Chris Griffin's Blog

If you think that what you don't know can't hurt you... Think again. Non-disclosure is a very big deal in the real estate industry and sometimes situations arise after the close of escrow that nobody knew or thought to disclose and the finger pointing begins.

An often overlooked way to protect yourself and your clients is by finding out the actual condition of the main sewer line while you are in the contingency period. Having a sewer line inspection done can help to put the buyer at ease while at the same time preventing the realtor from a potential lawsuit after the close of escrow.

What many realtors and homeowners do not realize is that in the L.A. area the homeowner is responsible for the main sewer line all the way out to the city connection. Their responsibility does not end at the property line. If there are problems under the street the repair costs can be astronomical. Finding out about any such conditions early on is key.

Some materials used for sewer pipes have a design life expectancy of approximately 60 years which means that many of the homes that are being bought and sold nowadays are on a system that is past its design life.

Often, conditions found during a main sewer line inspection are remedied by regular rootering or hydro-jetting (a high pressured water cleaning of the line). Sometimes more extensive problems can be found which may require digging up the line and making repairs to or replacements of a portion of the line or the entire system.

There have been instances of a homeowner believing they are connected to the city sewer and even being charged regular fees for such, only to find that they are on a septic or cesspool system. Although permits were pulled and fees were assessed for this service, the actual connection was never made. This can be a very costly item to fix and it is best to find out about it on the front end of the deal so that proper negotiations can be made.

Not even brand new installations are free of flaws 100% of the time. Usually new homes are under warranty but it is best to find and remedy any potential problems before they manifest themselves inside the home.

Remember, none of this system can be viewed without the aid of a camera. You can't know the actual condition if you don't have it inspected. When choosing an inspector the ideal choice would include someone who does not perform or sell repairs. That way you can ensure that you get findings and recommendations that are unbiased.

I AM QUOTED IN THIS ARTICLE WHICH WAS RECENTLY  PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY NEWS. 

Getting ready to purchase a home? Ready to re-model or add on to your existing home? If you live in the City of Los Angeles and answered, "yes" to any of these questions then this may come as a big surprise for you!

The Los Angeles City Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering has adopted policy requiring the homeowner to pay for and provide a video inspection of the main lateral sewer line when an application for a building permit is made on any structure built prior to 1965. The lateral is the portion of the property's main sewer line that connects the property to the city sewer pipe. The homeowner must provide video documentation of the sewer line for the city inspector to review so the city inspector can determine the condition of the sewer pipes and whether or not he will require the sewer line to be rehabilitated or replaced. The cost of the inspection and any required repairs are completely at the homeowner's expense.

The logic that the homeowner must foot the bill comes from the opinion of the L.A. City Attorney, which has assigned the responsibility for the construction, maintenance, and repair of house connection sewer lines to the individual property owner.

The cost of a video inspection is not terribly expensive, typically under $300. However the cost to rehabilitate a sewer line can run from $6,000 to $8,000 depending on its depth. And if the line is in such poor condition that it needs to be totally replaced, a typical associated cost could be $12,000 or higher. Surprise! Was this in your budget?

Chris Griffin, a licensed plumber for 20 years and the president of Sewerline Check Professionals (a private sewer-line inspection agency based in the San Fernando Valley) states, "Home buyers are commonly having the sewer lines video inspected so they can be aware of hidden costs. One homebuyer had the video inspection done during escrow to find that there was very little cost involved to repair some minor issues. Another buyer's video inspection discovered that the entire underground sewer line was in need of total replacement all the way to the city sewer under the street. In that case the seller adjusted the sales price so the home could be sold."

As disturbing as this is, there is little the homeowner or homebuyer can do except to be aware of the potential costs of repairs by having a sewer line video examination performed prior to buying a home or starting a project on any home constructed prior to 1965.

A professional sewer line video inspection company can help buyers and owners to not get caught with unforeseen expenses.  For more information about this issue you can contact Chris Griffin at 818/951-7660 or chrisg@sewerlinecheck.com.

By John A. LaRocca Special to Real Estate. John is a Certified California Real Estate Inspector and a licensed General Contractor. Contact him 818/266-2477 or john.larocca@laroccainspections.com