This regularly scheduled sponsored Q&A column is written by Eli Tucker, a real estate agent and Arlington resident based in Arlington. Please submit your question to him via email for reply in future columns. Video summaries of some articles can be found in the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist on YouTube. enjoy!
Question: We bought an old house with original water supply and sewer pipes. Who is responsible for maintaining and replacing these lines, and how do I know if there is a problem?
Answer: You are responsible for the main water and sewage pipelines that run between your home and public lines. In most cases, the gas company is responsible for everything including the meter (connected to your home), and you are responsible for the wiring behind the meter.
The main line is usually buried under your front yard, and the replacement cost (water and sewage) usually starts from a few thousand dollars and can easily exceed 10,000 dollars. Costs vary based on a number of key factors, including:
In most cases, after digging for repair or replacement, Washington Gas will restore your property/landscape to its original state, including the hardscape and your lawn (and even your driveway). It is not a bad idea to find out where your gas supply line is and take this into account when planning your landscaping.
Many of the most common materials used in main pipelines have life expectancies ranging from 50 to 100 years, but unnatural disturbances such as root growth, new landscape, corrosion, and pressure buildup can cause leaks, blockages, and other damage you should monitor.
The most effective and expensive way to find problems is to hire a plumber to observe the pipeline with a camera to see if there are any problems. The cost of doing this is usually more than $500 per line, but it can give you peace of mind or warn of problems in advance.
If you don’t want to spend money to ask a plumber to inspect your pipes, you can monitor for signs of problems:
Here are some other useful tips about the main water, sewage, and natural gas trunk lines:
If you want to discuss purchase, sale, investment or leasing matters, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
If you want to answer questions or discuss buying, selling, leasing or investing in my weekly column, please send an email to [Email Protection]. To read any of my old posts, please visit the blog section of my website EliResidential.com. Call me directly at 703-539-2529.
Video summaries of some articles can be found in the Ask Eli, Live With Jean playlist on YouTube.
Eli Tucker is a licensed real estate agent in Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland and owns RLAH Real Estate, 4040 N Fairfax Dr #10C Arlington VA 22203. 703-390-9460.
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