Sewer & Drain Camera Inspection in Des Moines, IA

If your sewer keeps backing up, we don't want to guess where the blockage is or start digging just to find out. A sewer camera inspection gives us a real-time look inside the line so we can see what is wrong and where the problem is located.

Bell Brothers performs camera inspections throughout Des Moines, Altoona, Ankeny, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, and West Des Moines. If a blockage keeps returning after sewer cleaning, we use the camera to find out what is causing it before recommending another cleaning or a repair.

What a Sewer Camera Inspection Is

We run a small waterproof camera through your sewer or drain line on a flexible push rod. As the camera moves through the pipe, we watch a live video feed for blockages, damaged sections, roots, and changes in the pipe.

When we find a problem, locating equipment helps us mark its position and depth from the surface. That tells us where the damaged or blocked section sits without opening the ground just to look for it.

When You Need One

One slow sink does not automatically call for a sewer scope. We start looking deeper when several drains slow down together, sewage backs up, toilets gurgle, or the same blockage keeps returning after it has been cleared.

A camera inspection is useful when:

• Several fixtures are draining slowly
• A sewer backup keeps returning
• You smell sewer odors inside or outside your home
• A soggy patch appears above the sewer lateral
• You are buying a home and want to see the sewer line
• We need to locate a problem before sewer work begins

Mature trees add another concern around older sewer laterals. If recurring clogs have you wondering about tree roots in sewer lines, camera footage shows us if roots have entered and where they are getting through.

What We Look For

The camera lets us see the condition of the pipe instead of judging it only by how the drains are behaving.

We look for:

• Tree roots growing through joints or cracks
• Grease and debris restricting the line
• Cracked or collapsed pipe
• Offset or separated joints
• Low sections where water and waste collect
• Pipe material and signs of deterioration

A root mass at one failed joint calls for a different repair than a sewer lateral with cracks and deterioration in several places.

What to Expect During the Visit

We start by finding an access point, then feed the camera into the line while watching the footage. If the home has an accessible sewer cleanout, we use it to reach the lateral without removing a fixture.

When we find a blockage or damaged section, we locate it from above ground when needed and record what the camera shows. Then we show you the footage and explain what needs cleaning, repair, or further inspection.

Inspection time depends on the length of the line, access, and what we find along the way. Before we arrive, make sure we can reach the cleanout or other planned access area and move anything blocking the work space.

What Happens After the Inspection

The footage tells us what needs to happen next.

When heavy grease, sludge, and buildup coat the pipe walls, hydro jetting uses high-pressure water to clean the line if the pipe is in condition for it.

If the problem is confined to a sink, tub, shower, or another branch line, drain cleaning addresses that section instead of treating it like a main sewer problem.

Cracks, collapsed sections, separated joints, and other physical damage require a different approach. Sewer line repair and replacement addresses the damaged pipe rather than repeatedly clearing a blockage caused by a failing line.

Why Des Moines Homeowners Call Bell Brothers

Bell Brothers started serving Central Iowa in 1955, and our headquarters remain on 6th Ave in Des Moines. Today, our team works throughout the metro, from established Des Moines neighborhoods to growing communities such as Ankeny and West Des Moines.

Bell Brothers has served Central Iowa since 1955 and continues to provide plumbing service throughout the Des Moines metro. Ask us about the Comfy Club and the home maintenance benefits included with membership.

Schedule a Camera Inspection

If your sewer keeps backing up, several drains are slowing together, or you want to know what condition the line is in before buying a home, let us look inside the pipe before anyone starts guessing about the repair.

Schedule your sewer and drain camera inspection online with Bell Brothers.