Sewer Camera Inspection | Redondo Beach
Second backup this year? Gurgling toilets, a slow tub, a patch of lawn that never dries out? Guessing at a sewer problem is how Redondo Beach homeowners end up paying for repairs they didn’t need. A video camera sewer inspection puts a live picture of the inside of your line on a screen, so you know whether you’re dealing with roots, a belly, a crack, or just a grease clog. ML Plumbing (Major League Plumbing Inc) is a family-owned, licensed plumbing contractor based in Manhattan Beach — License #1067944 — serving Redondo Beach and the rest of the South Bay.
What a video camera sewer inspection involves
We feed a flexible, self-leveling camera head on a push rod into your sewer lateral — usually through an accessible cleanout, sometimes through a pulled toilet or a roof vent when no cleanout exists. The camera transmits live video as it travels from the house toward the city main, and we watch the whole run: the pipe material, the joints, the flow, and anything sitting in the line that shouldn’t be there.
What we’re looking for in Redondo Beach homes is fairly predictable. Older clay and cast iron laterals crack at the joints and invite tree roots. Cast iron scales up from the inside, and the high mineral content in South Bay water speeds that along. Ground movement leaves low spots — “bellies” — where waste settles and clogs come back every few months no matter how many times the line gets snaked. Offsets, collapsed sections, and previous patch repairs all show up on camera too.
A typical inspection takes under an hour. If the line is packed with debris we may need to clear it first so the camera can actually see pipe wall. We locate problem spots from the surface using the camera’s sonde transmitter, so a repair crew knows where to dig and how deep — instead of trenching a driveway on a hunch.
Why ML Plumbing for sewer camera inspection in Redondo Beach
- Licensed California plumbing contractor, License #1067944, insured and bonded — and family owned, with background checks run on every plumber and technician we send out.
- We inspect with state-of-the-art sewer camera equipment and locate the trouble spot from above ground, so any follow-up work is targeted rather than exploratory.
- You watch the footage with us on site. We explain what the pipe material is, what the defect is, and whether it’s a “fix it now” or a “watch it” — not a sales pitch over a blurry screen.
- Full sewer capability under one roof: if the camera finds a break, the same company handles sewer line repair and replacement across the South Bay, including trenchless pipe repair and excavation.
- Free estimates, upfront pricing, and written recommendations you can take to a second opinion if you want one.
- Redondo Beach is core service territory — North Redondo, South Redondo, the Riviera Village side, and the hillside blocks toward Torrance.
Our sewer camera inspection process
- Consultation. Tell us what you’re seeing — recurring backups, sewage odor, slow drains throughout the house, a real estate transaction, or a planned remodel. We schedule around your day.
- Access. We locate your cleanout. If there isn’t one, we discuss the access options with you before touching anything.
- Clear the way if needed. A line full of standing water and debris hides defects. When that’s the case we clear it first — cabling for soft clogs, or hydro jetting for grease and heavy scale — then camera the clean pipe wall.
- Run the camera. We push from the house to the main, filming the entire lateral and noting footage marks at every defect.
- Locate and mark. Using the sonde and a surface locator, we pinpoint the depth and position of any break, root intrusion, or belly and mark it on the ground.
- Review the footage together. You see the video, we walk through what each finding means for your home.
- Written recommendations and estimate. Spot repair, trenchless liner, full replacement, or nothing at all — with the cost of each option in writing, and your approval before any work starts.
What a video camera sewer inspection typically costs
Estimates range based on how the line is accessed, how long the lateral is, and what condition it’s in when we arrive. A house with an accessible exterior cleanout and a reasonably clear line is the straightforward end. Costs climb when there’s no cleanout and we have to pull a fixture, when the line is fully blocked and needs clearing before the camera can see anything, or when you need multiple runs filmed — main lateral plus branch lines.
The inspection covers the camera run, on-site review of the footage, surface location of any defect, and a written estimate for repairs if repairs are warranted. It doesn’t cover the drain clearing or hydro jetting itself, or any excavation, if those turn out to be needed.
ML Plumbing offers free estimates, and printed coupons are available — including $89 drain cleaning with a free camera inspection, and up to $500 off sewer repair or replacement. Coupons must be printed and presented before work begins, aren’t combinable, and are subject to scheduling and availability. Ask about senior and military discounts. Call for a free quote on your Redondo Beach property.
Service areas we cover
- Redondo Beach (North and South Redondo)
- Hermosa Beach
- Manhattan Beach
- Torrance and West Torrance
- El Segundo
- Lomita and West Carson
- Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates
- Gardena, Lawndale and Hawthorne
- Carson
- Long Beach and Los Angeles
FAQ
Do I need a sewer camera inspection before buying a Redondo Beach home?
It’s worth it on any older property. A standard home inspection doesn’t look inside the sewer lateral, and that lateral is the homeowner’s responsibility out to the city main. Root intrusion and cracked clay joints are common in the South Bay’s older neighborhoods, and finding them before closing is a lot cheaper than finding them after.
How long does the inspection take?
Usually under an hour for a standard residential lateral. Add time if the line has to be cleared first before the camera can get a usable picture.
Do I get a copy of the video?
We review the footage with you on site and put our findings and recommendations in writing. Ask when you book if you’d like a copy of the recording for a real estate file or an insurance claim.
My drain keeps clogging even after snaking. Will a camera tell me why?
That’s exactly the situation cameras were made for. Repeat clogs in the same spot usually mean roots, a belly holding water, or heavy scale — structural issues a cable passes straight through without fixing. The camera shows which one it is.
Can you do the repair if you find something?
Yes. We handle sewer line repair, replacement, excavation, and trenchless pipe repair, along with the rest of our residential plumbing work — including whole-home repipes in Redondo Beach when the supply side is failing too.
What are the warning signs I shouldn’t ignore?
Multiple fixtures draining slowly at once, gurgling toilets when the washer drains, sewage odor in the yard, soggy ground over the sewer path, or backups that return within weeks. Any of those justify a look inside the pipe.
Stop guessing about what’s happening under your yard. Call ML Plumbing at (323) 792-2922 to schedule a video camera sewer inspection in Redondo Beach, CA, and get a free estimate with upfront pricing before any work begins. We’re a family-owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor serving Redondo Beach and the South Bay — and we’ll show you the footage before we recommend a thing.