind my sinks and toilets too?**

No. That interior branch line work is handled by our sister company Afford-A-Rooter Plumbing. This survey is the buried drain from the building's main cleanout out to the connection point.

**Can you find where my buried drain actually goes?**

Yes, tracing and marking the path is a core part of this survey. On properties with no records, this is frequently the first time the route has ever been documented.

**What does standing water in the buried line mean?**

It usually means that section has lost its fall and is sitting flat or reversed, so solids are settling there instead of moving through. That is a grade problem, not something a cleaning will permanently solve.

**Do I need a scope if the drain is just slow, not backed up?**

A slow buried drain is the early stage of a blocked one. Scoping it while it still passes water is far cheaper than dealing with a full backup and any water damage that comes with it.

**How deep do buried drain lines typically run in Denver?**

Depth varies by property and by how the original builder set the grade. The sonde locate during the survey tells us the actual depth on your line rather than relying on a regional average.

**Is this survey run by Denver Water or the city?**

No. Denver Sewer and Water is a private, family owned and operated company. We are not Denver Water or the City and County of Denver. We work on the privately owned buried drain line on your property, from the building drain out to the connection point.

## Related Buried Drain Services

- [Drain Inspection and Cleaning](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-inspection-and-cleaning) Camera-led inspection and cleaning of the buried drain line before anyone quotes work.
- [Drain Hydro Jetting](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-hydro-jetting) High pressure water jetting to strip roots, grease, and scale from a buried drain line.
- [Drain Locating and Troubleshooting](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-locating-and-troubleshooting) Sonde locating and depth marking to find a buried drain line that has no record.
- [Sewer Lines in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/sewer-lines/denver-co) The full sewer lateral lane: inspection, repair, and replacement.
- [Storm Drains in Denver](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/storm-drains/denver-co) The full storm drainage lane: inspection, cleaning, repair, and replacement.

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Denver Sewer and Water is a privately owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Denver Water, the municipal water utility, or any government entity. To pay a municipal water bill or reach the public utility, visit denverwater.org.

Source: https://www.denversewerandwater.com/drain-scope-and-video-inspection