Plumbing Inspection in Oakton, VA

What happens when you call

You'll be put in touch with an independent local plumber who covers Oakton. Share the address, the year the home was built and any deadline. If you know whether the water bill comes from Fairfax Water or the Town of Vienna, mention it. Say whether there's an irrigation system, pool or hot tub, too, because each has a water connection the plumber should see, and let them know about any finished basement walls hiding pipes.

What shapes the cost

• House size, number of bathrooms and number of water heaters
• Adding a sewer camera run
• Irrigation, pool or hot tub connections to look at
• Access to the meter, shutoff and cleanout

Oakton conditions

Oakton is a fully suburban community in central Fairfax County, between the City of Fairfax and Vienna, and the median home dates to about 1983. Original water heaters, valves and pressure regulators from that era are often due, and older additions sometimes tie into the main drain in ways worth a second look.

Most homes are on Fairfax Water, which draws from the Occoquan Reservoir and the Potomac River. Its water is moderately hard to hard, about 7.5 grains per gallon on average from the Potomac plant. Some addresses near Vienna are on the Town of Vienna's water system instead, and possibly its sewer, so the bill tells you which applies. Elsewhere, Fairfax County's Wastewater Management program handles sewer, and the owner maintains the private lateral.

Fairfax Water owns the meter and its setting; the homeowner owns everything on the property from there, including the buried line to the house shutoff. Irrigation backflow assemblies must be tested when installed, every year, and after a repair or replacement. Fairfax County requires a permit for gas water heater and furnace replacements even like-for-like.

Washington Gas serves Oakton. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

Short checklist before the visit

• Know where the main shutoff and water heater are
• Find the last irrigation backflow test report
• Note leaks, drips and slow drains
• Ask for permit history on the water heater