Do not dig up the garden to find a blocked drain. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting uses professional push-rod CCTV cameras to inspect sewer, stormwater and trade-waste lines across Melbourne's east, south-east, inner-east and bayside suburbs. You get a digital video file, a written summary of what we found, and a fixed-price repair quote based on evidence - not guesswork.
Quick answer: A CCTV drain inspection runs a camera through the pipe to find the blockage or defect and its exact position, before anyone digs. You see the footage, we explain it in plain English, and any repair gets a fixed-price written quote. Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting runs CCTV inspections across Melbourne, BPC licence #103414, and pairs them with jetting when the line also needs cleaning.If the same drain keeps blocking, the problem is almost never the blockage itself - it is what is happening inside the pipe. Tree root intrusion at clay joints, cracked clay sections, displaced joints, pipe bellies holding water, silt build-up, or construction debris from a past renovation. A camera run shows you exactly what is there, where it is, and what the right fix costs.
Excavation is the single most expensive thing a plumber does for a drainage fault. Digging blind means larger trenches, more reinstatement cost (landscaping, paving, concrete) and a real risk of finding the fault was somewhere else entirely. A CCTV run first, with sonde location of any defect, means a follow-up excavation digs precisely where the damage is - usually a one-square-metre pit instead of a trench across the yard. Typical saving on a suburban fault: several hundred to several thousand dollars of avoided reinstatement cost.
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The full camera run is recorded to an MP4 file that you keep. Time stamps show how far down the pipe any defect sits, so a plumber, insurance adjuster, real estate agent or council officer can verify independently without needing to dig.
When a fault is identified, the camera's built-in sonde transmits a signal we pick up from the surface. We spray-mark or peg the exact position and depth above the fault. Follow-up excavation goes directly to the right spot - no trial digging.
A short written report of what was found, where, and what it means - suitable for insurers, body corporate managers, vendors, buyers, or your own records. No plumbing vocabulary required to understand what we recommend.
We identify the best access point - usually a cleanout eye or inspection pit - and set up the camera rig. Access is non-disruptive and does not require any digging on arrival.
If the line is completely blocked or heavily silted we may need to flush or rod-clear first so the camera can get through. This is quoted up front with the inspection if required, so the final price is not a surprise.
The push-rod or crawler camera runs the length of the line at a steady pace. Video is recorded, and we pause on any defect to capture a clear still image. Any fault is sonde-located to the surface and marked.
Before we leave we walk you through what the camera found on screen - with commentary and pause-on-demand. You see the pipe, understand its condition, and can ask questions while the findings are fresh.
The MP4 video and written summary are sent after the visit. If repair work is needed, we include a separate fixed-price repair quote - but you are under no obligation to proceed with Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting. The inspection stands on its own as a diagnostic service.
Pricing depends on pipe length and how easily the camera can access the line. We come to your property to quote, fixed price in writing on site so there is no meter running. Send your address and a short description and we will come back with a number.
Depends on the condition. If the line is completely blocked we clear first so the camera can pass; if it is passing but slow, we inspect first to see the cause before clearing. We explain which approach fits your situation before work begins.
A typical residential sewer or stormwater inspection runs one to two hours on site, plus a short video review with you afterwards. Commercial or multi-line jobs take longer and are quoted separately.
Yes - the video is time-stamped and the written report is formatted to serve as evidence for insurance claims, body corporate matters or vendor disputes. Many Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting CCTV customers are actively preparing documentation for a claim.
If you have tree roots, yes - they are normally visible within minutes of the camera run. Common in pre-1980 homes with clay sewer pipes and established gums, elms or poplars nearby. We show you the root mass on screen and mark the location from the surface.
Yes - both. Stormwater is often the more overlooked line, and council compliance letters frequently flag stormwater-to-sewer cross connections that a camera can diagnose in one short run.
No. The inspection is stand-alone. If we find a problem you get a separate repair quote but you are free to shop it. We do not lock inspection pricing to a repair commitment.
Melbourne's east, south-east, inner-east and bayside suburbs - including Ashwood, Chadstone, Noble Park North, Mulgrave, Malvern, Elwood, Burwood, Ormond, Gardenvale, Caulfield, Carnegie, Wantirna South, Rowville. If your suburb is not listed, send your address through the contact form and we will confirm coverage.
