Drain & Sewer Camera Inspection in Toronto & the GTA

Drain problems hide underground, where you can't see them. A camera inspection puts eyes inside the pipe so you know exactly what's wrong, where it is, and what it'll take to fix. No digging, no guessing. Book an inspection near you.

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DrainCom is the

No. 1 Rated

choice for licensed and insured basement waterproofing services in Mississauga, Canada.

You shouldn’t have to dig up a yard to find out what’s wrong with a drain. We send a waterproof HD camera down the line and show you the problem live on screen: a root mass, a crack, a collapsed section, an offset joint then locate the exact spot and depth so any repair is precise. You see what we see, and you get the full picture before you spend a dollar on digging.

20+ years inspecting drains across Toronto and the GTA, including older homes with clay and cast-iron lines. Licensed, insured, fully-stocked trucks, same-day service. We diagnose honestly and we never recommend a repair the camera doesn’t justify.

Call us at 905-238-6800

to book a drain camera inspection, or fill out the request form at the top of this page.

What Homeowners Say About DrainCom

Our Camera Inspection Services

We inspect every kind of drain and sewer line, residential and commercial. Every inspection ends with you seeing the footage and knowing your options.

Diagnostic Camera Inspection

The core service. When a drain backs up, smells, or keeps clogging, we send the camera down to find the cause — root intrusion, grease, a cracked or collapsed pipe, an offset joint; instead of guessing. You see it on the monitor, and we tell you exactly what it’ll take to fix.

Pre-Purchase Sewer Scope

Buying a home? We inspect the sewer line before you close, so a hidden problem doesn’t become your problem. A standard home inspection stops at the surface.our camera goes down the line and shows whether you’re buying a sound pipe or a five-figure repair.

Locating & Depth Marking

The camera carries a transmitter we track from the surface with a locator so we pinpoint the exact spot and depth of the problem. That means if a repair is needed, we dig once, in the right place, instead of guessing and tearing up the yard.

Preventive & Maintenance Inspection

For older homes and commercial lines, a periodic camera check catches root intrusion or buildup before it becomes a backup. Cheaper than an emergency, and far cheaper than a flooded basement.

Pre & Post-Repair Verification

We camera the line before a repair to confirm the scope, and after to prove the work is done right and the pipe runs clear. No guesswork on either end.

Root Intrusion Removal & Sectional Repair

Tree roots find pipe joints and grow in until the line blocks solid. We cut and clear the roots, then repair the damaged section so they can’t get back in; without replacing the whole run.

Drain & Sewer Camera Inspection Cost

Cost depends on what you need — a straight diagnostic look, a leak-and-locate, or a full pre-purchase scope — and how accessible the cleanout is. Here’s a general guide.

Service	Price Range (CAD)	Notes
Diagnostic camera inspection	$195 to $300	Standard inspection through an accessible cleanout
Leak / crack locating	$275 to $400	Pinpoints the source and marks the spot
Pre-purchase sewer scope	$250 to $400	Full line inspection + condition report
Inspection with locating & depth marking	Quoted on inspection	Marks the exact dig location for repair

All prices are approximate and based on standard residential conditions. If access is difficult, no cleanout, or the line needs a fixture pulled to reach it we’ll tell you before we start. You get the price upfront.

Pricing note: A camera inspection is the cheapest money you’ll spend on a drain problem. Paying to see the issue first is far less than paying to dig up a yard guessing where it is — and it’s why we locate and mark the exact spot before anyone breaks ground. The inspection often pays for itself by preventing an unnecessary excavation.

What Is a Drain & Sewer Camera Inspection?

A drain and sewer camera inspection, also called a CCTV drain inspection, uses a waterproof video camera on a flexible cable to travel through your drain or sewer line and send live footage to a screen, so a technician can see the inside of the pipe without digging.

The camera has LED lighting to see in the dark, wet pipe, and a transmitter that lets us locate its exact position and depth from the surface. We feed it in through a cleanout, a floor drain, or if there’s no access point — by temporarily pulling a toilet. As it travels, you watch the line on the monitor with us, so there’s no mystery about what’s down there.

Buying a Home? Get a Sewer Scope First

Buying a home is exciting right up until a sewer problem the home inspector missed turns it into a nightmare. A standard home inspection checks what’s visible. It doesn’t go down the sewer line, and that line is one of the most expensive things in the house to repair.

A pre-purchase sewer scope shows you the real condition of the underground pipe before you close whether it’s sound, or whether it’s got root intrusion, cracks, or a collapsed clay section waiting to cost you thousands. In older Toronto and GTA neighbourhoods, where clay and cast-iron lines are common and mature trees are everywhere, this is the inspection that saves buyers from inheriting a five-figure repair. We scope the line, show you the footage, and give you a condition report you can take to the negotiating table. (Found a problem? See Drain Repair & Replacement and Trenchless Pipe Repair.)

