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Whole-Home Inspection
Most Plumbing Disasters Gave a Warning First
The slab leak started as a water bill that crept up. The flooded laundry room started as a rubber washer hose that had been stiffening for a decade. The water heater that let go in the attic had been weeping at a fitting for months. Plumbing rarely fails without notice; the notice is just quiet, and it is in places you do not look. A plumbing inspection is a licensed plumber looking in those places on purpose, with a pressure gauge, a flashlight and the experience to know what a problem looks like a year before it becomes one.
Radiant’s inspection covers the whole house. We test static water pressure and check the pressure reducing valve, run the meter test for hidden leaks, look at every supply line and shutoff under sinks and behind toilets, check the water heater’s age, venting, relief valve, connections and expansion tank, look at exposed piping in the attic and garage, run every drain and check for slow ones, inspect hose bibs and the main shutoff, and check gas connections where we can reach them. You get a plain-language report of what we found, ranked by urgency, with prices for anything that needs doing. No pressure to do any of it that day. Care Club members get this inspection every year as part of the plan, and if we find something, related pages like leak detection, water heaters and water pressure explain the fix.
- Meter to fixture Pressure, leaks, valves, water heater, drains, gas connections and exposed pipe, in one visit.
- Ranked, not alarmed The report separates fix-now from watch-it from fine. Most homes have a lot of fine.
- Yearly with Care Club An annual whole-home plumbing safety inspection is built into the $9.99/month plan, with no dispatch fees.
When to Book One
Good Reasons to Have Your Plumbing Inspected
Some are about the calendar. Some are about the house. All of them are cheaper than the alternative.
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You are buying a house
A general home inspector looks at plumbing briefly. A plumber pressure-tests it, checks the sewer and reads the water heater’s age.
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It has been more than a year
Valves seize, hoses harden and anode rods dissolve on their own schedule. An annual look catches them in order.
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The home is on an older slab
Decades of clay soil movement under a slab means the pipes below have been flexing the whole time. A meter test tells you where things stand.
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Winter is coming
A fall inspection finds the attic runs, hose bibs and garage lines that will freeze, while there is still time to insulate them.
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The water bill is drifting up
A slow, steady rise with no change in habits is the signature of a hidden leak or a running toilet.
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You are about to remodel
Know what the pipe in the wall is made of and what condition it is in before the new tile goes over it.
What We Check
The Whole-Home Plumbing Inspection
The same checklist on every house, adjusted for what your house actually has.
- Water pressure and the PRV Static pressure measured at a hose bib. High pressure shortens the life of everything downstream, and a failed PRV is a common finding.
- Meter test for hidden leaks Everything off, meter watched. Movement means a leak somewhere, and that is the moment to find it, not after the floor buckles.
- Water heater condition Age, tank condition, relief valve, venting, gas or electrical connections, drain pan and expansion tank. And an honest read on how long it has left.
- Shutoff valves and supply lines Every stop under every sink and toilet, the main valve and the washer hoses. A valve that will not close is worthless in an emergency.
- Fixtures and drains Running toilets, dripping faucets, slow drains and the venting behind them. Small, but they add up on the bill and hint at bigger things.
- Exposed piping and gas connections Attic and garage runs, insulation, supports, corrosion, and accessible gas connections checked for leaks.
How It Works
What an Inspection Visit Looks Like
Set aside an hour or so; bigger homes take longer. You are welcome to follow along.
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A few questions first
What has been acting up, how old the house and water heater are, any past leaks or repairs. It tells us where to look hardest.
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The walk-through
Meter, pressure, water heater, every fixture and valve, attic and garage lines, drains, hose bibs and accessible gas connections.
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The report
What we found, in plain language, ranked by urgency, with photos where they help. Nothing is exaggerated to sell a repair.
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Prices, no pressure
Written prices for anything that needs doing, honored for 72 hours under the Home Comfort Guarantee. Fix it now, later or not at all; your call.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
When Did Someone Last Look at Your Plumbing?
