No repair upsell
We don't sell pipe work, so a clean line is as good an outcome to us as a failed one.
Independent Sewer Scope Inspections in Southeast Michigan
We do one thing — camera-inspect your sewer line and tell you exactly what's down there. No repairs, no upsells, no agenda.
Every Govy scope is performed by an InterNACHI® Certified Sewer Scope Inspector.
Same-day reports
In most cases the written findings reach you the day of the scope.
Six Michigan counties
Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston and St. Clair.
Video with every inspection
The full footage, so your client can watch the line themselves.
We don't fix sewers. That's the point.
Most sewer scopes in Michigan are performed by plumbing companies that also sell sewer repairs, or by home inspectors running it as an add-on between other work. We do neither. Govy performs sewer scope inspections and nothing else, which means we have no financial stake in what the camera finds. You get the footage, the findings, and a straight answer.
Not a home inspection add-on
Sewer scoping is our only job, not the last twenty minutes of a four-hour day.
You get the raw footage
Full video with every report. Your client can watch it themselves.
What Is a Sewer Scope Inspection?
A sewer scope inspection is a camera survey of the main sewer line: the single buried pipe that carries waste from the house to the municipal connection at the street. A technician feeds a self-lighting camera head in through an accessible cleanout and records the full run, logging the distance at which anything notable appears. Most residential laterals in this region run somewhere between 40 and 100 feet.
The footage shows the pipe material, the condition of every joint, and anything sitting in the line. Clay, cast iron, Orangeburg and PVC each look different on camera and each fail in their own way, so identifying the material is usually the first thing a report establishes.
A standard home inspection does not cover any of this. Home inspections are visual assessments of accessible areas, and a sewer lateral sits several feet underground. The pipe falls outside that scope by definition. A house can pass its home inspection cleanly and still have a failed lateral under the front lawn, which is why sewer line inspection before buying a house is booked as its own service.
Southeast Michigan makes the question more pressing than it is in much of the country. The region sits on heavy clay soil that swells and shrinks with moisture, and the freeze-thaw cycle works the pipe joints twice a year, every year. Older neighborhoods across Oakland County and the inner-ring Detroit suburbs carry mature tree canopy over laterals installed between the 1920s and the 1960s. Root intrusion and joint separation are common findings in that housing stock.
The inspection itself takes 45 to 90 minutes and fits inside a standard inspection window. You get a written report and the complete video, same day in most cases.
A sewer scope is a specialized service performed alongside a home inspection, not a part of one. Govy performs sewer scope inspections only — we are not home inspectors, and we do no plumbing, cleaning, or repair work of any kind.
What We Find in Southeast Michigan Sewer Lines
Six conditions account for the large majority of what a sewer camera inspection turns up in this region's housing stock.
Root intrusion
Common in any home over 20 years old with mature trees. Roots enter at joint gaps and compound fast. A hairline root at one joint becomes a mass that catches paper and grease within a couple of seasons.
Deteriorated clay pipe
Standard in homes built before 1970 and now well past service life. Clay was laid in short sections with mortared joints, so a single line can have dozens of places to fail.
Orangeburg pipe
Tar-impregnated fiber pipe used heavily in 1940s–70s Michigan construction. Deforms and collapses.
Cast iron corrosion
Scale buildup and channeling that narrows the line over decades.
Bellies and low spots
Settled sections where waste pools instead of flowing. Standing water in a belly is not a failure on its own, but it is where blockages start.
Offset joints and cracks
Separation from soil movement, a leading cause of backups.
Built for the People Who Recommend Us
Govy is built for the professionals who need a sewer scope partner they can hand to a client without a second thought.
A sewer scope for realtors that doesn't complicate the deal
Fast scheduling that fits an inspection window. Clear reports your client can actually read, with video. And because we don't sell repairs, nobody can accuse the findings of being self-serving.
A clean scope closes a deal with confidence; a bad one gives you something concrete to negotiate with.
A specialist partner, never a competitor
We're a partner, not a competitor. We don't perform home inspections and never will.
Add sewer scoping to what you offer your clients without buying a camera, training a tech, or handing business to someone who might take the whole inspection next time.
How a Sewer Scope Inspection Works
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1
Schedule
Book a window by phone, email, or the form below. We work around inspection appointments and closing timelines.
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2
We locate the cleanout and run the camera
We find the accessible cleanout, feed the camera the full length of the main line, and record the entire run to the municipal connection.
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3
You get the report and full video
A written report with findings noted by distance, plus the complete unedited footage. Same day in most cases.
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4
You decide what's next
We'll say plainly if we found nothing wrong. If we did find something, the footage is yours to take to whichever contractor you choose — it won't be us.
Serving Southeast Michigan
Six counties, covered by a team that does nothing but scope sewers across them.
Oakland County
Royal Oak, Troy, Rochester Hills, Birmingham, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Novi, Waterford, Bloomfield Hills, Berkley, Ferndale, Clawson, Auburn Hills, Pontiac, West Bloomfield
Much of the county's housing stock predates 1970, and mature street trees stand over laterals in Royal Oak, Birmingham, Ferndale and Berkley.
Macomb County
Sterling Heights, Warren, Clinton Township, Shelby Township, St. Clair Shores, Roseville, Macomb Township, Utica, Eastpointe
Largely postwar and later development, with sewer laterals spanning several decades of construction practice.
Wayne County
Detroit, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Redford, Grosse Pointe, Plymouth, Northville, Garden City
Detroit and the older inner suburbs hold some of the oldest residential sewer laterals in the region.
Washtenaw County
Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter
Century-old housing near the older cores sits alongside much newer subdivisions.
Livingston County
Brighton, Howell, Hartland
Newer construction around the older village centers of Brighton and Howell.
St. Clair County
Port Huron, Marysville, St. Clair
Housing along the river spanning roughly a century of building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a home inspection company?
No. Govy performs sewer scope inspections only. We are not home inspectors and we don't perform home inspections. We work alongside home inspection companies as a specialist partner — many of our inspections are scheduled during or around a standard home inspection.
Do you do plumbing or sewer repairs?
No. We don't repair, clean, or replace sewer lines, and we don't take referral fees from companies that do. Our only product is the inspection and the footage.
Why not just use the plumber who offers a free scope?
A free scope from a repair company is a sales call. If the person operating the camera profits from what they find, the incentive is obvious. We have nothing to sell you afterward.
Isn't a sewer scope part of a home inspection?
No. A standard home inspection is a visual assessment of accessible areas. Sewer lines are buried, so they fall outside that scope entirely. It's a separate specialized service.
What do I need for the inspection?
Access to a cleanout. Most Michigan homes have one in the basement or outside near the foundation. If there isn't an accessible cleanout we'll tell you before we charge you anything.
How fast do I get the report?
Same day in most cases, including full video footage.
What areas do you serve?
Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston, and St. Clair counties.
Can home inspectors partner with Govy?
Yes — that's exactly who we built this for. We don't perform home inspections and never will, so adding a sewer scope to what you offer your clients doesn't hand business to a competitor.
Book an Inspection or Set Up a Partnership
Tell us the property and the window you're working with. We'll confirm a time and send the report and video the same day in most cases.
- Scheduling that fits inside an existing inspection window.
- Written report plus complete unedited video footage.
- No accessible cleanout, no charge — we'll tell you before we start.
Know What's Under the House Before You Close.
An independent sewer scope takes under 90 minutes and answers the one question a home inspection structurally cannot.