What is avg. cost for video inspection?

Hi folks,

An elderly lady next door had a drainage problem and called roto rooter. She said the guy used a camera and charged her $225. She showed me the receipt which states...Location of main sewer line to spot that camera would not pass.

He told her one option would cost around $2500. When she said she couldn't afford that, he wrote an estimate that states.....Proposal to remove stack and replace with pvc. Also cable main line to city. Line replacement outside to sidewalk with no cement or asphalt work.....$500

I told her to at least get another opinion. I don't want her to get taken advantage of so I found this website and thought I'd ask what those costs sound like since I know nothing about plumbing. We live in Independence, missouri if that makes any difference. Any thoughts on general pricing for what she was given would be greatly appreciated.

I love your city, I spent some time there in Independence, a very pretty little town. I bought some pictures at an antique store there.

I am not a plumber but that sounds high to me. I wouldn't let her do anything until, you get another opinion or maybe, even call that rotor rooter call for her and talk to him.

She might not even need that kind of work done.

Trouble asking for prices on a site like this is that everyone contractors cost to run a business is different. Cost of living is a factor, advertising and such. When I get a customer complaining to me about my prices compared to Joe's Plumbing(made up name) up the street I explain that my prices are not based on what Joe, or any other plumbing shop charges, our prices are based on our cost. Best advice is to get more than one estimate. I would call a few plumbers, with out the word Rooter in their name.

Here I would consider those prices to be very low.
But, as stated above prices do vary widely in different areas.
In Connecticut we are in one of the highest priced areas of the country.
The best thing you can do is seek other prices from different plumbers in the local area.

Or... you could ask other neighbors. I have done that.

It doesn't matter what your neighbors think it should cost...
You still have to plumber to do it at whatever price...

Nah, like for instance, my elderly neighbor had the plumber from hell, he should had asked me, I would had told him, " no no don't use them!" They charged this poor man so much money it wasn't funny... he is like 105.

I got this neighbor across the road, she knows all and sees all, she is the one to ask, lol. she is the one I do ask! She gave me the name of number of a good plumber. He is just normal, sometimes, that is all that counts.

This is the company which charges 1,200 to reset a toilet. Then, after they dug up his yard, they told him to talk to me, because they could see tree roots in my pipes. So, the elderly man tells me this. This man was able to see 250 feet into my pipes. I don't think they are even connected! Now, mind you, I might be wrong on that, but, I don't have a clog either.

NOW, we did have a clog the night we moved in, about 15/16 years ago. The house was shut up for sometime and not used. Then, the day we moved in we had all these people in there helping. So, later than afternoon the drain in the basement backed up. My husband poured bleach, draino, and all kinds of things down there. I said to him, " maybe, we should call a plumber." " I can fix it, dont worry," he told me.

Then, a couple of hours later, he calls me really loudly and I thought something was wrong. So, I go flying down the basement stairs in my Nikes and with that first step I started to slide through the basement out the garage into the yard, where I promptly threw up.

Oh, what would the neighbors think.

I walked back inside and saw this mess, a sludge about 20 feet high, okay, it SEEMED that high, lol, and, it was still gurgling out from the drain. I thought it was alive. I said, " MY GOD, what did you do?" And, seeing the plunger in his hand that was answer enough. I said, " Now can i call a plumber??"

Well, the plumbers were great, they were Roto Rooter and they were the nicest people I ever met, they were funny, and fixed the problem.

They had called us over and asked if we wanted to see what the clog was. There it was, lo and behold a mountain of condoms, and they looked at my husband, looked at me, looked at him, and I finally said with a quivering voice, " we just moved in." There had to be 200 of them.

If i were exaggerating I would 1200, there really was at least 200.

Ah I misunderstood what you were saying.
Yes neighbor referrals for a good plumber is a good idea...

Absolutely.

Redwood, you need to realize Cookie is a woman, she will always be right LOL That is the heart of our company is customer referrals. There is certain towns that are so close knit if one person there dislikes you, you will never work in that town again.

Wow, I didn't think there were any smart men left in this world.

You are correct (what did I hear myself say? a man was correct ?)

Well, you were correct in what you said about referrals, because that is the way it is here on our road. Screw one, you screwed us all.

SewerRatz said:

Redwood, you need to realize Cookie is a woman, she will always be right LOL That is the heart of our company is customer referrals. There is certain towns that are so close knit if one person there dislikes you, you will never work in that town again.

Click to expand...

I know...
I'm from one like that...

I go to the hardware store...
Owned by my youngest brothers best friend...
I see my friend Roger working there,
who is also a life member of the fire company I served in...
He's my wifes uncle....
Are you starting to see a picture...

It's hard to imagine a town of 20K can be so inbred...

Redwood said:

I know...


It's hard to imagine a town of 20K can be so inbred...

Click to expand...

*sniclers* That explaines alot.