<prompt> Human: We are closing on a big 1953 rancher tomorrow, and as part of our inspection process we hired a plumbing company to do a scope of the sewer line putting a camera down to see the condition of the line, if there are any tree roots, etc in there. My wife is a Realtor so shes seen a few instances of people having major issues with their sewer lines after buying a house, and wanted to be sure we avoided it. The guy scoping found that it was the original Orangeburg sewer line, and that it was UNRAVELING. The typical lifespan of these lines is about 50 years. This one had been there for 64. This material was very commonly used from 1940-1970s. The sellers agreed to have it replaced, at their expense prior to closing. The total bill for the replacement was 18,015. Had we not opted for the sewer scope, we would have been on the hook for that bill. Hoping I can save a couple redditors some money and headaches down the road with this tip. Obviously this is probably not necessary if you are buying a new, or nearly new home. edit - Ive read some horror stories in this thread about sewer issues with new construction as well, so its sounding like this might even be a good idea for a new home purchase.  <response>: I second this, I did not do it and had to pay later on. Great advice to pass on to fellow redditors. 