Reading a sewer inspection report and its defect codes
Updated October 30, 2026 · 3-minute read · Old House Sewer Lines
A sewer inspection report is a log of what the camera found, listed by distance from the access point, with each item classed as a structural defect or a maintenance problem. Many contractors use NASSCO's PACP coding system, or its lateral version, LACP, so reports from different firms can be compared.
PACP stands for Pipeline Assessment Certification Program. It is a standardized way of coding CCTV inspections, built around a reference manual with separate sections for structural defect coding and for operation-and-maintenance coding (NASSCO PACP syllabus). LACP applies the same approach to laterals, the pipe from a building to the main. MACP covers manholes, which a homeowner's report usually does not include. As the name says, it is a certification program, so it is fair to ask whether the person who coded your video is certified in it.
The two groups of findings
In broad terms, structural entries concern the pipe itself, such as cracks, breaks and failing joints. These are the items that drive repair decisions. Operation-and-maintenance entries concern conditions that cleaning and upkeep address, such as roots and grease in the flow. A report full of maintenance items on otherwise sound pipe is a different situation from one with structural entries at several joints.
It helps to read the list against what EPA identifies as the usual faults in private laterals: bad connections, failing joints, roots, loss of bedding support, deterioration of old pipe material, and damaged cleanout caps (EPA lateral appendix). In Rye and the Village of Mamaroneck, the code sets the bar a lateral must meet: no roots, grease or solids, no infiltration or exfiltration, tight joints, and no breaks, openings or voids (Mamaroneck village code, Chapter 282). Entries for roots, breaks or open joints conflict directly with that standard, which matters when a sale triggers an inspection.
Reading the distances
Each entry is tied to a footage reading, measured from where the camera went in. Use the distances to locate problems on the ground. A defect at 6 feet may be under the basement floor or just outside the foundation; one at 60 feet may be near the curb. That distinction matters for cost, for permits and for who is responsible, which varies by town and is not published in confirmable form for most; see who owns the line. A cluster of defects in one short stretch may suit a spot repair; defects spread along the whole run point toward replacement. Spot repair or full replacement covers that choice.
What else should be in the file
A useful report states where the camera entered, how far it travelled and why it stopped. It notes the pipe material and diameter where they change. It should come with the video itself; the summary sheet is not a substitute. NASSCO's CCTV guideline expects the full pipe circumference on screen and flow controlled so standing water does not hide the floor (NASSCO CCTV guideline). If the report says the camera could not pass a point, the rest of the line is unknown, as explained in what a sewer camera can miss.
Using it to compare bids
The same report can be handed to several contractors. A lining bid only makes sense if the report shows pipe that is not collapsed, back-pitched or fragile, the conditions the City of Fairfax, Virginia, uses to rule a lateral out. A bursting bid in New York must follow §716 of the state plumbing code, including a recorded video before and after the work. Reading the report yourself is within homeowner scope; acting on it with cutting, lining or digging is licensed contractor work. More on comparing quotes is in questions before signing a sewer job.
Video from NASSCO Inc., an outside channel: NASSCO explains its PACP coding system for camera inspections, sorting findings into structural, maintenance and construction-feature codes. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.
Key facts
- PACP is NASSCO's standardized CCTV defect-coding system, with separate structural and O&M sections; LACP is the lateral version (NASSCO).
- EPA's common lateral defects include faulty joints, roots, failed bedding and damaged cleanout caps (EPA).
- Rye and Village of Mamaroneck codes require laterals to have tight joints and no breaks, openings or voids (Chapter 282).
- NASSCO's CCTV guideline expects video of the full pipe circumference with standing water removed.
- Pipe bursting in New York requires recorded video before and after (§716).