Plumbing problems found during a home inspection

What plumbing problems are found during a home inspection?

This list covers 22 plumbing problems an inspection can flag, what a primary source says about each, and what each costs. Before your deadline, get a licensed pro's written bid on the safety rows: the gas connector and sediment trap, sewage, sewer gas, lead, well bacteria and the water heater relief pipe. The big money is in buried sewer lines, septic systems and whole-house repipes, which run to five figures.

Key takeaways

• Book a sewer camera for the cast iron, Orangeburg and roots rows if your inspector didn't run one.
• Septic and well rows go to their own trades: a septic system service provider, or a well contractor.
• Small rows add up. An expansion tank, a drain pan and two S-traps can reach $1,940 together.

Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional quote, like a sewer line or a whole-house repipe.

Which plumbing findings are the biggest red flags?

No single row is the worst on every report. The red flags are the safety rows, where the source in the table describes harm to people rather than cost.

Two of them are emergencies, not price lines. If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 from a neighbor's, as CPSC advises, then have a licensed plumber or HVAC contractor check the line. If sewage is backing up, stop using the drains and toilets. Report it to the sewer utility's emergency line, as DC Water tells its customers, then get a licensed plumber out.

What do plumbing repairs cost?

Most rows run from one fitting or one section of pipe at the low end to the whole house or the whole buried line at the top. Match your report line to the scope before you pick a number. On any repipe row, ask whether the bid includes drywall repair and paint.

Here's how small rows add up. Say your report flags a corroded expansion tank, no drain pan under an upstairs water heater, and S-traps under two bathroom sinks. The tank at $100 to $400 (Bob Vila) plus a pan retrofit at $235 to $540 comes to $335 to $940. Two simple S-trap conversions at the Utah contractor's $200 to $500 each add $400 to $1,000. That's $735 to $1,940, before permits or opening a wall.

A plumber's written bid replaces these ranges once you have it.

How do inspectors check for plumbing issues?

Under InterNACHI's Standards of Practice, the inspector runs the water at fixtures and faucets, flushes toilets, and checks sinks, tubs and showers for drainage. They also inspect the drain, waste and vent system, the water heater and its relief valve, and sump pumps with accessible floats.

The same standard doesn't require the inspector to open sealed plumbing access panels, measure exact water pressure, or judge water quality. A sewer scope isn't required either, and InterNACHI puts one at $100 to $250 depending on the area. If your report doesn't mention a camera, ask for one before you price a buried line.

How to use this list before your deadline

• Match each plumbing line on your report to a row above.
• Book the trade in the Who prices it column for the safety rows and buried lines, and ask for a written bid by line.
• Ask for a repair, a credit or a price cut backed by those numbers. If the seller repairs, ask for the licensed plumber's paid invoice before closing.
• If the seller says no, your contract sets your options and dates. Confirm both with your agent or attorney.

How do you know if your house has plumbing issues?

Look for stains or damp drywall near pipes. A pinhole leak can seep into insulation and a wall cavity unnoticed, says Sila, a Philadelphia-area plumber. A rotten-egg smell at a drain can be hydrogen sulfide, one of the toxic parts of sewer gas (Wisconsin's health department). Repeated sewer backups can mean a failing buried line, such as Orangeburg pipe (PHC Pros). A plumber's visit tells you which row you're in.

How do I know what my plumbing list is worth?

Add your plumber's line-by-line bid to priced lines for everything else on the report. That total is your ask.

While the plumber writes up the bid, upload your inspection report to Kept and have the rest of your list priced.

Sources

• American Public Works Association, Minnesota Chapter, The Rise and Fall of Orangeburg Pipe
• American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Plumbing Trap Requirements Under the International Plumbing Code
• CPSC, Gas Appliance Connectors
• DC Water, Know What to Do if You Have a Sewer Backup
• DC Water, Preventing Sewer Backups
• EPA, Copper Pitting Corrosion and Pinhole Leaks
• EPA, Frequent Questions on Septic Systems
• EPA, Sources of Lead in Drinking Water
• EPA, Lead and Copper Rule Improvements Cost and Benefit Fact Sheet
• EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
• International Residential Code P2903.3.2, via UpCodes
• InterNACHI, Standard Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Homes
• InterNACHI, Kitec Plumbing
• InterNACHI, Inspecting Sump Pump Covers
• InterNACHI, Water Heater Lifespan
• InterNACHI, Polybutylene for Inspectors
• InterNACHI, TPR Valves and Discharge Piping
• InterNACHI, Well Inspection Standards of Practice
• InterNACHI, Sewer Scope Inspections
• InterNACHI, Residential Standards of Practice
• OSHA, Hydrogen Sulfide Hazards
• Plastics Pipe Institute, CPVC
• Rheem, Gas Water Heater Use and Care Manual
• Vermont Department of Health, Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Sewer Gas