Sewer and Drain Camera Inspections in North Bay
Camera inspection in North Bay is a diagnostic service from Poly-B Plumbing that runs a waterproof HD camera through a drain or sewer lateral, up to about 150 feet, and shows you on video what is in the pipe and where. A camera inspection turns a guess into a location: roots at a joint, a belly holding water, a cracked or collapsed section, an offset from frost heave, or nothing wrong at all. Poly-B uses it on every main line job, on repeat clogs, and for buyers of North Bay homes and cottages before conditions are waived. The findings come as a written report. Call 705-345-6616.
Service hours
- Monday to Thursday7:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Friday7:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Saturday and SundayClosed
Emergency service is available during business hours only. Members of the $49-per-month plan get priority scheduling.
What the camera finds, and what each one means
| What shows on video | What it means | What Poly-B recommends |
|---|---|---|
| Fine roots at every joint | Clay or old cast iron lateral; roots will keep coming | Annual jetting, or replacement of the root-bound run |
| Standing water with the camera submerged | A belly: the pipe has lost its slope and holds solids | Re-lay the bellied section; cleaning does not fix slope |
| A step or ledge in the pipe wall | Offset joint from frost heave or settling | Spot repair at the located point |
| Broken wall, soil, the camera cannot pass | Cracked or collapsed pipe | Excavate and replace that section |
| Rough, scaled bore on cast iron | Channelling; the pipe is thinning from the bottom | Plan replacement before it holes |
| Grease coating the walls | Kitchen line; a cable will not clear it | Hydro jetting |
| A pipe crossing the bore | A cross bore: a utility line drilled through the sewer. Do not snake it | Stop; the utility is notified before anything else |
| Clean pipe, good flow | The problem is upstream, in a fixture drain or the venting | Fix the actual cause, no digging |
When a camera inspection is worth the visit
- The same drain has been snaked more than once. A cable opens a hole; the camera tells you why it closes again.
- Sewage has backed up into a floor drain, tub or basement toilet, even once.
- Toilets gurgle when the washing machine drains, or there is a sewer smell outside.
- You are buying a house or cottage. The sewer lateral is the most expensive thing a home inspector does not look at.
- Before any sewer line repair, backwater valve installation or basement bathroom, so the dig lands on the problem.
- After a major backup or flood, to confirm the line survived.
The cross bore rule
A cross bore is a gas or utility line that was directionally drilled straight through a sewer lateral years ago, unseen, and a drain cable hitting it is how basements have been filled with gas in Ontario. It is one of the reasons Poly-B cameras a main line before jetting or cutting roots, and why the old page’s advice stands: if a utility line has been recently bored on your street, a camera inspection comes first and a cable does not go in until the line is confirmed clear. If the camera sees a pipe crossing the bore, work stops and the utility is contacted.
What a camera inspection costs in North Bay
Poly-B Plumbing quotes camera inspections flat-rate, in writing. Most take under an hour. The price depends on:
- Access. A cleanout in the basement is the base case. No cleanout means pulling a toilet or going through the roof vent, and a retrofit cleanout can be quoted so next time is cheaper.
- Whether the line is blocked. A fully blocked line needs a drain cleaning first so the camera can see; a partial blockage is usually fine.
- Locating. Marking the exact point on the lawn or floor for a repair uses a locator on the camera head and is included when a repair is being quoted.
- Bundling. A camera inspection is included with major drain cleanings and with every sewer repair quote.
Poly-B does not warranty main line snaking without a camera inspection, for the reason in the first table: a cable can push through a root mass and open the line for a week without touching the cause.
What you receive
A verbal walkthrough on site with the screen in front of you, and a written report on request that records the pipe material, the findings, their distance from the access point, and Poly-B’s recommendation. Poly-B does not hand over the raw footage file; the report is what a buyer, a lawyer or an insurer needs and it is written to be read by one.
Why North Bay laterals need looking at
Clay laterals with a joint every metre run under the older streets below the escarpment and near Lake Nipissing, and the boulevard trees planted with them have had sixty years to find water. Frost heave, with the City’s own guideline of 1.8 m of cover as a measure of how deep it reaches, offsets shallow joints a little more each winter. Cast iron under the slab in mid-century homes channels along the bottom. None of that shows from the basement floor; all of it shows on camera. Plumber (306A) is a compulsory trade regulated by Skilled Trades Ontario, and Poly-B’s owner is a Red Seal journeyman plumber licensed for plumbing, wells, septic and backflow prevention, carrying up to $5 million in liability insurance.
Sources: City of North Bay Engineering Design Guidelines, March 2021; Skilled Trades Ontario, Plumber (306A).
How Poly-B runs a camera inspection
Find the access
A cleanout, a pulled toilet or the roof vent; the cleanest route for the line.
Run the camera
HD waterproof camera fed up to about 150 feet, recording, with a locator on the head.
Mark the findings
Distance and depth of anything found, marked on the lawn or floor where a repair would go.
Explain and report
Findings shown on screen, options laid out, written report on request.
What North Bay customers say
“Reliable.”Curtis Avery, Google review, May 2025
“Excellent customer service”TGunzSupreme, Google review, June 2025
Where Poly-B does camera inspections
Camera inspection questions from North Bay homeowners
Does the line need cleaning before a camera inspection?
Only if it is fully blocked; then Poly-B Plumbing clears it first so the camera can see. A partially blocked line can usually be inspected as is. If a utility line was recently bored on your street, the camera goes in before any cable does.
Do I get a copy of the footage?
Poly-B Plumbing provides a written report on request with the findings, their distance from the access point and the recommendation. The raw video file is not handed over.
Can a camera inspection be used when buying a home?
Yes, and Poly-B Plumbing recommends it on any older North Bay home or cottage. The sewer lateral is the costliest item a general home inspection does not cover.
What happens if the camera finds a major problem?
Poly-B Plumbing walks you through the options, repair, replacement or cleaning, with the location marked and a written quote, and no pressure.
How long does a camera inspection take?
Usually under an hour, longer if the line has to be cleared first or if the findings are being located and marked for a repair quote.
Book a camera inspection in North Bay
Monday to Thursday 7 am to 7 pm, Friday 7 am to 5 pm. Buyers: book before the condition deadline, not after.
Call 705-345-6616 Request a free online quote
Poly-B Plumbing, 1107 Yellek Trail, North Bay, ON P1B 8G5.