Should a plumber let you keep the sewer camera video?

Ask for it before the inspection starts, and treat a refusal as information. A copy lets other firms price the same problem without repeating the work. This site found no rule requiring it, so make it part of the agreement when you book.

Does sewer line digging need a permit?

Often, but it depends on the city. Chicago requires a permit for removing and replacing a drain or waste pipe. Your city may word it differently, so ask the plumber and check with your building department. The contract should say who pulls it, as California already requires.

Who should you ask if the camera finds trouble under the street?

Your city or sewer utility, before paying a plumber to work there. San Francisco and Portland both split responsibility along the line, by location. Show them the video, then ask whose repair it is. If you doubt the finding, see second opinion or go ahead.

Can wait / Camera first or Dig now

Camera inspection first or dig now?

A sewer camera inspection first is the sensible ask if anyone proposes digging and you have not seen the problem. Digging now fits once you hold a copy of the video, written quotes, and clear answers on permits.

Updated November 4, 2026. Sources are listed at the foot of this page.

Find your line

If a plumber says the line is broken but cannot show you whereCamera firstAsk to see it before paying for a trench. It is your yard.
If the quote is a large dig and it is the only quoteCamera firstGet three written quotes, with a copy of the video to show each firm.
If you may be in San Francisco or Portland with a fault toward the streetCamera firstWho handles the repair there depends on where the fault sits.
If you already hold the video and several quotes agree on the spotDig nowWaiting adds little once the location, scope, price and permit are all settled.
If a permit, the 811 call and written scope are in handDig nowThose are the checks. Confirm each date and who did it.

Handheld monitor showing the inside of a drain pipe — A handheld drain camera monitor on a garage floor. AI-generated picture.

What should you have in hand before anyone digs?

	Camera first	Dig now
What you are asking	Show me the problem first	Fix what has been shown
Copy of the video	Ask for it to keep	Should already be yours
Written quotes	Three, using the same video	Already compared
Permit question	Ask if digging would need one	Answered, with who pulls it
811 call	Not needed unless digging follows	Made a few business days ahead
2023 price figure	No dated camera figure found	Main line replacement up to $2,600
Main risk	A fee for finding little	Paying to dig the wrong place

Sources for this table: Main line price ranges, 811, New York AG hiring guide

What would make digging the right or wrong call?

Sewage is in the house right now: keep people and pets out and avoid contact. Go to the sewage page; this one can wait, that cannot.
The plumber explains why a camera cannot see this problem: fair enough. Ask how they located it instead, and get that in writing.
The fault may be outside your part of the line: ask your utility before paying, as San Francisco and Portland both split this by location.

What will the camera and the dig cost you?

No dated figure was found for a sewer camera inspection. To get a real number, ask two or three firms by phone what the inspection costs, whether a copy of the video is included, and whether the fee comes off any later repair.

For the dig, the closest figures sit in a 2023 survey summary on Bob Vila, last updated that June from HomeAdvisor data. Main line leak repair shows at $350 to $1,550, with replacement as high as $2,600. That is a nationwide view and may be out of date. Prices differ locally, so a quote on your yard is what counts.

Get three written quotes on work like this: New York's attorney general and Washington's labor department each set that as the minimum. Giving each firm the same video lets them price the same problem, as one quote or three explains.

Iron cover marked sewer cleanout in concrete — A sewer cleanout cover set in concrete. Camera work often starts at an access point like this.

Who answers for the line, the permit and the digging?

Ownership of the line depends on the place. San Francisco says the upper lateral is the owner's and asks you to tell the utility when a plumber finds a structural issue on the lower lateral. In Portland, a city bureau is involved in repairs needed from the curb into the street. Ask your city or sewer utility where your responsibility ends before you pay for anything past that point.

Permits vary too. Chicago requires one for removing and replacing a drain or waste pipe. California requires the contract to say who gets the permits, and New York's attorney general says you should know the requirements yourself and check with the local building department. Rules elsewhere differ, so look at state rules and permit or no permit. Digging has its own rule: call 811 a few business days before it starts. It is free. Ask who makes that call.

Some quotes mention running the camera through a cleanout. If the word is new, this cleanout section at Plumbing Supply and More, a dealer run by the same team as this site, displays those fittings, so the conversation is easier. There is nothing you need to buy.

Words to use

"Can we watch the camera footage together, and may a copy of the video stay with me?"

"Where exactly is the problem, how far from the house, and how did you determine that?"

"Does this repair need a permit here, and will you pull it?"

"Who calls 811, and on what date?"

"Is any of this on the part of the line the city answers for?"

From Glendale, California, public works, on sewer line upkeep, camera video and hiring a plumber. Who is responsible varies by city; its license point is about California. Loads from YouTube only if you press play. 2 minutes 50 seconds.

Also asked

Should a plumber let you keep the sewer camera video?: Ask for it before the inspection starts, and treat a refusal as information. A copy lets other firms price the same problem without repeating the work. This site found no rule requiring it, so make it part of the agreement when you book.
Does sewer line digging need a permit?: Often, but it depends on the city. Chicago requires a permit for removing and replacing a drain or waste pipe. Your city may word it differently, so ask the plumber and check with your building department. The contract should say who pulls it, as California already requires.
Who should you ask if the camera finds trouble under the street?: Your city or sewer utility, before paying a plumber to work there. San Francisco and Portland both split responsibility along the line, by location. Show them the video, then ask whose repair it is. If you doubt the finding, see second opinion or go ahead.

Next decision in can waitRepair the leak or repipe the house?

Sources

How Much Does a Plumber Cost? main line dollars from 2023; no camera number
811 call a few business days before digging
Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor New York: three estimates, knowing permits
Hiring a Plumbing Contractor? Hire Smart! three-bid minimum, Washington
SFPUC sewer laterals San Francisco lateral responsibility
Portland broken sewer and drain lines Portland bureaus and street repairs
Chicago permit guide Chicago pipe replacement permit
CSLB on contracts California contract names who pulls permits