Two different cameras get called the same thing. A borescope goes through one small hole to look inside a wall, ceiling void or floor cavity. A drain camera runs down a pipe on a rod.
Which you need depends on whether the water is escaping from a pressurised line or a drain. Drain work in full is on CCTV drain inspection; the wider range is at Leak Detection Cape Town.
Tell us whether the problem is a damp wall or a drain, and we will match it.
Get a Camera Inspection QuoteWhich Camera for Which Job
| Situation | Camera |
|---|---|
| Damp wall, suspected pipe in the cavity | Borescope through a single drilled hole. |
| Wet ceiling, no roof access | Borescope through the ceiling board. |
| Under a timber floor | Borescope through an existing gap or vent. |
| Repeat blockages or a sinking drain run | Drain camera on a rod, with distance readings. |
| Buying an older property | Full drain survey with recorded footage. |
What You Should Get
Recorded footage, not a verbal summary. On a drain survey that means distances to each defect so a repair can be priced without re-running the camera. On a borescope inspection it means stills of what was actually seen in the cavity. That record is your evidence for an insurer, a body corporate or a seller.
Camera Inspection Prices in Cape Town
| Job | Indicative range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Borescope inspection | R650 – R1,800 | One small hole instead of an opening. |
| Borescope with moisture mapping | R950 – R2,400 | Wall and ceiling cavities. |
| Standard drain camera survey | R1,200 – R2,800 | One line, with recorded footage. |
| Full property drainage survey | R2,400 – R5,500 | All lines to the connection point. |
| Pre-purchase drain survey | R1,800 – R3,800 | Report suitable for a conveyancer. |
| Survey with jetting to clear first | R2,200 – R4,500 | Blocked lines must be cleared to film. |
| Footage, report and location plan | R650 – R1,800 | Depths and distances marked. |
| Commercial or estate survey | From R4,750 | Priced per run or per block. |
These are indicative market ranges, not a quotation. They are compiled from published South African leak detection and plumbing pricing to give you a starting point for budgeting. They are not the rate card of any company on this platform.
A drain camera cannot see through standing water, so a blocked line has to be cleared before it is filmed. Check whether the quote includes that or charges it separately.
Related Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a camera find a leak inside a wall?
A borescope can confirm one, once detection has narrowed down where to drill. It is a confirmation tool rather than a search tool, since it only sees where the hole points.
Do I get to keep the footage?
You should. Ask for it in writing before booking. Footage with distance readings is what lets you get comparable repair quotes without paying for a second survey.
Is this the same as CCTV drain inspection?
The drain half of it is. A CCTV drain survey is one type of camera inspection; a borescope inspection of a wall or ceiling cavity is the other.
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