What should a commercial sewer camera report include?

The camera records the inside of the line as it travels. What matters to an owner or tenant is the condition of the pipe and anything restricting it. A run typically records:

• Structural problems: cracks, broken pipe, joints that have come apart or shifted, and sections that sag and hold water.
• Roots and deposits: roots growing in at joints, and grease, scale or sediment that has narrowed the pipe.
• Connections: where branch lines enter the main, and any that are blocked or misaligned.
• The pipe itself: the material, the diameter and how long each run is, which NASSCO's assessment page lists among the asset details inspectors collect.

Industry practice comes from NASSCO's Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP), which NASSCO describes as giving field workers a common language to classify pipe conditions and record their severity. Public sewer agencies write that standard into their contracts, and it is a good checklist for what to ask a private contractor to provide. The requirements cover these points:

1. 1Header information filled in completely: the location, the line being inspected, the date, the operator and the pipe details.
2. 2A continuous distance counter. Footage measurements are displayed and documented on the video, and the camera is kept centered in the pipe so the distances are accurate. Each finding is logged at a specific distance from the start of the pipe.
3. 3A coded log of every observation, identified on the audio and in the written log. Each entry names the defect and grades its severity under the standard's system.
4. 4The recording itself, delivered in electronic form and linked to the log so each entry can be matched to its spot in the video. One public agency's requirements call for a standard video file plus the coded database.
5. 5Travel speed slow enough to see the joints and connections. NASSCO's guideline says no faster than 30 feet per minute unless stated otherwise.
6. 6A certified operator. NASSCO's guideline asks for PACP-certified staff on site and on the coding, with proof of certification, and one public agency asks for at least three years of full-time experience coding defects.

A residential or small commercial job will not follow every contract detail, and it does not need to. What matters is that the deliverable covers the same ground: video, distance-stamped log, severity, and a summary that a plumber, lender or lawyer can act on.

A camera cannot see through a blockage or a heavy layer of grease. NASSCO's guideline handles this by treating cleaning as its own phase and requiring a final inspection after cleaning, and it asks the inspector to report an obstruction immediately and, where possible, try the line from the other direction. A private report should state:

• whether the line was cleaned before the camera went in
• where the camera stopped, and why (blockage, bend, collapse, cable length)
• which lines were not inspected

If the camera did not reach the end of the run, the report is incomplete and the unseen part is unknown. That is the section to ask about before a purchase or lease decision. Our page on camera inspecting a sewer line before buying or leasing covers the timing.

### Is a building's sewer a "lateral"?

Usually, yes. In sewer industry terms a lateral is the smaller pipe that runs from a building to the main, and NASSCO covers it under a separate Lateral Assessment Certification Program (LACP). NASSCO says a technician needs PACP as a prerequisite before taking the lateral course. That is useful when you hire someone to inspect a commercial building's sewer: ask whether the person is trained in lateral inspection as well as in main-line work, since the camera setup, entry point and coding can differ.

### What is the difference between structural and maintenance findings?

NASSCO's assessment page says the most basic information for planning a repair is the condition of the pipe from a structural, maintenance and physical-dimension viewpoint. That gives you a simple way to read a report:

• Structural findings are about the pipe's shell: cracks, fractures, broken or collapsed pipe, and joints that have moved. These usually call for a repair or replacement decision.
• Maintenance findings are about what is inside the pipe: roots, grease, deposits and debris. These call for cleaning, and possibly for a schedule.
• Physical dimension findings are about size and shape, such as a pipe that has been squeezed out of round.

A report that mixes all three into one long list makes a plumber's job harder. Ask that the log group findings so you can tell a pipe that needs cleaning from a pipe that needs repair.

### Can software or AI code the report?

Some inspection companies now use machine learning to capture defects. NASSCO says it "remains the leader in providing the international standard for coding condition" and points readers to its published position on AI as it relates to PACP. The practical takeaway for an owner is to ask who reviewed the coding. A certified person should sign off on what went into the log, especially before you use it to negotiate a purchase price or a repair scope.

### What else can the report leave out?

Ask the inspector to list anything the report does not cover: dates of the visit, weather or flow conditions, and any run not televised. The camera pass is a snapshot of one day. A line that is dry and clean in October can back up in a storm, so treat the report as a baseline for your own maintenance plan rather than a guarantee.

### Does timing or flow affect the picture?

Yes. NASSCO's guideline says the contractor must make a reasonable effort to control flow so the camera can see the pipe, and that video work may need to wait after major rain events until flows return to dry-weather levels. It also says the recorded video must show the entire circumference of the pipe. In a commercial building that means standing water and running fixtures during the pass can hide a sag or a low joint. Ask the inspector to note how much flow was in the line and whether any part of the pipe wall was under water.

Use it to sort findings into three piles: fix now, watch, and no action. A severe defect near the building or a collapsed section is a fix-now item. A minor root intrusion may just call for cleaning on a schedule, and our guide to signs of tree roots in a sewer line explains that case. For repair options, see repair versus replace for roots and trenchless versus dig. Keep the video and log. They are the baseline for comparing the next inspection.

HQ is licensed and insured and gives free estimates and upfront pricing on commercial sewer work.

For the rest of a purchase inspection, see what plumbing to check before buying a commercial building in Phoenix.