When you’re buying a house, the plumbing is one of the systems you can’t see much of. The pipes are in the walls, the sewer line is underground and the water heater looks fine until it doesn’t. A plumbing inspection from a licensed plumber shows you what you’re getting before you sign.
The Right Guyz inspects homes for buyers, sellers, realtors, investors and property managers across San Antonio. We’re licensed by the State of Texas (RMP-46340), and we give you a written report you can actually understand, in English or Spanish.
Why a plumber’s inspection matters
A general home inspection is a great start, but it covers the whole house and usually sticks to what’s visible. We focus on the plumbing. That includes the parts that are expensive to fix after closing, like a sewer line with root damage, a water heater installed without the right safety parts, or galvanized water lines that are rusting from the inside.
One of our customers bought a house full of fixes that had been done by unlicensed plumbers and wanted a legit plumber to sort it all out. That’s a common story. A plumbing inspection before closing lets you find those problems while you can still negotiate.
What we check
- The water heater, including age, condition, venting, relief valve and expansion tank
- Water pressure at the hose bib and the condition of the pressure reducing valve
- Supply line materials, such as copper, PEX or galvanized, and their condition
- Drains, traps and fixtures, including slow drains and running toilets
- Signs of active or past leaks, including under sinks and around the water heater
- Visible gas connections at the water heater
- The main sewer line, with a hydrostatic test or a camera, when there’s an accessible cleanout
Older homes need a closer look
A large share of San Antonio’s homes were built before 1980. Houses from that era can have clay or cast iron sewer lines, galvanized water lines and past repairs of mixed quality. None of that means you shouldn’t buy the house. It means you should know what you’re buying and budget for it. A sewer camera inspection is one of the best investments a buyer of an older home can make.
For realtors and investors
If you’re a realtor, home inspector, investor or property manager, our Real Estate Partners program gets you priority scheduling. We book inspections at the next available opening, usually the same week you call.