West Contra Costa County
Selling a home along the West County shoreline? Most local sewer agencies here want a video inspection of the lateral before the sale closes. We record that inspection and help you keep the deal on schedule.
Most West County Sales Need a Lateral Video
Across Port Costa, Crockett, Rodeo, Hercules, San Pablo and El Sobrante, most of the local sewer agencies require a video inspection of the private sewer lateral before a property sale closes, and issue a compliance certificate once they have reviewed it.
Several different agencies serve these towns, and each writes its own rules. Deadlines, notice periods and how long an inspection or certificate stays good vary from one agency to the next. You don't need to sort that out yourself: when you book, we confirm which agency serves the property and what it asks for.
One boundary matters. We don't work in EBMUD's wastewater service area, where the regional lateral ordinance requires a pressure test. None of the towns on this page is in that program.
- ✓Video lateral inspections for West County point-of-sale certificates
- ✓We confirm the serving agency and its requirement when you book
- ✓Line cleaning before the video when the agency calls for it
- ✓Recorded video and a written report, usually within 1–2 days
- ✓Owner on every job, family-owned since 2001
What the Camera Inspection Involves
We run a camera through the lateral from the cleanout to the public main and record the whole length. Some agencies want the line cleaned before the video so the pipe itself is visible, so if roots or buildup are in the way we clear them first with a root cut or hydrojetting.
The recording shows what an agency reviewer looks for: roots, cracks, separated or offset joints, sags that hold water, and connections that don't belong on a sewer line. You get the video and a written report, usually within 1–2 days, in the form the agency needs.
Some agencies ask for advance notice so they can witness the inspection, and how much notice they want varies. We build that into the schedule when we book.
Keep the Inspection Early in the Timeline
The requirement usually has to be met before escrow closes, and in some places before the home even goes on the market. An inspection has a limited shelf life with most agencies, so the best time is early in the listing — not so early that it expires, not so late that it holds up the close.
Buyers benefit too. Even where a certificate is already on file, a fresh look at the lateral tells a buyer what they're taking on. And if you're not selling, the same inspection is the quickest way to find out why a drain keeps backing up.
We can usually get you on the schedule within a few days, depending on our workload and your availability. Tell us the address and the target close date, and we'll work out the timing with you.
About Compliance Inspections
From Port Costa to El Sobrante
Our West County work runs along the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay: the small hillside towns of Port Costa and Crockett, Rodeo and Hercules along the shore, and San Pablo and El Sobrante further south and inland.
The housing ranges from older homes on steep lots to newer subdivisions, and the laterals range just as widely. Whatever the age of the home, the camera shows what is actually in the ground.
Sewer Services in West Contra Costa County
Compliance Inspections
The video inspection West County agencies ask for at sale, recorded from the cleanout to the main.
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Hydrojetting
When the pipe needs to be clean for the camera, we clear it first so the video shows the pipe itself.
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Root Cuts & Line Cleaning
Roots are a common cause of slow drains and unclear video. We cut them and confirm on camera.
Learn MoreWest Contra Costa Sewer Questions, Answered
Other service areas: Tri-Valley · Central Contra Costa County · East Contra Costa County · Lamorinda · Castro Valley · Southern Solano County · Tracy / Mountain House · Hayward & Niles · Ironhouse Sanitary District