Our Services
French drain camera inspection: the diagnosis before any work
Find out whether your French drain can be cleaned or has to be replaced, before anyone digs up your yard.
Solution ProFissure inspects your French drain by camera through the access cleanouts, gives you the footage and a diagnostic report, then recommends cleaning, a targeted repair or a replacement, with a free quote.
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Our French drain camera inspection services
At Solution ProFissure, a camera inspection documents the real condition of your French drain before any decision about work. Three types of jobs come up most often: preventive checks, pre-purchase diagnosis before buying a house, and the follow-up inspection after a French drain cleaning.
Preventive French drain inspection
A camera run through the French drain every three to five years reveals sediment, iron ochre and early blockages long before the basement turns damp. This preventive maintenance extends the life of the drainage system, estimated at 25 to 40 years in Quebec. For the role of the perforated pipe, the gravel and the filter fabric, see how a French drain works.
French drain inspection before buying a home
A camera inspection confirms whether the property’s foundation drain still works or whether you should budget for a replacement. A home inspector cannot see inside the perforated pipe, and only the camera can. The report becomes a negotiating tool for the buyer and the seller alike.
Follow-up inspection after hydro-jetting
After high-pressure cleaning, a second camera inspection checks that the French drain is truly clear around the entire perimeter. This is how we confirm that a drain clogged with iron ochre still responds to unclogging. This check comes with every job handled by our French drain service.
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What the camera sees in your drain
Persistent puddles, a damp basement, efflorescence on the concrete or a musty smell all point to a drainage problem, and the camera shows the cause. Here are the five most common findings in a Quebec French drain.
Iron ochre and sediment buildup
Iron ochre forms when iron in the soil travels with groundwater toward the foundation drain: in contact with oxygen, it produces an iron hydroxide sludge. Iron bacteria in the water table add a gelatinous mass to it. The orange deposit coats the perforated pipe, plugs the perforations and shrinks the working diameter of the French drain. The Bureau de normalisation du Québec published the BNQ 3661-500 standard in February 2012, which governs the assessment of ochre deposit risk and calls for access chimneys to inspect and clean drains.
Crushed, sagging or punctured pipe
Backfill, heavy machinery and the movement of clay soil gradually crush a flexible pipe. The camera locates the flattened section in linear feet from the entry point, which turns a full perimeter excavation into a targeted repair of a few feet of French drain.
Tree roots and separated joints
Roots seek out water and get in through the perforations or through a joint that has shifted, and on screen they look like a white, hairy mass that traps sediment. Freeze-thaw cycles move clay soil and slowly pull the joints of the French drain out of alignment. A separated joint also lets in soil and fine gravel, two frequent causes of a clogged drain.
Reverse slope and standing water
A French drain has to keep a steady slope toward its outlet. When the soil settles, the camera reveals a reverse-slope section where water stands still, ideal conditions for iron ochre. The trapped water raises hydrostatic pressure against the foundation wall, all the way to a foundation crack a few winters later. A reverse slope is corrected by excavation, while hydro-jetting would leave it untouched.
Blocked sump or sewer connection
A French drain can be in good shape and still back up, because its connection to the sump pit, the sump pump or the storm sewer is blocked. The camera travels up to that outlet and tells a broken French drain apart from a discharge problem, two very different bills.
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How the camera inspection works
A French drain camera inspection takes a single visit, with no excavation in the vast majority of cases.
01/ Locating the access cleanouts
We locate the cleanouts, the sump pit or the inspection opening that leads into the French drain. When the house has none, we open an entry point with an excavator, and this excavation is priced separately in the free quote.
02/ Running the camera through the drain
The camera, mounted on a semi-rigid push rod, travels through the perforated pipe around the entire accessible perimeter. Real-time footage shows the flow, the sediment, the condition of the filter fabric and the distance in linear feet to each defect, so the exact spot to dig is known.
03/ Report, diagnosis and recommendation
You receive the video recording and a written report that describes each finding, its position and its severity. The recommendation is clear: preventive maintenance, hydro-jetting, spot unclogging, repair of one section or a complete French drain replacement. The priced quote comes with the report, with no obligation.
Get your drain inspected by camera
One hour of camera inspection beats digging blind: you will know exactly what condition your French drain is in.
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Clean or replace your French drain
That is the decision a camera inspection settles. French drain cleaning by hydro-jetting runs between $300 and $700 in Quebec, while a complete French drain replacement around a single-family home costs $12,000 to $20,000. A drain fouled with sediment or a still-thin layer of ochre responds to French drain cleaning by hydro-jetting, whereas a crushed pipe, a reverse slope or a drain fully blocked by iron ochre requires excavation.
