Inventory every building's lateral, rank them by age, pipe material and backup history, and inspect the highest-risk ones first with the same written scope everywhere: complete coded runs, footage counters, locating and video. Then use the worst grade in each report to sort repairs, cleaning and re-inspection dates across the portfolio.
Step 1: What should you gather before anyone rolls a camera?
Make a one-page record for each building. You want facts you can sort on:
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Year built and any sewer work since | Age and era point to likely pipe material. |
| Pipe material, if known | Cast iron, clay, plastic and fiber pipe fail differently. |
| Backups, slow drains and odor calls | Repeat problems in the same place matter more than one-offs. |
| Cleanout and manhole locations | Access decides how a run is done. |
| Number of units and what drains together | A shared lateral affects more tenants when it fails. |
| Past reports and video | A baseline lets you see change. |
Two of our pages help you fill in the material column: cast iron drain pipe lifespan and what Orangeburg pipe is.
Step 2: How do you rank buildings?
Rank on two questions: how likely is this line to fail, and how bad would it be if it did? Underground Construction, writing up a NASSCO tech tip, describes exactly that approach for utilities. Condition grades can be used to develop "Likelihood of Failure" values, "which can be used with "Consequence of Failure" (CoF) values to develop risk assessments within an overall asset management program."
For a property manager, that turns into a simple order:
- 1Buildings with repeat backups. The line is already telling you something.
- 2Older buildings with a known weak material.
- 3Buildings where a failure would be the most disruptive, such as a ground-floor restaurant or a large multi-story building on one lateral.
- 4Everything else, on a schedule.
The EPA's report to Congress gives you a sense of what usually causes trouble. Grease is the most common cause of reported blockages, grit and debris account for nearly a third, and roots for about a quarter. So plan to look for grease in buildings with kitchens, and roots where mature trees stand near a lateral. See our pages on signs of tree roots and preventing sewer backups.
Step 3: What scope should every site get?
The same one. A portfolio is only comparable if each report says the same things in the same way. Borrow the language public agencies use. The City of Mesa's specification asks for defects coded to "the most recent version of the NASSCO PACP coding system," videos that cover entire segments from one structure to the next, and an on-screen footage counter. NASSCO's specification says the pipe must be clean enough "to ensure all defects, features and observations are seen and logged."
Put that in a one-page scope you hand to every contractor:
- A certified operator coding to a named PACP version. See what PACP coding is.
- Complete runs with footage shown on screen, and a note on why any run stopped.
- Line locating and depth at each defect. See how sewer locating works.
- The full video and the report delivered to you, not just a summary. See getting your video.
- Cleaning before inspection where the line is packed.
Budget for the phases NASSCO's guideline lists: an inspection, cleaning if the owner decides it is needed, and a post-cleaning inspection. A dirty line may need both a cleaning and a second look.
For large sites with many laterals, ask about a lateral launch camera where the main is accessible.
Step 4: How do you use the results?
Sort on the worst grade, then on the type of defect. NASSCO's tip says that when condition data is mapped, "it is often best to thematically map condition using the first number of the Quick Rating," which "reports the worst-case scenario to asset owners." The July 2023 tip also explains how structural and O&M grades split the work:
- High structural grades point to engineering review and replacement or rehabilitation planning, and NASSCO ties them to capital planning.
- High O&M grades with low structural grades point to cleaning, root removal and short-term maintenance.
That gives you two lists: buildings that need capital planning, and buildings that need a maintenance schedule. Our pages on belly, offset joint and crack, fracture and break explain the most common findings.
Step 5: When do you inspect again?
Set the date from the finding, not the calendar. A building with a clean, sound line can go longest. A building with a monitored defect, such as a shallow belly or a slight offset, should be checked again at a set interval, and the earlier video is your baseline. A building with heavy roots or grease should have cleaning dates on the calendar, with a log of what was done each time.
A shared folder that holds each building's video, report, date and next review date is the difference between a program and a pile of reports.
Who is responsible for the lateral?
It depends on the city and on where the line runs. In Phoenix, the property owner is generally responsible for the sewer from the building to the public main. See who is responsible for the sewer line in Phoenix. Check the rule for each city where you own buildings.
HQ works with commercial and multifamily properties across the Valley. We are licensed and insured, run 24/7 emergency service, and give free estimates and upfront pricing on any repair the footage calls for. See commercial plumbing or sewer repair.
For the current inspection service, see HQ’s sewer camera inspections.