Sewer Line Problems When Selling a Home in Kansas City

Many Kansas City homes sit on clay sewer lines that are 50 years old or more. Buyers and their inspectors know it, and more of them are asking for a sewer camera scope as part of the sale. If your line has a problem, you would rather find out before the buyer does.

What a scope can turn up

A camera run through the main line can show roots in the joints, offset or cracked pipe, a belly where the pipe has sagged and holds water, or old cast iron that has flaked on the inside. A bad finding does not necessarily kill a sale, but it hands the buyer leverage. We explain the process in how a sewer camera inspection works.

Your options as a seller

• Scope it first. A pre-listing camera inspection tells you what you are dealing with before anyone else sees it, and you can plan around it.
• Repair before listing. Fixing the line up front lets you list with a clean report and take the issue off the negotiating table.
• Repair during the sale. If the buyer's scope finds the problem, the repair can become part of the deal, sometimes with a credit or a contractor of the seller's choosing.
• Sell as-is. Some sellers disclose and leave the fix to the buyer. That narrows your buyer pool and can reduce what you net.

Why trenchless fits a sale

Selling is usually a deadline. Digging up a yard to replace a line is slow and leaves a mess, which is the last thing a listing needs. Methods like pipe lining fix the line from inside through small access points. Our post on how long trenchless repair takes gives a realistic idea of timing.

If you already know the line is failing, see our page on sewer line repair in Kansas City for how repairs work. Check with your listing agent about disclosure rules where you live.

Frequently asked questions