Do You Need a Sewer Scope and Radon Test When Buying a Home in Lakewood, CO?

Many homes in Lakewood, CO were built between the 1950s and 1970s, and that means two inspections deserve a spot on your list beyond the standard home inspection: a sewer scope and a radon test. Skipping either one can turn a routine purchase into a five-figure surprise after closing. Here's what each inspection covers, what it costs, and how to fit both into Colorado's tight inspection period.

Buyers touring homes in neighborhoods like Applewood or Green Mountain often focus on the kitchen, the roof, and the yard, and overlook what's happening underground or in the air. Both problems are invisible during a normal walkthrough, which is exactly why they catch buyers off guard after closing.

Why Lakewood's Older Housing Stock Changes the Inspection Checklist

Lakewood grew fast in the postwar decades, and neighborhoods like Applewood, Green Mountain, and parts of Belmar still carry original infrastructure from that era. A standard home inspector checks the roof, furnace, electrical panel, and structure, but most general inspections do not include a camera run through the sewer line or an air-quality test for radon gas. Both issues are common enough in homes this age that skipping them is a real financial risk, not just an extra fee.

Buyers moving from newer construction in other states are often surprised these aren't automatic. In Colorado, you request and pay for them separately, and you need to build them into your contract timeline from day one.

What a Sewer Scope Inspection Actually Checks

A sewer scope inspection runs a small camera through the home's sewer line, from the cleanout to the connection with the municipal main. The inspector is looking for cracks, root intrusion, bellies (low spots where waste collects), and partial or full collapses.

Why Sewer Lines Fail in Older Lakewood Homes

Homes built from the 1940s through the 1970s were often connected using clay, cast iron, or Orangeburg pipe, a bituminous fiber material with a functional lifespan of around 50 years. Many of these lines are now past that mark. Orangeburg pipe in particular tends to deform into an oval shape over time, which restricts flow and eventually collapses.

Cost and What You Get for It

A sewer scope typically costs $150 to $300 in the Denver metro area, a small price against the alternative. A collapsed or root-damaged line can run $5,000 to $15,000 or more to repair, and that's before landscaping or driveway restoration if the line runs under either.

Radon Testing in Lakewood, CO

Colorado sits on uranium-rich rock formations that produce elevated radon gas levels statewide, and roughly half of homes tested in the state come back above the EPA's action level of 4 picocuries per liter. Radon is odorless and invisible, so a home can look and feel fine while still testing high.

How Radon Testing Works During Your Inspection Period

A standard radon test uses a small monitor placed in the lowest livable level of the home for 48 hours. Many home inspectors place the monitor during your general inspection and pick it up two days later, so it runs on the same timeline without adding an extra visit.

What Happens If the Test Comes Back High

If radon levels test above 4 pCi/L, you have leverage to negotiate. Radon mitigation systems, which vent gas from beneath the foundation to the outside, typically cost $1,200 to $2,500 to install. Sellers in Lakewood's current market often agree to cover mitigation or credit the buyer at closing rather than lose the deal over it.

Fitting Both Inspections Into Colorado's Inspection Period

Colorado's standard contract gives buyers a defined inspection objection deadline, often 7 to 10 days from acceptance depending on how the contract is written. That window has to cover the general inspection, the sewer scope, the radon test, and any follow-up specialists a first look turns up.

Schedule the sewer scope and radon test at the same time as your general inspection whenever possible. Most inspection companies in the Lakewood area offer all three as a bundle, which saves a service call and keeps everything on one timeline.

Who Typically Pays for What

Buyers pay for the inspections themselves, and that cost isn't negotiable in the moment; you're paying to gather information. What's negotiable is what happens after. If either test uncovers a real problem, you can ask the seller for a price reduction, a credit at closing, or a repair before closing, depending on the issue and how the local market is running.

In a market where inventory is tight, some buyers waive general inspection contingencies to strengthen their offer. Sewer scope and radon findings still matter here. Even in a waived-contingency offer, you can often negotiate to keep an "information only" inspection right, meaning you still get to look, you just give up the right to walk away or renegotiate based on what you find. Talk to your agent about which contingencies make sense to keep given the property's age.

For a home in the $550,000 to $650,000 range, which covers much of Lakewood's current inventory, a $10,000 to $15,000 sewer repair or a $2,000 radon system is a small percentage of the purchase price. It's still real money, and it's worth knowing about before you own the problem instead of the seller.

What to Do If You Find a Problem

A failed sewer line or high radon reading isn't automatically a reason to walk away. Both are fixable, and both are common enough in Lakewood's housing stock that most sellers understand the request. Get a repair estimate from a licensed contractor, decide whether you want the seller to complete the work, credit you cash at closing, or reduce the price, and put your ask in writing before your objection deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a sewer scope inspection cost in Lakewood, CO?

Most sewer scope inspections in the Lakewood area run $150 to $300 when bundled with a general home inspection, or slightly more as a standalone service.

Is radon testing required to buy a home in Colorado?

No, radon testing isn't legally required, but it's strongly recommended given how common elevated radon levels are statewide. Many lenders and inspectors treat it as standard practice for this reason.

How old does a home need to be before I should worry about the sewer line?

Most inspectors recommend a sewer scope for any home built before 1990, and especially for homes from the 1940s through 1970s that may still have original clay, cast iron, or Orangeburg pipe.

Can I negotiate with the seller if the radon or sewer scope test comes back bad?

Yes. These findings typically fall under your inspection objection rights in the Colorado contract, and you can ask for a credit, a price reduction, or a repair before closing.

Will my home inspector do the sewer scope and radon test automatically?

Not usually. Most general home inspectors offer these as add-on services you have to request and pay for separately, so confirm what's included when you book.

I'm buying a newer home in Lakewood. Do I still need these tests?

Radon testing is still worth doing regardless of the home's age, since it's tied to geology, not construction date. A sewer scope matters less for homes built after the 1990s with modern PVC lines, but it's inexpensive enough that many buyers still request one for peace of mind.

If you're thinking about buying in Lakewood, call or text me at 720-625-0224 and we'll map your timing. Justin Buller | Realtor, Real Broker | 720-625-0224