Sewer Camera Inspection in Kensington, MD

What's likely inside a Kensington sewer line?

Kensington grew from a summer retreat into a commuter suburb, and its southern core is a largely intact planned Victorian-era layout listed as the Kensington Historic District. With a median build year around 1959, a large share of homes still drain through their original building sewer. In houses of that age, the pipe is often clay, with joints that roots can enter, or cast iron that corrodes and builds scale until the opening narrows. Homes that have been renovated may have a mix of old and new pipe, and the couplings where materials meet are a common weak point.

Can the camera check the basement drains too?

Usually. Many Kensington homes have basements, and floor drains or fixtures there often tie into lines running beneath the slab. A plumber can run the camera into those branches from a floor drain or cleanout, which helps when water is showing up in the basement and it's unclear whether the problem is under the floor or out in the yard.

What if I'm outside the town limits?

The 20895 postal area, often called Greater Kensington, is much larger than the Town of Kensington. The camera work is the same either way, and WSSC Water issues the plumbing permit for any repair, with a plumber registered with WSSC doing the work. Inside the town, larger home projects also go through Town Hall's own forms, so a repair that involves construction may need that step as well. Addresses outside the town limits deal only with WSSC and Montgomery County.

One local note

Overflows from a manhole or sewage in the street go to WSSC Water's Emergency Service Center at 301-206-4002. Backups limited to your house are in your own line. In the historic district, ask about trenchless options that could spare old walks, walls and mature trees, and keep a copy of the inspection video for comparing quotes.

If you're buying an older Kensington house, have the line filmed before closing. A standard home inspection usually stops at the fixtures, and the building sewer of a house this age is one of the costlier things that can be hiding underground.