A Wake Forest plumbing inspection is a plumber's check of the water lines, drains, water heater, valves and fixtures, plus an optional camera run of the sewer lateral. Most homes in town are fairly new, while the historic downtown and mill village hold much older plumbing. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Wake Forest.
How the call works
We connect you with an independent plumber who serves Wake Forest. Expect a few questions: the address, the year built, whether the house sits on a slab, crawl space or basement, and whether you're buying, selling or trying to track down a problem. If you're under contract, give the plumber your due diligence deadline.
During the visit, the plumber runs and checks each fixture, looks over the water heater installation, tests the shutoffs, follows exposed supply and drain lines and, if you want it, runs a camera through the sewer lateral. You get an explanation of what's in good shape and what isn't.
Cost factors
- Size of the home and fixture count
- Camera inspection of the sewer lateral
- Access: a tight crawl space or finished basement takes longer
- Extra systems, such as a private well outside town
Local conditions in Wake Forest
Census survey data puts the median Wake Forest home at 2009, with about 8% built before 1980. In newer subdivisions, the plumber is mostly checking install quality, water heater setup, fixture wear and drain slope. The Downtown Wake Forest Historic District and the Glen Royall Mill Village Historic District are a different story, with older homes that may have galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains and several rounds of repairs.
Wake Forest's water and sewer have been owned and run by the City of Raleigh since July 2005, so call Raleigh Water, not the Town, about the public lines. Raleigh maintains the water line up to the property line; from there to the house is the owner's responsibility. Water is soft, around 25 ppm hardness, and carries chloramine most of the year with a spring chlorine-only period.
Plumbing permits come from the Town of Wake Forest Inspections Department, while water and sewer connection permits go through Raleigh. Homes on the fringe of town or in the Franklin County portion may be on private wells, which in eastern Wake can carry naturally occurring uranium, radon and radium.
Checklist before the visit
- Clear a path to the water heater and the main shutoff
- Locate the sewer cleanout outside
- Note any fixture that leaks, runs or drains slowly
- Find out whether the house is on Raleigh Water or a well
Plumbing Inspection questions in Wake Forest
Who handles plumbing permits here, and can I ask about past work?
Who is responsible for the water line between the street and the house?
What do plumbers tend to find in houses built before 1980?
The house is on a private well. What should be looked at?
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