How do I read a sewer scope report?

The shape of a good report

However it is formatted, a useful report has four parts: where the camera went in and which direction it ran; the pipe material by section, with the distance at which it changes; a list of findings, each with a distance, a description and a severity; and what was seen at the connection to the main. Anything missing from that list is worth asking for. The video should accompany it, and the distances in the report should match the footage counter on the screen.

Structural terms — the pipe itself

Term	Meaning	Weight
Crack (longitudinal / circumferential)	A line in the wall along or around the pipe, pieces in place	Watch; line before it becomes a fracture
Fracture	A crack where the wall has shifted	Repair territory
Broken / hole	A piece of wall missing	Repair; soil can enter
Collapse	Wall fallen in, bore lost	Urgent; spot replacement or bursting
Deformation	Bore no longer round (Orangeburg, crushed plastic)	Replacement candidate
Offset / displaced joint	Sections no longer aligned; graded minor to severe	Minor: line. Severe: reset then line
Open joint / separated	Gap between sections	Line
Surface damage / spalling	Wall material eroding (concrete crown)	Line while still round

Operational terms — what is in the pipe

Term	Meaning	Weight
Root intrusion (fine / medium / heavy / ball)	Roots through a joint or crack	Cut now; the opening is the real finding
Belly / sag / standing water	Low section holding water; reported as a percentage of pipe depth	Under ~20%: monitor. More: re-grade
Scale / encrustation	Mineral or rust build-up (cast iron)	Descale and line
Grease / debris / settled deposits	Material in the flow	Clean; look for the cause
Infiltration	Water entering from outside	Structural opening exists
Obstruction	Object or fallen piece blocking	Remove; check the wall behind it

Reading severity

Most reports grade each finding, either in words (minor / moderate / severe) or on the PACP 1–5 scale. The practical reading: grade 1–2 / minor means the line works and should be watched or lightly maintained; grade 3 / moderate means a defect that will get worse and should be planned for — often a lining candidate; grade 4–5 / severe means failure is underway or imminent and the work should be scheduled. A line's overall verdict is driven by its worst finding, not its average.

Three things the summary line hides

Distance. A severe offset at 8 feet under lawn and one at 60 feet under the street are different jobs. Always read the distance and check it against the trace.
Material change. "Fair condition" for the whole run can hide a sound plastic section near the house and a failing clay section beyond it. Look for where the material changes.
Weather. A dry-weather scope of a line with joint problems can look cleaner than it is. If rain is part of the symptom, the report should say what the conditions were.

From findings to a plan

Once you can read the report, the decision logic in spot repair vs. full replacement and lining vs. bursting applies directly. And if the report came from a seller, a buyer, or a contractor with something to sell, a second scope is a small cost against the size of the decision — see our inspection page.

Questions people also ask

What does “PACP” mean on my report?

The Pipeline Assessment Certification Program, an industry standard vocabulary and grading scheme for pipe condition. A PACP-coded report grades each defect 1 to 5 and is comparable between inspectors.

My report says “recommend replacement” with no footage. Is that normal?

It is common; it is not adequate. A recommendation should be traceable to specific findings at specific distances. Ask for the video and a second opinion if the footage is not offered.

What is the difference between a crack and a fracture?

A crack is a visible line in the wall with the pieces still in place. A fracture is a crack where the pieces have moved. Fractures are structurally worse and are usually where a collapse starts.

Is “heavy root intrusion” a structural problem?

Roots are operational — they can be cut — but they only get in through structural openings. Heavy intrusion means the joints are open, which is a structural finding even if the report files it under maintenance.

More of the questions we hear every week are on the FAQ page .