You’ve Booked a CCTV Drain Inspection. Here’s What Happens and What You’ll Receive
A CCTV drain inspection is the starting point for any pipe relining recommendation — and an increasingly popular standalone service for Central Coast homeowners who want to understand what’s beneath their property before problems develop. But many homeowners aren’t sure what the inspection involves, what the camera actually shows, or how to interpret the report they receive.
This guide explains the CCTV drain inspection process from the moment the technician arrives to the written report you receive — including how to read it and what the common findings mean.
The Equipment
A drain inspection camera is a self-propelled or cable-fed camera unit designed for use inside pipes from 50mm to 1200mm+ diameter. For residential sewer pipes on the Central Coast (typically 100mm terracotta or PVC), we use:
- Camera head: A self-levelling waterproof camera head, 63–100mm in size, with high-resolution forward-facing and around-view capability
- Sonde (transmitter): A radio frequency transmitter in the camera head that allows above-ground location of the camera’s exact position using a receiver — useful for identifying where underground defects are physically located
- Push reel: 80–100 metre cable capacity for residential work
- Monitor: Real-time display of footage on a portable screen at the access point
- Recording system: All footage recorded digitally with distance counter overlay
The camera is inserted through an existing access point — typically your boundary cleanout (the cap in the ground at the property boundary), a floor waste inside the house, or an inspection opening.
What the Camera Records
As the camera travels through the pipe, it records:
Continuous footage — the full pipe interior at whatever pace the operator pushes the camera through. Defects are visible as they appear; the operator may pause and rotate to document them.
Distance counter — every defect is recorded at the exact distance from the insertion point. “Root intrusion at 8.4m from boundary cleanout” means the defect is exactly 8.4m into the pipe from where the camera entered.
Clock-face position — the camera head is self-levelling, so the operator can describe defects by clock position (12 o’clock = top of pipe, 6 o’clock = bottom, 3 and 9 = sides). “Crack at 3 o’clock, 11.2m from access” gives a complete spatial description.
Still captures — at significant defects, the operator takes a still capture from the footage. These are included in the written report.
Common Defect Types and What They Look Like on Camera
Root Intrusion
What the camera shows: Fine root hairs to dense root masses growing into the pipe bore. Fine roots appear as wisps or tangles in the waterline. Established root masses appear as a fibrous obstruction that partially or fully fills the pipe bore.
What it means: Root intrusion indicates at least one open joint or crack where roots entered. The extent of the mass indicates how long intrusion has been occurring and the severity of structural compromise at the entry point.
Severity scale:
- Light root intrusion (<25% bore): Minor, relining recommended within 2–3 years
- Moderate root intrusion (25–60% bore): Significant, relining within 12 months recommended
- Severe root intrusion (>60% bore): Structural failure imminent, relining urgently recommended
Open Joints / Mortar Joint Failure
What the camera shows: A visible gap between terracotta sections where mortar has failed. The camera can sometimes see into the gap — a small void beside the pipe bore. If roots have already entered, the joint may have root tails visible.
What it means: Open joints are root entry points. Even an open joint without current root intrusion is a pipe under risk — roots haven’t arrived yet, but the opening is present.
Cracked Pipe Wall
What the camera shows: A crack or fracture line in the pipe wall. Cracks may be longitudinal (running along the pipe direction), circumferential (around the pipe), or a combination. Some cracks show soil or root intrusion beginning.
What it means: Structural failure of the pipe material. A cracked pipe wall without relining will progressively widen and potentially collapse. Severity depends on the extent of cracking and whether it has allowed root entry.
Joint Displacement (Offset Joints)
What the camera shows: The camera approaches a joint location and the pipe bore appears to shift — the next pipe section is not perfectly aligned with the previous one. Minor displacement (up to 10mm) shows as a slight horizontal or vertical step. Severe displacement (30mm+) may partially obstruct the camera’s view.
