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Sewer Camera Inspection
A self-levelling camera runs the full line and shows you exactly what is wrong before anyone quotes a repair.
Sewer Line Locating & Leak Detection in Ohio
Electronic locating maps the exact route and depth of your line, so excavation is surgical instead of speculative.
Nobody has the drawings. Original plans are lost, utilities get re-routed, and additions get built straight over the lateral. Locating replaces assumptions with a marked line on the ground and a depth in inches.
We trace the route electronically, mark it on the surface, and record the depth at intervals along the run. That is what makes trenchless work possible — every method on this site depends on knowing precisely where the pipe is and what else is buried near it.
Locating on older Ohio properties
Ohio's older neighbourhoods were built before anyone kept reliable as-builts, and laterals have since been re-routed around additions, garages and driveways that came later. On a pre-war property the documented route and the actual route are frequently different things.
Clay tile and Orangeburg are non-metallic, so neither can be traced with a conductive signal. We locate them with a sonde run through the line — which means the camera and the locate are generally done in the same visit.
Why locating is a separate job from inspection
A camera inspection tells you what is wrong inside the pipe. Locating tells you where that pipe physically is. They are usually done in the same visit, but they answer different questions and either one can be the one you actually need.
If you are planning a deck, a pool, a garage slab, a tree or a fence, you need locating and not inspection. If you have a backup, you need inspection first.
Methods we use
- Sonde tracing. A transmitter in the camera head is tracked from the surface — accurate on non-metallic pipe like clay, PVC and Orangeburg.
- Conductive tracing. A signal is applied directly to metallic pipe and followed with a receiver.
- Acoustic leak detection. Ground microphones pick up the sound of water escaping a pressurised line, which is how water service leaks are pinpointed.
- Dye and smoke testing. Used to confirm which fixtures connect to which line, and to find where groundwater is entering the system.
Call 811 before you dig — and then call us
811 is free, legal and not optional. In the United States, calling 811 a few business days before any excavation gets public utilities — gas, electric, water, telecom — marked at no charge. Hitting a gas line is a life-safety event, not an inconvenience.
What 811 does not mark is private lines on your side of the meter: your sewer lateral, your water service, irrigation, septic, invisible fencing, landscape lighting. That is the gap this service fills. Use both — 811 for public utilities, private locating for everything on your property.
Call OHIO811 before you dig
Ohio law requires contacting OHIO811 before excavation. It is free, and it gets public utilities marked — gas, electric, water, telecom.
What it does not mark is anything privately owned on your side of the meter: your sewer lateral, water service, irrigation, septic or landscape lighting. That is the gap private locating fills. Use both.
The process
How sewer line locating & leak detection is carried out
1
Review and access
We confirm what you need found, identify cleanouts and the likely connection point to the main.
2
Apply the signal
A sonde is run into the line, or a signal is applied directly to metallic pipe.
3
Trace and mark
The route is walked with a receiver and marked on the surface in paint or flags.
4
Record depth
Depth readings are taken at intervals, so you know what you are dealing with before anyone breaks ground.
5
Document
You get a sketch or marked photos of the route, which is worth keeping for the next contractor who works on the property.
Answers
Sewer Line Locating & Leak Detection — frequently asked questions
Can you find my sewer line without digging?
Yes — that is the whole point. Electronic locating works entirely from the surface. We only break ground once the route and depth are known, and with trenchless methods that is usually one or two small access points rather than a trench.
How accurate is it?
Horizontal position is typically accurate to within a few inches. Depth is generally within about 10 percent of actual, and gets less precise as the line gets deeper or when other buried metal interferes with the signal.
Do I still need to call 811?
Yes, always, and it is free. 811 marks public utilities. It does not mark private lines on your property — your sewer lateral, water service, irrigation or septic. Those need private locating. Do both.
Can you find a leak in my water line too?
Yes. Pressurised water lines are found acoustically, by listening for the sound of escaping water. If the line turns out to need replacing, trenchless water line replacement avoids trenching the yard and driveway.
Keep reading
Related services in Ohio
Potable lines
Trenchless Water Line Replacement
Replace a leaking or lead water service without trenching the driveway, walkway and front lawn.
Commercial
Horizontal Directional Drilling
Steerable boring installs new pipe along a controlled path under driveways, roads, landscaping and waterways.