The inspection report lets you compare quotes line by line. When replacement is the only option, the new French drain is laid below the frost line, on a bed of clean gravel under filter fabric, with the membrane redone while the trench is open, in line with the National Building Code and the APCHQ. The full price ranges are in our guide to the cost of a French drain in Quebec.
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When to have your French drain inspected
Five situations call for a French drain camera inspection before any other expense. Two useful reads: how to tell if your house has a French drain and the special case of a house without a French drain.
- Before buying a house, when the seller does not know the age of the foundation drain or the date of the last cleaning.
- When moisture comes back to the basement every year, with a musty smell or efflorescence on the foundation walls.
- When water shows up during the spring thaw or after heavy rain, the moment the drainage system works hardest.
- Before choosing between cleaning and replacing the French drain, to avoid needless excavation.
- When your area is known for iron ochre or clay soil, where a yearly check makes sense.
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Our Commitments
Why choose Solution ProFissure?
Superior Quality
Professional work meeting the highest standards to ensure the strength and durability of your home.
Fast Estimate 24/7
Callback and free estimate within 24 hours, available 7 days a week.
Transparency
Detailed quotes and clear communication throughout the work. No surprises on the bill.
Personalized Approach
Solutions tailored to your specific situation for lasting results and maximum satisfaction.
On-Time Delivery
Start dates and deadlines always met. Efficient work to minimize disruptions.
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Our Projects
Every project reflects our commitment to excellence and attention to detail.
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Why trust Solution ProFissure with your inspection
A family business based in Sainte-Sophie, in the Laurentians, Solution ProFissure holds RBQ licence 5770-6285-01 and brings more than 30 years of construction experience, including more than 10 years in foundations. Our crews completed more than 350 projects in 2024 for more than 1,300 clients, from camera diagnosis to complete French drain replacement.
Every French drain installation and replacement we carry out is covered by our transferable 25-year warranty, which passes to the next owner. The on-site assessment is free and scheduled within 24 hours.
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French drain inspection in the Laurentians
From Sainte-Sophie, our technicians perform drain camera inspections in Saint-Jérôme, Mirabel, Blainville, Saint-Eustache, Sainte-Thérèse, Terrebonne, Mascouche and Laval. We also cover Lanaudière and Greater Montreal, with 24/7 availability in case of water infiltration.
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FAQ: French drain camera inspection
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How much does a French drain camera inspection cost?
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The price depends mainly on access to the French drain. When the house already has cleanouts or a sump pit, the camera inspection is done without excavation and costs noticeably less than when an entry point has to be opened with an excavator. We confirm the amount in a free quote rather than giving a generic range.
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How long does a camera inspection take?
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On a single-family home with clear access cleanouts, inspecting the perimeter generally takes less than an hour. The technician explains the footage while the camera moves through the pipe, so you know the diagnosis on site. The written report and the video recording of the French drain follow, along with the recommendation and the quote.
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Do you have to dig to inspect a French drain?
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Not necessarily. If your French drain has cleanouts, an inspection opening or a connection to the sump pit, the camera goes in there and your yard stays intact. With no access point, a small trench is dug at one corner of the foundation to reach the perforated pipe. The BNQ 3661-500 standard specifically recommends these access chimneys.
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What does the camera show in an ochre-clogged drain?
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Iron ochre appears as an orange, gelatinous deposit that coats the perforated pipe and plugs the perforations. The camera measures the thickness of the deposit and the length of the blocked section: that is what separates a French drain that hydro-jetting can still save from a foundation drain whose working diameter is gone.
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How often should a French drain be inspected?
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Every three to five years for a French drain with no history of problems, which is enough to catch sediment before it forms a blockage. In an area known for iron ochre, a yearly camera inspection makes sense, because the deposit keeps coming back as long as the soil stays rich in iron. An inspection is also needed after any water infiltration in the basement.
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Should you inspect the French drain before buying?
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A French drain has a lifespan of 25 to 40 years and is the most expensive hidden item in a real estate transaction. A pre-purchase home inspection stops at what is visible, whereas the camera documents the inside of the pipe. The report can then be used to negotiate the sale price.
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Does a French drain carry wastewater?
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No. A French drain handles only the groundwater and rainwater that build up around the foundation footing, then directs them to the storm sewer, a ditch or a dry well. Wastewater flows through a separate system. Mixing the two up sometimes leads homeowners to have the wrong pipe inspected.
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What happens if the camera cannot get through?
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A blockage that stops the camera is already a result: it pinpoints the obstruction and its distance from the entry point. We then carry out high-pressure hydro-jetting and run the camera through the French drain again. If the pipe is crushed at that spot, a targeted excavation of that section is enough.
A camera inspection before you dig
Footage, a diagnostic report and a recommendation: you decide next, with a free quote in hand.