About to close on my first deal. Just had a sewer scope done. Is this a concern ?

Question

77 feet, cast iron and clay pipe. Home is built in 1952 on a slab. Findings are "Typical Root Intrusion", "Openings or inconsistencies noted in sewer line, signs of settling" recommendations are regular inspection and maintenance.

I'm not well versed on plumbing. How does this sound? I'm assuming the cast and clay pipes will eventually need to be replaced. In the video there were no large obstructions that I noticed. In the residential disclosure the sellers wrote that the main sewer was serviced in march 2020 and cleaned in march 2023. The inspector was told by the tenants that they got it cleaned a couple times. The video still shows some tree roots even after cleaning. But the water seems to be flowing well, no breaking was found and I'm told that no immediate action is needed.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

It's functional now, so don't sweat it. You can help maintain it by using a root killer like Keith mentioned.

You can buy sewer insurance for super cheap, maybe $5 - $6 per month. It will cover the costs of replacing the sewer line should it fail. If the cost of replacing the line is $6,000 then it would take 83 years before your monthly payment would add up to that amount.

Gurjot Grewal · Answer

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Have decided to move forward with this property. It has a few things that will eventually need to be replaced or updated but I'm getting a great price and what house doesn't lol.

Account Closed

Keith A. · Answer

we have several properties that we have the tenants flush foaming root killer down the toilet twice a year. Seems to keep the roots in check for us.

Carlos Ptriawan · Answer

That's like my story, even if it has to be fixed, the cost of replacement is only $10-$12k to get it replaced in a mil house. I just waterjet it so far and add cleanout.

Jaron Walling · Answer

Our market is full of clay and cast iron sewer lines. People dig them up all the time. If it's not broken or clogged I wouldn't worry about it. I'd for sure keep $10-12k liquid for a rainy day. It's an expensive fix.

My wife's coworker paid $17k to get one replaced. They took her to the cleaners.

Ray Hage · Answer

You probably don't have much to worry about but you may have occasional plumbing problems with the root. I have a 1960s duplex in Fort Lauderdale that has roots growing into the cast iron piping. It will be an occasional annoyance to full pipe replacements are going to be expensive. If you have snaked video, I would show it to a 2-3 more plumbers to get their opinions as well

Nathan Gesner · Answer

It's The law of averages, just like any insurance. Most people will never file a claim.

Adam Wayne · Answer

Hey Nathan,

Out of curiousity, how can those companies turn a profit if they ask for so little and insure so much? That math doesn't make much sense to me, but if it is the case then this seems like a no-brainer! People pay that much for cellphone insurance on a $500 device, haha.

About to close on my first deal. Just had a sewer scope done. Is this a concern ?

About to close on my first deal. Just had a sewer scope done. Is this a concern ?

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