By Matthew Baring-Gould, Kingscliff-based drainage plumber. Servicing Tweed Heads for 4 years. 5.0 stars across 173 Google reviews. Licensed NSW 383340C and QLD 15036450. ABN 74 605 392 348.
If you’ve just had a CCTV drain inspection, you’re probably holding a USB video and a short written note from the plumber. Here’s how to read one, what the five things that actually matter are, and the questions worth asking before you agree to any follow-up work.
What’s actually in the report
A standard CCTV drain inspection report usually includes:
- The video. A continuous feed of the camera travelling through the pipe. Usually with an on-screen distance meter so you can see how far down the line any feature appears.
- The locator reading. The camera head has an electronic locator (sometimes called a sonde) that marks exactly where on your property each feature sits, including depth below the surface.
- A written note. One or two paragraphs listing the main findings and any recommended work.
Different plumbers deliver this differently. Some hand you a USB. Some email a video file. Some share a link to a cloud folder. All equivalent, same content.
The 5 things that actually matter
1. Pipe material
The video shows the inside of the pipe clearly. Terracotta (orange, visibly jointed every metre or so) ages differently from PVC (grey or white, long smooth runs) which ages differently from HDPE or earthenware. Each material has a typical failure mode. Knowing yours tells you which problems to look out for.
2. Any joins, their condition
In terracotta sewer, the joins are where problems start. The video should show every join. Clean joins look like a step. Cracked joins look like a jagged edge with soil visible beyond or root fibres poking through. Any cracked join is a potential root ingress point even if roots haven’t arrived yet.
3. The pipe shape at every point
Round pipe = good. Oval pipe = partial deformation, usually from load above. Flat pipe = collapsed, drainage reduced to a slot. Any deformation means the pipe is slowly closing. 90mm PVC in the ground is the single most common deformation we see, see the Labrador case for how this looks.
4. Debris or ingress visible
If you see root fibres, that’s tree root ingress through a join or crack. If you see sand or silt sitting at the bottom, that’s accumulation (usually fixable with a jet). If you see fat deposits (looks like greasy wall coating), that’s a kitchen-side issue. If you see solid obstruction (concrete, star picket, toy), that’s an invasive object, see the Kingscliff star picket case.
5. Where the fault sits relative to the property boundary
This one is the most financially consequential. Councils own the sewer main and the connection from the main to your property boundary. Anything past the boundary is their responsibility to fix. Anything on your side is yours. The locator reading on the camera head tells you exactly where any fault sits. If it’s past the boundary, you have a case to take to council for the fix, see the Paddington council-side case.
Questions worth asking the plumber
Before you accept any repair quote based on a camera inspection:
- “Where exactly is the fault on my property?” They should be able to show you on a map or point to the spot in your yard. If they can’t, the locator wasn’t used.
- “How deep is the pipe at that point?” Depth affects both the dig cost and whether a reline is feasible.
- “Is it past my property boundary?” If yes, the fix is council’s. You shouldn’t be paying for it except maybe for the clearing work.
- “What are my repair options and the cost of each?” There are almost always two options: no-dig reline or dig-and-replace. A good plumber presents both with real numbers for your site, see our thinking on reline vs replace.
- “Can I have the video to show another plumber?” The answer should be yes. If they refuse, that’s a signal.
Red flags in a CCTV report
- Only still images, no video. Stills can be cherry-picked. The continuous video is what tells the real story.
- No locator reading. Without the locator, you have no way to know where any fault actually sits.
- “You need to replace the whole line” with no detail. Replacement scope should be specified: from where to where, which section, depth, access.
- Pressure to approve the repair on the day. A legitimate repair diagnosis holds up to a second opinion. If a plumber is pushing you to decide immediately, that’s often because the camera findings don’t actually support the recommended scope.
If you want a second opinion
Bring us the video and the written report, we’ll give you an honest read for free. Call Matty on 0447 188 394. We cover Tweed Heads, the Northern Rivers, the Gold Coast and inner Brisbane.
If you want a fresh inspection, that’s $480 for the first-hour call-out which includes the hydrojet clean, the full CCTV survey, the locator reading and the written diagnosis.
Customer names and addresses have been withheld. Individual results vary. Drain Masters Plumbing is licensed in NSW (383340C) and QLD (15036450).
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