First-Time Homebuyer's Guide: A Plumber's Blueprint to Avoiding Hidden Nightmares

A Plumber's Blueprint to Avoiding Hidden Nightmares

Buying your first home is the biggest purchase of your life, and a standard home inspection is not built to catch the plumbing problems that cost the most money. Written from a working plumber's point of view, this guide shows you what generalist inspectors routinely miss, before you sign the closing papers.

Inside:

- The general inspection trap: the invisible defects that surface after closing

- Decoding pipe materials: galvanized iron, polybutylene, copper and PEX, and what each means for your wallet

- Water heaters, boilers and pressure diagnostics: age codes, expansion tanks, pressure relief valves and more

- Sewer scoping and the underground money pits: tree roots, pipe bellies, offsets and cracked lines

- The master pre-purchase inspection checklist to bring to every walkthrough

11-page PDF, instant download. Copyright 2026 Tom Harpley.