What a Camera Inspection Finds

The camera shows the real condition of the pipe ; not a guess. Common finds:

Tree-root intrusion roots growing through joints, the top cause of blockages in mature GTA neighbourhoods
Cracked or collapsed pipe especially older clay tile that's failed under pressure or ground movement
Offset or misaligned joints sections shifted out of line by settling or freeze-thaw, catching debris
Grease and buildup what's coating the pipe wall and slowing the flow
Corrosion old cast-iron lines rusting and breaking down from the inside
Blockages and foreign objects what's actually stuck, and exactly where
The exact location and depth so any repair is precise, not exploratory

If the camera shows a sound pipe with a simple clog, you’ve saved yourself an unnecessary repair. If it shows real damage, you know exactly what and where before you spend on digging.

Signs You Need a Camera Inspection

Any of these is worth a look inside the line:

Drains that keep clogging no matter how often they're cleared
A snaking that didn't solve the problem, or fixed it only briefly
More than one fixture backing up at once
Sewage coming up a basement floor drain often a main-line blockage, not the floor drain itself
Persistent sewer smells you can't trace
Gurgling toilets or drains
You're buying an older home and want to know the sewer line's condition

If the problem keeps coming back, the only way to know why is to see inside. The camera ends the guesswork.

What You Get: Your Inspection Report

You don’t just get told what we found, you see it and keep it. After the inspection, we walk you through the footage on screen and explain it in plain language. On request, we provide the video and a written condition report covering what we found, where it is, and what we recommend.

That report is yours to use to plan a repair, to compare quotes, or to bring to a home-purchase negotiation. No mystery, no “trust us,” just a clear record of your line’s condition.

When a Camera Inspection Isn't Possible

We’ll be straight with you: a camera can’t always get through. A pipe that’s completely blocked, severely corroded, packed with heavy scale, or collapsed will stop the camera — and certain building traps block it too. In those cases, the line usually has to be cleared or the damaged section repaired before the camera can inspect beyond it.

That’s not a dead end — it’s information. If the camera can’t pass, the pipe is telling you it needs work, and we’ll show you how far it got and what that means. (See Drain Cleaning to clear it, or Drain Repair & Replacement to fix it.)

How Long Does a Camera Inspection Take?

Most camera inspections take 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the length of the line and how easy the cleanout is to reach. A pre-purchase scope with a written report may take a little longer. We work clean, and we leave your space the way we found it.

Top Rated Waterproofers just a call away!

Business Hour:
Monday to Friday: 8a.m -9p.m
Saturday and Sunday: 9a.m – 2p.m

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a drain camera inspection?

It’s a way to see inside your drain or sewer line without digging. We feed a waterproof HD camera on a flexible cable through the pipe, and it sends live video to a screen so we can spot a blockage, crack, root, or collapse, and see exactly where it is. It’s also called a CCTV drain inspection.

Is a sewer camera inspection worth it before buying a home?

Yes. A standard home inspection doesn’t go down the sewer line, and that line is one of the costliest things to repair. A pre-purchase scope shows whether you’re buying a sound pipe or a hidden five-figure problem especially important for older GTA homes with clay or cast-iron lines.

How long does a camera inspection take?

Usually 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the length of the line and how accessible the cleanout is. A pre-purchase scope with a written report can take a bit longer.

Do I get a video or report after the inspection?

Yes. We walk you through the footage on screen during the inspection, and on request we provide the video and a written condition report covering what we found, where, and what we recommend.

Can you tell exactly where the problem is?

Yes. The camera carries a transmitter we track from the surface, so we pinpoint the exact location and depth of the problem and mark it. That means if a repair is needed, we dig in the right spot once no exploratory digging.

Why does my drain keep clogging even after snaking?

Snaking clears the clog but doesn’t show why it happened. A recurring clog usually means a deeper root, an offset joint, or a damaged pipe that a camera reveals. Seeing the cause is the only way to fix it for good.

Can a camera inspection always get through the pipe?

Not always. A completely blocked, badly corroded, scaled, or collapsed pipe can stop the camera, and some building traps block it. When that happens, the line needs clearing or repair first — and that itself tells us the pipe needs work.

Does the inspection include fixing the problem?

The inspection diagnoses the problem; the repair is separate. If we find a clog, drain cleaning can follow. If we find a damaged pipe, we’ll walk you through repair or trenchless options. We never recommend a repair the camera doesn’t justify.

Do you offer camera inspections near me?

Check the service area list on this page for your city. We cover communities across the GTA. Call 905-238-6800 or 416-989-5757, or submit the contact form at draincom.ca. We confirm same-day availability for most service areas.

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