Reliable sewer inspections for buyers and sellers to prevent costly surprises during real estate transactions.
I still remember the young couple who bought their dream home in the North End last summer. Beautiful craftsman, big yard, seemed perfect! Two weeks after moving in, sewage backed up into their bathtub. The repair cost? Over $15,000 to replace the collapsed sewer line. Their faces when they called me still stick in my mind - they were shocked, upset, and wished someone had told them to get a sewer inspection before buying.
Don’t let this happen to you! As a real estate sewer inspector in Boise for over 12 years, I’ve seen how this one simple check can save buyers thousands and protect sellers from deals falling through at the last minute.
Boise has lots of older homes in areas like the North End, East End, and Bench neighborhoods. Many of these houses still have their original sewer lines made from materials that don’t last forever:
Plus, our beautiful Boise trees have roots that love finding water – right inside your sewer line!
I inspected a house near Julia Davis Park where the line was almost totally blocked by roots from a 70-year-old maple tree. The buyers used this info to get the seller to pay for repairs before closing. Everyone won – no surprise costs for the buyers, and the sellers didn’t lose the sale.
Always get a sewer inspection when buying a home in Boise! This is super important for:
• Homes built before 1980
• Houses with big trees in the yard
• Properties where the sewer line runs under driveways or patios
• Houses that have had drain problems
A real estate agent I work with in Eagle makes sewer inspections standard for all her buyers. Last year, she had clients ready to buy a gorgeous remodeled home on Harrison Blvd. The house looked perfect, but our inspection found the line was completely collapsed under the front yard. The sellers had to drop their price by $12,000 to cover the repair costs.
Smart home sellers in Boise get sewer inspections before listing. Why?
•You find problems before buyers do
• You can fix issues before they hurt your sale price
• You avoid deals falling apart during inspection periods
• You can show buyers proof your sewer line is good
I worked with a seller in the Collister area who found a small root problem during their pre-listing inspection. They fixed it for a few hundred dollars. The inspection report helped their home sell faster because buyers had peace of mind.
Good agents know sewer inspections protect everyone:
• Your buyers won't face surprise costs
• Your sellers won't lose deals at the last minute
• You build trust with clients by being thorough
When we inspect a sewer line for a real estate deal, we look for:
Tree roots can sense water in pipes and will break through tiny cracks to get to it. This is super common in Boise neighborhoods with mature trees.
I once found roots from a neighbor's tree that had crossed under a fence and into my customer's sewer line in Harris Ranch. The roots made a clog as big as a softball!
Our soil moves, especially in areas with clay soil like parts of the Foothills. This movement can crack or break older pipes.
This is when the ground under a pipe sinks, creating a low spot where waste gets stuck. We see this a lot in newer North and West Boise neighborhoods.
Pipes need to slope downhill to work right. Sometimes they get installed wrong or shift over time, causing waste to flow the wrong way.
Older pipes can shift and pull apart at connection points. This lets sewage leak out and ground water leak in.
When you call us for a real estate sewer inspection in Boise, here’s what happens:
The whole process usually takes less than an hour.
When buying or selling a home in Boise, using a local inspector makes sense. We know:
I worked with a family buying in Southeast Boise who had been told by a national inspection company that they needed a complete sewer replacement. Our local inspection showed the problem was actually just a small section where a root had gotten in. We saved them over $8,000!
Realtors and home buyers should watch for these red flags:
Whether you’re buying your first home in the Bench area, selling your Highlands ranch house, or helping clients with property in the Barber Valley, don’t skip the sewer inspection!
Our Boise sewer inspection team knows this area and the problems common in our neighborhoods. We’ll help you avoid nasty surprises and protect your real estate investment.
Call today to schedule your Boise real estate sewer inspection and know exactly what's happening underground before you buy or sell!
