Where Can You Rent an Inspection Camera? What to Ask For

You can rent an inspection camera from home improvement store tool rental desks (Home Depot and Lowe’s both offer them in many locations), dedicated equipment rental chains like Sunbelt Rentals and United Rentals, and some local plumbing supply houses that rent to both contractors and homeowners. What you ask for matters more than where you rent from, since inspection cameras vary widely in cable length, head diameter, and waterproofing depending on whether you’re checking a wall cavity or a sewer line.

Where to look first

Home Depot and Lowe’s tool rental programs vary by store location and region, so call ahead to confirm inspection cameras are in stock rather than assuming every branch carries them. National equipment rental chains like Sunbelt Rentals, United Rentals, and Herc Rentals more reliably stock plumbing-grade sewer inspection cameras since that’s a common contractor need, though their daily rates tend to run higher than a big-box tool desk. Local plumbing supply houses are a less obvious option but are worth a call, especially in smaller towns where a national rental chain isn’t nearby; some rent directly to homeowners even though their primary customers are licensed plumbers.

Ask about camera head size for your specific job

Camera head diameter needs to match what you’re inspecting. Sewer and larger drain line cameras typically use a 17mm to 25mm head suited to 2-inch and larger pipe. For tighter spaces, checking inside a wall cavity, behind an appliance, or into an HVAC duct, you want a much smaller flexible camera, often called a borescope, with a head as small as 5.5mm to 9mm. Renting the wrong size means either the camera won’t fit into the space you need to check, or a too-small camera gives a worse image and shorter reach than a properly sized unit would for a larger pipe.

Ask about cable length and locator capability

Standard consumer-grade cameras come with 30 to 50 feet of cable, enough for most in-home checks like a clogged drain a few feet past a fixture. If you’re inspecting a full sewer lateral line out to the street, you’ll need 100 feet or more, and you should specifically ask whether the unit includes a sonde, a small transmitter built into or attached near the camera head that lets you use a separate locator wand aboveground to pinpoint exactly where the camera (and therefore the problem) sits underground. Without a sonde, a long cable tells you a clog exists somewhere along its length but not where to dig or access the pipe.

Ask about waterproofing and recording

Any camera going into a drain or sewer line needs to be fully waterproof at the head and along the cable, not just splash-resistant; confirm this specifically since some general-purpose inspection cameras aren’t rated for submersion. Also ask whether the unit records to an SD card or streams to a phone app, which matters if you plan to show the footage to a plumber, contractor, or insurance adjuster afterward rather than just viewing it live on a small built-in screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it typically cost to rent an inspection camera?

Daily rental rates commonly range from about $40 to $75 for a basic drain camera at a big-box tool desk, up to $100 to $200 per day for a professional sewer-rated unit with a locator sonde from an equipment rental chain.

Do I need a deposit or insurance to rent one?

Most rental counters require a credit card hold as a deposit and may ask about damage waiver coverage, since inspection cameras have a delicate flexible cable and lens that’s easy to damage if forced around a tight bend.

Can I use a rented sewer camera myself, or do I need a plumber?

You can operate one yourself for a basic look, but interpreting what you see (root intrusion, pipe material transitions, bellied or sagging sections) takes some experience, so many homeowners rent the camera to confirm there’s a real problem worth paying a plumber to properly diagnose and fix.