I am buying a pre-1980 Florida home. What should I ask about the pipes?
Quick Answer
Ask three things: what material the drain pipes are, when they were last camera-inspected, and whether any repair work carries a warranty that transfers to you. A standard home inspection looks at what is visible. The pipes that matter are under the slab, and only a camera sees those.
The questions, and why each one matters
Material: before 1980, assume cast iron until proven otherwise, and cast iron at this age is at or past its design life. Inspection history: ask for actual camera footage, not a sentence in a report. Dated video of the system's interior is the difference between knowing and guessing. Warranty: if the seller had lining work done, our lifetime warranty transfers one time to a new owner when registered within 30 days of closing, which makes prior repair work a genuine asset instead of a story.
If no footage exists, make a sewer camera inspection part of your due diligence. It is a small cost against the price of a home, and it prices the single most expensive hidden system in a pre-1980 house before you own the surprise.
Read the answers like an inspector
A seller with footage and a transferable warranty has nothing to hide. A seller who cannot answer the material question, or whose disclosure is silent on plumbing in a 50-year-old house, has handed you your next question.
The Homeowner Takeaway
Visible plumbing tells you almost nothing about a pre-1980 home. Ask for camera footage, and if none exists, get your own before closing.
