Plumbing Inspection in Springfield, VA

What happens when you call

We connect you with an independent local plumber who serves Springfield, from North Springfield to West Springfield and Newington Forest. Have the address, approximate build year and any contract dates ready, and mention any slow drains or past backups. If the house has had an addition or a basement bathroom, say so; those are the places where newer piping meets the original and where problems tend to show up. The plumber can tell you whether a camera run belongs in the visit.

What drives the price

• House size and number of baths
• Whether a sewer camera run is part of the visit
• How easy the main shutoff, cleanout and heater are to reach
• Written findings for a sale or negotiation

Springfield conditions

Springfield went from about 1,000 residents in 1950 to more than 25,000 by 1970, and the median home was built around 1974. That building boom left a lot of houses with original drain lines, older shutoff valves and supply piping that's been patched over the years. A plumber looks at the condition of what's there and how later bathrooms and kitchens were tied in.

Fairfax Water serves most populated parts of the county, drawing from the Potomac River and the Occoquan Reservoir, and some of its customers receive water treated by the Washington Aqueduct instead, so confirm the source in the annual report. The water is moderately hard to hard. In spring, Fairfax Water switches from chloramine to free chlorine for a while, which can change the taste.

Fairfax County Wastewater Management runs the public sewer. The owner maintains the private lateral from the house to the county sewer, including the connection, which is why a camera run makes sense on an older house. Underground irrigation systems on Fairfax Water need a backflow assembly tested at installation and every year after.

Repairs are permitted by Fairfax County Land Development Services, through PLUS. Washington Gas serves Springfield; if you smell gas, leave the building, then call 911 and 844-WASHGAS (844-927-4427), option 1.

Checklist before the plumber arrives

• Clear access to the water heater, shutoff and cleanout
• Collect any sewer or repipe receipts
• Note stains, drips and gurgling drains
• Find the last irrigation backflow report, if there is one