Trenchless methods
Sewer camera inspection and hydrostatic testing in Houston
Every repair decision on a Houston sewer line rests on two pieces of evidence: a hydrostatic test that says whether the line leaks, and a camera recording that says where and why. This page explains how each is done and how to read what comes back.
Serving Houston · Harris County
CPC Trenchless, LLC
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Two tests that answer two different questions
Owners in Houston often hear the terms used interchangeably, but a hydrostatic test and a camera inspection do separate jobs. The hydrostatic test is a pass-or-fail question: does the drain system under and around the house hold water, or is it leaking into the soil? The camera inspection is descriptive: where is the pipe damaged, what material is it, what does the damage look like, and how far is it from the cleanout? A failed test with no camera leaves you knowing you have a problem and nothing else. A camera run with no test can miss a leaking joint that looks fine on video. CPC Trenchless, LLC does both on the first visit when the situation calls for it.
How the hydrostatic test is run
The technician finds the main cleanout, usually at the slab edge, and inserts an inflatable test ball into the line on the downstream side so that nothing can leave the house system. Water is then introduced through a fixture or the cleanout until it stands at the slab level, visible in the cleanout riser. The level is marked and watched. If it holds for the test period, the under-slab system is tight. If it drops, water is escaping through a crack, a failed joint, or a rusted-through section somewhere under the house. In a slab home in Houston that is the entire basis for the repair conversation that follows, which is why foundation contractors and real estate agents ask for it so routinely.
What the camera sees in Houston pipe
A self-leveling camera head on a push cable enters the cleanout and is run toward the street and, through the same opening, back under the house. The cable counter puts a distance on everything it sees. In the cast iron common beneath Harris County slabs, the typical picture is heavy tuberculation on the walls and a bottom that has corroded into a flat, rough channel, sometimes with the soil visible through holes. In clay tile yard lines, the picture is a series of joints, each a potential root entry, some offset where seasonal soil movement has rotated the sections. In PVC from the 1980s onward, defects are usually a crushed spot, a bad glue joint, or a belly. Standing water, where the lens submerges, marks a sag and its length is read off the counter. Each observation is logged against its footage.
Turning footage into a repair plan
The footage log is the bridge between inspection and proposal. A defect at 18 feet under the master bath, another at 41 feet at the slab edge, and roots at 63 feet near the sidewalk are three different problems with three different fixes, and the log is what lets an owner in Houston see why a proposal calls for lining the first, a sectional sleeve for the second, and jetting plus a short liner for the third. When a defect will be excavated, the technician uses a sonde in the camera head to mark its exact position on the surface, so a tunnel or pit lands on the problem rather than searching for it. Local details on scheduling are at the CPC Trenchless, LLC inspection page for Houston.
Inspections tied to foundation work and home sales
Two situations generate most inspection requests in Houston. Before and after foundation repair, because lifting a slab can shear the drain lines where they leave it, and a test on both sides of the work settles whether the foundation contractor's lift caused a leak. And during a home sale, because the under-slab plumbing is the costliest system a general home inspection does not examine. In both cases the deliverable is a dated test result and a video file that can be attached to a report or a negotiation. CPC Trenchless, LLC appears at the CPC Trenchless, LLC record among verified installers as part of a network that publishes standards for the repairs these inspections lead to.
What you should receive
An inspection from CPC Trenchless, LLC ends with the video file, a footage log listing each defect and its distance, a statement of the hydrostatic result, and, if repairs are warranted, a proposal that references the log by footage. Nothing is quoted before the pipe has been seen, and the recording is yours whether or not you proceed. Background reading on the methods a proposal may name is at the CIPP reference library. To schedule a test or camera run in Houston, call (346) 644-6780. Estimates are free. Call now.
Estimates are free. Call now: (346) 644-6780.
Other trenchless services in Houston
Trenchless Sewer Repair Houston
Repair or replace a failed sewer line with little or no excavation.
Sewer Pipe Lining (CIPP) Houston
A resin-saturated liner cured in place forms a new, jointless pipe inside the old one.
Pipe Bursting Houston
A bursting head splits the old pipe while pulling new HDPE pipe in behind it, through two small pits.
Sectional Point Repair Houston
A short liner fixes one bad spot and leaves the rest of a sound line alone.
Hydro Jetting Houston
High-pressure water strips roots, grease and scale so the pipe can be inspected and lined.
Sewer Line Repair & Replacement Houston
When a line cannot be lined: spot excavation or trenchless replacement, chosen from the footage.
Questions we hear about sewer camera inspection
How long does a hydrostatic test take?+
Plugging the line, filling the system to slab level, and holding it long enough to read a change takes an hour or two at most Houston homes. If the level drops, the technician may isolate sections with additional plugs to narrow the leak to one branch. The camera run that follows adds another hour.
Can the test damage my pipes?+
The water pressure in a hydrostatic test is only the height of the water column to the slab, a small fraction of what the pipes see from a running shower. The test does not cause leaks; it reveals leaks that already exist. A line that fails was leaking into the soil before anyone tested it.
What does it mean when the camera picture goes dark or blurry?+
Dark usually means the lens is submerged in standing water, which indicates a belly or a blockage downstream. Blurry or hazy footage means grease or scale on the lens or in the pipe. In both cases the technician notes the footage, and the line is often jetted and re-run so the pipe wall itself can be seen.
Should I get an inspection before buying a slab home in Houston?+
Yes. General home inspections in Harris County do not include a sewer test or camera run, and the drain lines under a 1960s or 1970s slab are the single most expensive hidden system in the house. A test and camera during the option period gives you either peace of mind or a documented item to negotiate.
Who performs the inspection and what do I receive?+
CPC Trenchless, LLC runs the test and the camera, and you receive the video file, a footage log listing each defect at its distance from the cleanout, the test result, and a proposal if repairs are warranted. Call (346) 644-6780 to schedule. Estimates are free; call now.