Use this checklist before buying a home, once a year on a home you already own, and before any major remodel. We’ve put it together based on the issues we actually find most often in Everett-area homes during pre-purchase scopes and routine service calls. It covers the items you can check yourself plus the items where a pro should look.
What You Can Inspect Yourself
Walk the house and write down what you see. This part takes about an hour for a typical Everett home.
- Every fixture. Run hot and cold at every sink, tub, and shower. Note any low pressure, slow drains, unusual sounds, or fluctuating temperatures.
- Every toilet. Flush each one. Listen for the tank refilling promptly and stopping cleanly. Check for any water at the base of the bowl (failed wax ring tell).
- Visible pipes. Under sinks, around the water heater, in the basement or crawlspace. Look for mineral deposits, rust, water staining, or active drips.
- Water heater. Check the manufacture date on the unit. Look for any rust at the base, sediment-like noises, or discoloration around the T&P relief valve.
- Shutoff valves. Test the main shutoff and the individual fixture shutoffs. They should turn freely. Seized shutoffs are common in older Everett homes and cost real money in an emergency.
- Water bill history. If you have records, look for unexplained usage spikes. A 20%+ jump with no household change suggests a hidden leak.
- Outdoor hose bibs. Should turn easily and shut off completely. Frozen and split bibs are a common Everett winter issue, especially on the north side of the house.
What Needs a Pro
Some checks need specialized tools or trade knowledge. These are the ones we usually run during a paid plumbing inspection, especially pre-purchase.
- Sewer lateral camera scope. Particularly important in older Everett neighborhoods (Riverside, View Ridge, Northwest Everett) where mature trees and aging clay-tile lines mean root intrusion is common. About $250–$450 for a standalone scope.
- Pressure test. Verifies the supply system holds pressure with no leaks. Especially valuable on homes with original galvanized supply lines (1950s–80s housing stock).
- Water heater inspection. Beyond the visible age check — anode rod condition, sediment buildup at the bottom of the tank, T&P valve function, expansion tank pressure on closed systems.
- Gas line check. Active gas leak testing for any home with gas appliances. We use electronic detectors and bubble testing depending on access.
- Plumbing vent inspection. Often overlooked. Vent stack obstructions cause gurgling drains and slow venting; we check from the roof.
- Pipe material identification. Especially important for homes in the 1980s–90s polybutylene era — that material is class-action territory and needs to be flagged.
How Often to Do This
DIY checklist: once a year, ideally in early fall before the wet season hits. Pro inspection: pre-purchase (don’t skip this on any home over 30 years old), and every 5 years on a home you’ve owned for a while. Before a major remodel or addition is the third recommended scope — knowing what’s in the walls before the GC opens them saves real money. Our renovation plumbing cost-savers guide covers what to watch for in the planning phase, and our walkthrough of the three plumbing systems every Everett home runs on gives context for what each part of the inspection actually covers.
For a full pro inspection — pre-purchase, pre-remodel, or scheduled — our complete leak detection and inspection team handles the full system in one visit. Or reach our Everett plumbing crew directly to schedule.
