When buying a new home, unfinished plumbing work shouldn't be overlooked. It's easy to assess plumbing through a home inspection. Clean, accessible plumbing is a sign that everything's in order. But hidden plumbing problems can't be seen in a home inspection.
A few reasons why a pre-purchase plumbing inspection is crucial:
1. **Discover potential issues before they become problems.** Hidden leaks, faulty pipes, and inadequate water pressure are all serious plumbing issues that are often discovered too late. A plumbing inspection can reveal these issues before they cause real damage and inconvenience.
2. **Negotiate better with knowledge.** If you know the plumbing system is old or problematic, you have leverage to negotiate a better price. Or, if the plumbing is in great shape, there's also a point in saying you won't have to replace it any time soon, which could save a lot in the next couple of years.
The home's age and the materials used in the plumbing system are two other vital ingredients in the plumbing inspection recipe. First, older homes often feature plumbing that, if it still exists in any form, won't meet today's codes and standards. Safety hazards, as well as bills that can make a homeowner howl, are the likely results if the plumbing in an older home hasn't been inspected by a licensed professional and any necessary work hasn't been done.
Again, don't expect much of anything positive if the plumbing in your home was installed using galvanized steel or polybutylene, two materials that are prone to corrosion and failure despite having been legal to use. Homes that exist today should not have galvanized steel or polybutylene in them, and the same goes for any plumbing that was poorly installed using any kind of material or method.
Finally, a thorough plumbing inspection can play a large part in affecting the overall value of the property. A property appraisal may see a better turnout when the plumbing is up to par. How often is it that an inspector may look at prison pipes and question the schematics only to realize that shoddy plumbing was the reason behind the failed castle wall? Prison pipes? Thrown in to make a point that plumbing has affected the value of properties beyond just castles and the certainty of not having your plumbing cause a flood that ruins the plumbing of your neighbor downstream. The real question is, what's in it for you, dear reader? Is it worth the bribe, I mean fee, for a good-lookin' plumbing inspector to come out? Yes, it is.