A diagnostic fee that doesn't cover your time is a loss leader, not a service. Price the camera inspection correctly—access, footage, locating, and report included.
A good push-camera setup runs $4,000–$12,000. At 200 inspections per year, that's $20–$60 in equipment cost per job before you touch labor. Add accessories, reel wear, and self-leveling head maintenance and the true cost per inspection is $40–$80 in overhead alone. Pricing at "$149 flat" with 90 minutes of labor is a $50 loss.
A written camera report with video documentation is a legal document that survives home sales, insurance claims, and code disputes. Pre-purchase inspections for real estate transactions are worth $300–$500 to the buyer's agent because they can kill or save a deal. Position your report service as a professional deliverable, not a courtesy.
"Free camera with the repair" discourages customers from paying for diagnostics and trains them to expect free inspections. Charge for the camera, then offer to credit the fee toward the repair job if they book it. You get paid either way, and customers who only wanted a free second opinion self-select out.
The Plumber's Business Starter Kit includes a flat-rate price book with diagnostic fees, a service agreement template, and a morning dispatch checklist. Guide from $19 — Complete Kit with all 19 templates, $49.
Get the Plumber's Kit →Camera inspection is a service you can charge for — not a free diagnostic. This calculator helps you set a profitable price for sewer camera inspections based on your equipment cost, time on site, report preparation, and your target margin. Use it also to determine when the inspection cost should be credited toward repair work to win the follow-on job.