Showerthought: The inspection report missed a major plumbing issue in our new place

We closed on our house in Springfield two weeks ago, and the main sewer line collapsed yesterday. The inspector's report said the plumbing was 'functional with normal wear,' but it cost us $3,200 to fix. I'm still glad we bought, but it's a huge unexpected hit right after moving. Has anyone else had a big-ticket item fail immediately after closing?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_harper12d ago

Didn't your inspection include a sewer scope?

kim73312d ago

Our inspector in Portland charged an extra $350 for that service and said it was optional. We skipped it to save money, which feels incredibly stupid now. The main line collapsed three months after we moved in. The repair bill was over twenty grand. I will never buy another house without getting that camera down the pipe first.

the_jason1d ago

That "optional" sewer scope is such a trap. A buddy of mine in Cleveland was in the same spot. His inspector offered the camera check for a couple hundred extra, and he passed on it to keep costs down. The first big rainstorm after he moved in, his basement flooded with raw sewage. The line was completely blocked by roots and had broken. He ended up paying almost fifteen thousand dollars to have his yard dug up. He says skipping that check was the most expensive mistake of the whole home buying process.