Sewer Camera Inspection in Fairfax Station, VA

Where public sewer reaches Fairfax Station, Fairfax County's Wastewater Management Program runs it and the owner maintains the private lateral. Service varies by address, so check your bill or property records. A sewer camera inspection films the line leaving the house to find roots, cracks or sags. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Fairfax Station.

Signs it's time for a camera

Several fixtures draining slowly at once
A lower-level toilet or shower gurgling when the washer empties
Water rising in a floor drain
A sewage odor outside along the line's route
A clog that keeps coming back after being cleared

One slow fixture is usually a local clog. Trouble across the house points to the main line, and a camera is the clearest way to see what is going on inside it.

Local conditions in Fairfax Station

Fairfax Station began in 1851 as a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and today is a mostly residential, car-dependent part of southern Fairfax County along Ox Road and the Fairfax County Parkway, near Burke Lake Park. The median home was built in 1982, so many laterals are plastic. On camera, those lines more often show sags, separated joints and root entry at fittings than corrosion. Wooded lots and long driveways mean longer runs and more root pressure.

Public sewer service varies across the area. Homes on Fairfax County sewer have a private lateral the owner maintains, and the County's 24-hour line at 703-323-1211 checks the main when sewage backs up with nothing running. Homes not on municipal sewer have a line from the house to a private onsite wastewater system, and a camera can inspect that pipe as well. Your bill or property records will show which applies.

Call now to be connected with a local plumber in Fairfax Station.

(202) 915-7612

What affects cost

How long the run is on a larger lot
Cleanout access, or entry through a toilet or vent
Clearing roots or debris before filming
Locating defects from the surface and saving the video
Landscaping, patios or driveways over the line
Jetting first when grease or heavy roots hide the condition of the pipe

What happens when you call

You are connected with an independent plumber who works in Fairfax Station. Tell them whether the home is on public sewer or a private onsite system, which fixtures are affected, and when the line was last cleaned. If pipe needs replacing, Fairfax County Land Development Services issues plumbing permits through PLUS, and the plumber doing the repair usually files for it.

Sewer Camera Inspection questions in Fairfax Station

My home isn't on public sewer. Is a camera inspection still useful?

Yes. A camera can inspect the pipe from the house to a private onsite system for roots, cracks or blockages, just as it would a sewer lateral.

When sewage backs up, should I call the sewer utility or a plumber first?

On Fairfax County sewer, if sewage backs up with nothing running, call the County's 24-hour line at 703-323-1211 first. If the main is fine, a plumber handles your private line.

Will tree roots show up on the camera?

Yes, if they are present. Fairfax Station's wooded lots put plenty of roots near drain lines, and the camera shows where they get in.

How long does a sewer camera inspection take?

Often about an hour from an accessible cleanout. Longer runs on large lots, or a line that needs clearing first, take more time.