What it means: Soil movement has shifted pipe sections relative to each other. Minor offset can be lined (the flexible liner bridges the gap). Severe offset may require excavation to realign before lining.
How it’s measured: In millimetres. “15mm upward offset at 7.2m” means the pipe section at 7.2m has shifted 15mm upward relative to the previous section.
Corrosion (Cast Iron Pipes)
What the camera shows: Internal surface pitting, roughening, and in advanced cases, pit holes in the pipe wall. Cast iron with severe internal corrosion has a rough, deeply textured interior surface and may show actual penetrations through the pipe wall.
What it means: Internal surface of the pipe is compromised. Flow capacity is reduced by the rough surface. Penetrations create entry points. CIPP relining resolves this effectively.
Deposition / Blockage
What the camera shows: Accumulated material in the pipe — grease buildup, sediment, root mass, or foreign objects. Depending on severity, the camera may not be able to pass through.
What it means: If the deposition is jettable material (grease, roots, sediment), jetting resolves it. If it’s a foreign object or collapsed section, different treatment may be required.
How to Read Your Drain Inspection Report
The Defect Schedule
The core of the report is a table listing each defect:
| Distance from access | Defect type | Position | Severity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2m | Root intrusion | 3 o’clock / 6 o’clock | Moderate | Root mass entering through open mortar joint, approx 30% bore restricted |
| 7.8m | Cracked pipe | 12 o’clock | Minor | Longitudinal crack, no soil ingress yet, no root entry |
| 11.5m | Root intrusion | All positions | Severe | Dense root mass, approximately 70% bore restriction |
Severity Ratings
Most reports use a 1–5 condition rating scale:
| Rating | Condition | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good | No significant defects, normal operation |
| 2 | Minor | Minor defects, monitor, maintenance within 2–3 years |
| 3 | Moderate | Significant defects, relining recommended within 12 months |
| 4 | Severe | Structural failure present, relining urgently recommended |
| 5 | Critical | Immediate failure risk, urgent intervention required |
The Recommendation
After the defect schedule, the report includes:
- Summary: Overall assessment of the pipe condition
- Recommendation: Specific recommended action (full reline, point repair, no action, excavation)
- Urgency: Timeframe for recommended action
- Estimated cost range: If repair is recommended
What Triggers a Reline Recommendation vs Just Jetting
| Finding | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Root intrusion only, minor (<25% bore), structurally sound joint | Jet, monitor, CCTV in 12 months |
| Root intrusion, open/cracked joint, recurring blockage history | Reline |
| Cracked pipe wall, no roots yet | Reline (before roots arrive) |
| Multiple open joints distributed through run | Reline (cost-effective to do full run) |
| Single defect, pipe otherwise in excellent condition | Point repair |
| Corrosion in cast-iron, significant internal pitting | Reline |
| Full collapse, no camera access | Excavation required |
| Extreme offset (30mm+) | Excavation to realign, then possibly reline |
CCTV Inspection FAQs
Q: Can I watch the inspection in real-time? Yes — we encourage this. Real-time observation of the camera feed gives you direct understanding of your pipe condition. Many homeowners find seeing the footage in real-time far more informative than reviewing a report afterward.
Q: How soon after the inspection do I receive the written report? Within 24 hours of the inspection, we provide the written report. For pre-purchase inspections where timing is critical, we can often turn around same-day.
Q: The camera couldn’t get past a certain point. What does that mean? A camera obstruction may mean a root mass or debris blockage (jetting may clear it), a partial collapse (the camera can’t bend into a collapsed section), a very tight joint offset (the camera can’t fit past the step), or a very tight bend (some old pipe configurations have sharp bends that limit camera travel). We’ll document what was accessible and advise on the obstruction.
Q: My report shows a defect at “14.2m” but my property boundary is only 10m from the house. How is that possible? Pipe lengths follow the pipe layout — which may not be a straight line from house to boundary. The pipe runs diagonally, or has a bend, or passes around an obstacle. The measured distance is the pipe distance (along the pipe), not the straight-line distance.