PACP is NASSCO's Pipeline Assessment Certification Program, the standard North American method for coding defects seen on a sewer camera. Each finding gets a code and a condition grade from 1 to 5. It matters because two inspectors describe the same pipe the same way, and a building owner can compare reports.
What PACP stands for and who runs it
PACP is the Pipeline Assessment Certification Program, run by NASSCO, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies. NASSCO describes it this way: PACP "allows field workers to use a common language to classify conditions and record their level of severity." Those results are then used to decide the best course of action to maintain or rehabilitate a pipe.
Before PACP, Envirosight explains, municipalities lacked a broadly standardized way to document sewer defects. A standard makes reports comparable across operators, locations and dates.
What a coded finding looks like
PACP sorts findings into four groups: structural (the pipe itself is damaged), operation and maintenance (things like roots and deposits that can interfere with flow), construction (how the pipe was built and connected), and miscellaneous. Each finding gets a defect code, some measurements, and a condition grade from 1 to 5. Geocadra, which makes a digital PACP inspection form, describes Grade 1 as minor defects consistent with normal wear and aging, Grade 3 as defects requiring attention but not threatening near-term failure, Grade 4 as severe defects likely to fail in the near future, and Grade 5 as a collapsed pipe or one where collapse is imminent. Its examples range from a small joint offset at Grade 1 to multiple fractures at Grade 4.
The codes are built from letters. Geocadra lists structural families such as Crack (C), Fracture (F), Broken (B) and Hole (H), each with descriptors, so a longitudinal (L) crack reads as CL. Our pages on individual terms, such as a belly in a sewer line or an offset joint, pick up where the code leaves off.
Structural grades and maintenance grades tell different stories
Geocadra describes structural defects as those that compromise the physical integrity of the pipe wall, and operation and maintenance defects as those that reduce flow capacity but are typically removable through maintenance. Put another way, a pipe choked with deposits may need cleaning rather than replacement, while a pipe with fractures needs a closer look even if flow seems fine. Geocadra also notes that the 1 to 5 grade applies to individual defect observations, not to the pipe segment as a whole, so read the count and pattern of findings, not just the highest grade.
Who should be coding your report
PACP is a certification, not a checkbox. NASSCO's own contract specification guideline for sewer inspection asks for current PACP certification for all camera operators, a PACP-certified database and software, and video and data delivered in digital form. Those are municipal contract terms, but they show what "done right" looks like.
For a building sewer or lateral, NASSCO has a companion program. NASSCO says that with PACP as a prerequisite, laterals may also be assessed using LACP, the Lateral Assessment Certification Program.
What to ask for on a commercial building
- A written report where each defect has a code, a footage location and a grade.
- The video, with distances shown on screen. See should I get a copy of the sewer inspection video.
- A clear split between what is a maintenance item (roots, grease, debris) and what is structural damage.
- The name of who coded it, and whether they hold PACP certification.
A code and a grade tell you what the camera saw. They don't decide by themselves whether you dig, reline or just clean, which depends on the pipe, the building and the cost of downtime. HQ does sewer camera inspections, and gives free estimates with upfront pricing on any repair the report points to. For the basics, start with what a plumbing camera inspection finds.