The surveyor or engineer will check to ensure that all the plumbing services (toilets, sinks, showers, taps etc.) work and look for any visual signs of potential issues, however, they do not undertake a detailed inspection of the entire plumbing system. A qualified plumber is required to do this.
The surveyor will also take note of the water source for the property (mains supply or well and pump) and for drainage, they will take note of the drainage type (mains sewer or septic tank). This will then be noted on the report.
The surveyor will record any visual issues they identify during the survey. For example, old "gun barrel" style piping may indicate that new pipework is needed.
Throughout the survey, the surveyor will be looking for visual signs of dampness and using a moisture meter in problem areas (e.g. ceilings below showers) or any other signs of internal leaking.
If any issues are found, they will be detailed in the report with a recommended next step.
But as a Surveyor is not a qualified plumber, they will not undertake a detailed inspection of the plumbing system or drains. If you wanted to proceed with a full plumbing inspection or drain inspection this would need to be conducted by a plumber or a specialist drain inspection company.
A pre-purchase survey, structural survey, house survey, engineers report etc. is always limited to a visual inspection. But the surveyors and engineers who undertake them are experts in identifying any potential structural or conditional issues and so you are in safe hands!
At GetHouseSurvey.ie all of our surveyors are qualified, experienced (minimum of 10 years) and carry their own insurance, so when you book with us, you are in safe hands!
To book your survey or snag list, just go to GetHouseSurvey.ie and click "Get Survey Now". If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us on info@gethousesurvey.ie