What Should You Check About the Plumbing Before Buying a Home on Fort Myers Beach?

Find out five things: what the water supply pipes are made of, what condition the drain lines are in after recent storms, where the water heater and other plumbing equipment sit relative to the flood elevation, how the pipes that run under or outside the home are holding up in the salt air, and whether any repipe or storm repair has permits and a final inspection behind it. Those answers decide whether the home can be insured on reasonable terms, whether a large repair is waiting out of sight, and what to ask the seller before your inspection period ends.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and I help buyers and sellers on Fort Myers Beach and in eight other Southwest Florida markets. The island has newly built elevated homes, older ground-level homes, homes rebuilt after Hurricane Ian and condominiums, often on the same few blocks. Two of them can look equally fresh on a showing and have very different plumbing stories, because most of the pipe is inside walls, under a slab or tucked into the framing under the house.

Because insurers ask about it, and some materials make a home harder to insure. Many Florida insurers require a four-point inspection on an older home before they will write a policy, and plumbing is one of the four points, along with the roof, the electrical system and the air conditioning. The inspector records what the supply pipes are made of, the age of the water heater and any active leaks. My article on what a four-point inspection covers on Fort Myers Beach walks through the whole report.

The pipe that most often causes trouble is polybutylene, a gray plastic supply pipe installed in many homes built from the late 1970s into the mid-1990s. It has a history of failing without warning, and some insurers will not cover a home that still has it, or will only do so on narrower terms. Galvanized steel supply pipe in older homes can corrode from the inside and lose water pressure over time. Copper, CPVC and PEX are what you will usually see in newer homes and in homes that have been repiped. If the listing does not say, ask, and have your inspector confirm the material at the water heater, under the sinks and anywhere the pipe is exposed.

On a home that took water, it is worth finding out. When surge or flood water covers a property, sand, silt and debris can be carried into floor drains, toilets, tubs and cleanouts, and older drain lines, which in many older homes are cast iron, can also corrode and crack from the inside over decades while the floors above look fine. The early signs are slow drains, gurgling, a sewer smell or repeated backups at the same fixture.

A standard home inspection runs water and watches the drains, but it cannot see inside the lines. A sewer camera inspection can: a licensed plumber runs a camera through the drain lines from a cleanout and records what it finds. On an older home, or any home that flooded, book it at the same time as the general inspection so both reports arrive inside your inspection window, and ask for the video, not only the summary. Florida's flood disclosure law now requires sellers of residential property to tell buyers about known flood damage and certain flood insurance claims, and my article on what Florida's flood disclosure law means on Fort Myers Beach explains what that form covers.

Above the flood, or built to resist it. On an elevated home built or substantially improved under current flood rules, equipment such as the water heater, the air conditioning and the electrical panel is expected to sit at or above the flood elevation the Town requires, or to be built to resist flood damage where it cannot be raised. A water heater standing on the ground level under the living space is worth a question, and so is a plumbing fixture down there. A bathroom, shower or laundry room is not one of the uses the enclosed space below the flood elevation allows, and my article on what you can use the ground floor for under an elevated home explains the rules and what happens when a previous owner finished that space anyway.

On an older ground-level home, the water heater is usually inside the living space or a garage at slab level. Ask its age, which is normally printed on the data plate on the tank, and ask whether it was replaced after a storm. Some insurers ask its age when they write a policy, and a tank near the end of its life is a predictable cost that is easier to plan for before closing than after.

Give them their own look, because salt air works on them every day. On an elevated home, supply and drain lines often run down through the open ground level to reach the utility connections, held in place with metal straps and hangers. Ask your inspector to check those supports for rust, look for pipes that sag or rub against framing, and note any pipe left unprotected where a car or storage could hit it. Outdoor showers, hose bibs, pool equipment, irrigation and the water line to a dock on a canal home all have exposed fittings, and brass and steel fittings near the water can corrode faster than they would inland.

None of this is unusual on the island, and much of it is routine upkeep. What you want to know is which items are routine and which have been neglected long enough to leak. My article on checking for salt air corrosion before buying on Fort Myers Beach covers the rest of the metal on and around the house.

Ask early, and confirm it with the utility that serves the address rather than assuming, because the answer changes what you inspect and what you maintain. The listing and the seller should both be able to tell you, and the utility can confirm the account. If anything other than central sewer serves the home, ask for the service records and have a licensed contractor inspect the system during your inspection period.

While the plumber is there, ask them to check the main water shutoff and the shutoff valves under sinks and behind toilets, the washing machine supply hoses, and the drain line from the air conditioning air handler. A clogged condensate line is one of the most common sources of water damage in Southwest Florida homes, and it is simple to spot and inexpensive to keep clear.

Whether major work was done properly and inspected. Repiping a home, replacing a water heater and replacing a sewer line typically require permits, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach handles building permits for homes on the island, so the permit history for an address there comes from the Town. If the seller says the home was repiped after a storm, the record should show a plumbing permit with a final inspection, and that record is what you will hand your insurance agent when they ask.

If the record shows nothing but the pipe is clearly new, ask who did the work and when. You inherit unpermitted work when you buy, and an insurer or a future buyer may ask about it. A cluster of plumbing, drywall and electrical permits in the months after a named storm is also a sign of water damage worth asking about. My article on what to check before buying a rebuilt home on Fort Myers Beach covers reading the storm-repair record in more detail.

Often, yes. In a condominium, responsibility for plumbing is usually split between the unit owner and the association, and the building's own declaration sets the line. Pipes that serve only your unit may be yours, while the main stacks and lines inside common walls may belong to the association. Read the documents rather than assuming, because the line is not drawn the same way in every building.

Ask the association whether the building has had a repipe or drain line project, or whether one is planned. A building-wide plumbing project can lead to a special assessment, and the meeting minutes and reserve schedule are where it usually shows up first, so read both before your review period ends.

Sort it into three groups: what affects insurability, what is a large repair, and what is routine. Polybutylene supply pipe, an active leak, a damaged drain line or a water heater sitting below the flood elevation belong in the first two groups, and they are worth resolving before you commit, whether by asking the seller to repair, adjusting the terms, or getting a licensed plumber's written estimate and an insurance quote so you know exactly what you are taking on. A worn hose bib or a supply hose due for replacement is ordinary upkeep. Your contract's inspection terms set how long you have to decide, so book the specialists the day you go under contract. My step-by-step buying process shows where the inspection period falls.

If you are selling, gather the repipe permit, the water heater receipt and any post-storm plumbing invoices before you list, so a buyer sees an organized record rather than a question. My page on buying a home on Fort Myers Beach covers the wider picture, and I am glad to go through the inspection reports on a specific home with you. Get in touch or call (239) 300-1427.

This article is a general overview and is not legal, insurance or plumbing advice about any particular property. Confirm the specifics with a licensed plumber, your home inspector, your insurance agent, a real estate attorney and the Town of Fort Myers Beach.