An hour with a licensed plumber now is the cheapest plumbing you will ever buy.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
I had Radiant Plumbing replace my tankless water heater, damaged in the Feb. 2021 snowmageddon storm with a new unit. The process was smooth and professional from start to finish. The plumber, James, was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly explained my options to me. The cost and time to perform the installation were just as estimated. When he was done, James explained how to maintain the system, what service would be needed and how to perform it, and answered all of my engineering geek questions. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I have used several different plumbers in Austin over the past 15 yrs, but my search is over - I will not hesitate to call Radiant next time and would recommend them unreservedly.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
8/9/23 Update: I have subsequently used Radiant for a toilet repair, faucet installation (Danny), and drain work (Ezekiel) and they have continued to impress with knowledgeable, friendly plumbers and quality work.
★★★★★
We called Radiant Plumbing after we noticed a water leak in our kitchen. We were in a time crunch and they were able to schedule us quickly, before we left for vacation. They sent their representative, Preston Nichols, and he was excellent to deal with! He was on time, skillful, friendly, and very professional. It turned out to be a problem with our dishwasher but Preston was quick to diagnose it and set our minds at ease. While he was here, we mentioned that our one year-old water heater needed to be flushed. Preston was quick to take care of that, as well, saving us time and money in the process. Radiant charged us almost half the price another plumber quoted us for that service! While Radiant Plumbing isn’t our usual plumber, they gained a new customer. We won’t hesitate to call Radiant again in the future based on our VERY positive experience with them.
★★★★★
Had 3 different systems installed by them approx. 3 years ago for a total of approx $20k. I was quite happy with the install until the year later when they came for a maintenance call and started finding deficiencies in their own install. they wanted extra money to address those deficiencies. Now I am in the process of selling my home and an inspector has found a few items that need to be addressed and they will not even look at the report unless I schedule a $139.00 service call. Very poor customer service.. This company does not stand by their work and would not recommend.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
I am revising my review of this business from 1 to 5 stars. After my original review I was contacted by the company's service manager and he made sure that I was taken care off. I had a team of 3 technicians coming to my house to double check the system and make the necessary adjustments. I was very satisfied by their attention to details and professionalism.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Plumbing Inspection Questions
What does a whole-home plumbing inspection actually cover?
Everything we can reach without opening walls. We measure water pressure and check the pressure reducing valve, run a meter test for hidden leaks, and inspect the water heater for age, corrosion, venting, relief valve operation, connections and the expansion tank. We check every shutoff valve and supply line under sinks and behind toilets, the washing machine hoses, the main shutoff and the hose bibs. We run every fixture and drain, listen for running toilets, look at exposed piping in the attic and garage for corrosion and insulation, and check accessible gas connections for leaks. You get a written report ranked by urgency. What it does not include is a sewer camera or slab leak location; if the meter test or the drains point that way, we will recommend the right next step and price it.
Should I get a plumbing inspection before buying a home?
Yes, especially here. A general home inspector runs the faucets and flushes the toilets, which is useful but brief. A plumber pressure-tests the system, checks for slab leaks with a meter test, reads the water heater’s actual age and condition, identifies the pipe material in the walls, and can camera the sewer line, which is where the most expensive surprises in older Austin and San Antonio homes hide: root-damaged clay tile, rusted cast iron and bellied lines under the slab. Galvanized or polybutylene supply pipe and a water heater near the end of its life are the kind of findings that change a negotiation. Book it during your option period so there is time to act on what we find.
How often should plumbing be inspected?
Once a year is a sensible rhythm for most homes, and that is why the annual whole-home plumbing safety inspection is built into Care Club. A yearly visit is frequent enough to catch a valve that has started to seize, a water heater that has begun to weep, a supply hose that has gone stiff, or a pressure reducing valve drifting high, all of which are cheap to address and expensive to ignore. Older homes on slabs, homes with galvanized or polybutylene pipe, and homes with a water heater past ten years benefit most. Newer homes can stretch it, but even they have a PRV that will fail eventually and washer hoses with a limited life. Fall is a good time, ahead of freeze season.
Will the inspector try to sell me repairs I do not need?
No, and the structure of the visit is meant to make that obvious. The report separates what needs attention now, what to keep an eye on and what is in good shape, and most houses have plenty in the last column. Where something does need doing, you get a written price that is honored for 72 hours, so there is no reason to decide on the spot. If a repair can wait, we say so. If a cheaper option exists, we say that too. Radiant has served Austin and San Antonio since 1999 on repeat customers and referrals, which does not happen by inventing work. If you ever feel pressured, tell us; that is not how we want an inspection to go.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
