Sewer Camera Inspection in Clifton, VA

Signs the line needs a look

• Several drains slowing down at once
• Toilets gurgling when the washer or a tub drains
• Water backing up into a basement floor drain or low shower
• A sewage odor in the yard along the line's route
• A clog that returns after being cleared

A single slow fixture is usually a nearby clog. Trouble across the house points to the main drain line, which is where the camera goes.

Local conditions in Clifton

Clifton is a tiny historic village in southwestern Fairfax County, chartered as a town in 1902 and a National Historic District since 1984, with wooded single-family lots along Main Street, Clifton Road and Chapel Road near Popes Head Creek. The town's housing is old; its median home dates to 1940. There is no town water system, and homes rely on private wells.

Sewer is limited. The Town says public sewer is available only to existing buildings that meet Fairfax County's administrative guidelines, and connecting needs County approval. New homes on vacant lots need room for an onsite wastewater field. So in Clifton, a camera inspection often means filming the line from the house toward a private onsite system rather than a public lateral. Either way, old drain lines on wooded lots tend to show roots at joints, cracked clay, scaled cast iron and offsets. The pipe is the plumber's part of the job; the tank and field are a separate specialty. The ZIP code 20124 also covers a much larger unincorporated area around the town, where service varies by address.

What affects cost

• Long runs on wooded lots
• Cleanout access, or entry through a toilet or vent
• Clearing roots or debris before filming
• Locating and marking the line and any defect from the surface
• A saved copy of the footage

What happens when you call

You are connected with an independent plumber who works in the Clifton area. Say whether the house is on public sewer or a private onsite system, which fixtures are affected and when the trouble started. If a repair follows, Fairfax County Land Development Services issues the permit, but inside the town the Mayor or a designee must sign the building permit application first; for interior-only work, the Town clerk can provide a letter to the County.