Plumbing Inspection in Suitland, MD

How old is the plumbing in a typical Suitland house?

Suitland grew quickly after federal offices arrived during World War II, and the median home was built around 1973. Many houses still have original supply and drain piping. That age is where a plumber starts looking for galvanized steel that has narrowed inside, cast iron drains with rust scale or cracks, old gate valves that won't seal, and sewer laterals that have had decades for roots to find the joints. Newer additions and remodels sometimes join modern plastic to old metal, and those transitions get checked too.

What part of the water line is mine?

Suitland is on WSSC Water for water and sewer. WSSC is responsible for the part of the service line that connects to the main, and the owner has the portion from the property line into the house. WSSC removed all known lead pipe from its distribution system, and its What's Your Pipe Type? program and inventory map at wsscwater.com/LCR-map help you identify the customer-side material. WSSC also notes that some customer-side galvanized lines need replacement, which the plumber can check where the pipe comes through the foundation. Water or sewer emergencies on the public side go to WSSC at 301-206-4002.

If the plumber finds something, who signs off on the repair?

WSSC Water, not the county, permits and inspects plumbing and gasfitting work in Prince George's County. Applications go through WSSC ePermitting, and gas water heater replacements and all gas work must be done by a plumber or gasfitter holding a WSSC license; homeowners may not do gasfitting. The county's DPIE handles building permits for bigger remodels. The plumber doing the repair usually pulls the WSSC permit.

A note on gas in Suitland

Both Washington Gas and BGE serve parts of Prince George's County, so check your gas bill to see which one serves the house. If you smell gas, leave the house first, then call 911 and your gas utility from outside. Some homes are all-electric, which the plumber will note during the walk-through. Where there is gas, the inspection covers the appliance connectors, shutoff valves at each appliance and the venting on the water heater and furnace, since those are the parts that wear or get disturbed during remodels.