First of all I don’t get quite get what this guy is touching in the relief of this sewer cover. I am sure it seemed like a good idea on paper but just didn’t come through in metal.
Talking with a sewer repair man I learned that there have been quite a few problems with new construction sewer lines. When I first started in real estate I did what most rookie agents do, I never pushed my clients to do a home inspection on new construction.
“It’s new.”
“They will fix anything wrong in the first year.”
I learned after a while. Keeping with the sewer theme, I heard of two new construction homes that did not have connected pipes for the downstairs toilet. Somehow the plumber forgot and the county/city inspector didn’t look. For about a year, in at least one case, the toilet was flushing into…the crawlspace. You just asked what everyone else asks. “Didn’t they smell something.” I guess not.
I have found problems with new construction since then. When you think about it, fifty plus guys are working on your home. Some care about quality, some don’t.
So when the sewer repairman mentioned crushed pipes on new construction, it rang true. I can see inadvertent crushing that is known and covered up and unknown crushing. He estimated that 35% of new construction has problem pipes.
This all came up because I had a sewer scope done on one of my listings. There were issues found. I haven’t had a sewer scope done on one of my listings since 2002. It is almost automatic on the eastside but still even on those listings no one did it. I have started to feel foolish until I started calling colleagues.
None had a repair referral as they hadn’t done it or at least hadn’t had problems. So I don’t know if we don’t have as many problems on the westside because the homes are newer or we just don’t know about the problems. I am guessing this is going to become more and more commonplace and wonder if it will become an epidemic.
photo via http://www.flickr.com/photos/misserion/
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