Plumbing Inspection in Dunwoody, GA

Dunwoody's neighborhoods around Dunwoody Village and Georgetown are largely from the 1970s and 1980s. About 44% of homes predate 1980, the 1970s alone account for roughly 28%, and the median build year is 1984. Original copper, galvanized sections, cast iron drains and aging sewer laterals under mature trees all come up during inspections here.

DeKalb County Watershed Management supplies water and sewer. DeKalb is responsible from the main in the street through the meter; the owner is responsible from the meter to the house. DeKalb's inventory found no known lead in the county-owned system, but lists the material of private lines as unknown, so it's worth noting what yours is. Homes with a separate irrigation tap need a backflow assembly tested every year. Dunwoody covers water heater swaps and stand-alone plumbing repairs with single-trade component permits, and work can't begin until the permit is issued.

How to prepare

1. Decide what the inspection is for: buying, selling, remodeling or chasing a problem
2. Schedule with room to spare before any contract date
3. Clear access to the water heater, crawl space and sink cabinets
4. Read the general home inspection report and mark every plumbing note
5. Decide whether to add a sewer camera run
6. Collect what the seller or previous owner knows about repairs

What you notice and what it often means

Things that affect the bill

• Optional checks of gas piping, irrigation or a water softener
• Camera work on the main drain, if you want it
• Whether a usable cleanout exists for the camera, or one has to be found
• The level of documentation you want, from verbal notes to a written summary with photos
• How many bathrooms, fixtures and water heaters there are to check
• Access to pipes: a basement is quicker than a low crawl space or a finished slab house