Yes — strongly recommended. A standard home inspection does not cover the sewer line.
Most home inspections include visual checks of accessible plumbing and fixture testing. What they do not do: run a camera through the sewer lateral from the house to the city connection. That’s the pipe most likely to have serious (and expensive) problems — and it is completely hidden underground.
In the Atlanta metro area and North Georgia, we find issues on pre-purchase camera inspections regularly: root intrusion from mature trees, deteriorated clay tile in older neighborhoods, offset pipe at joints, and full collapses that the seller had no idea about (or did know about and did not disclose).
The cost of a camera inspection before closing is a fraction of what sewer line repair or replacement costs — which can run $5,000–$20,000+ depending on depth, access, and length. Buyers who find a problem before closing have options: negotiate a repair credit, require the seller to fix it, or walk away with their earnest money. Buyers who find it after closing have a repair bill.
Sunburst Environmental offers pre-purchase sewer inspections across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Call 678-799-4389 to schedule before your closing date.