First inspection on first flip

[Ken Nyczaj]

 I wanted to repost this as our Plumbing Inspection is today. Looking for any further advice. Thank you.

The plan is to fix and flip the house which requires about $70,000 in repairs. Majority of the repairs coming from the roof and crawl space that has about 5 inches of water. We knew there was water in the scrawl space, but our initial assumption was it was just groundwater since we’ve had a lot of rain in Maryland and the Annapolis / Baltimore area.

What’s actually happening is the water is coming from the front right corner of the house, where the sewer line runs, plus there is a gap in the foundation in that same area that needs to be sealed. Our inspector said most likely it is the gap in the foundation that has allowed water to seep through, but worse case, the sewer line is damaged and needs to be replaced or sealed. The water underneath the crawl space has moved itself around the perimeter of the foundation so we will be installing a perimeter drainage system. The joists are also wet but not rotting whatsoever. He said they may sag or start to rot after they dry... hard to tell without an experienced framer looking at it.

We are hiring a plumbing inspector to come out today to run a camera through the sewer line to check for cracks. Also, hiring a knowledgeable framer to come look at the wood to see if it will be ok after it dries.

Anyone have experience or some knowledge they could share when it comes to water in crawlspaces? We’ve estimated $9,000 in costs for this and are hiring ServPro. That price is not including if the sewer line is damaged, with that I don’t know how much it will cost until I get an estimate this coming week.

Also, advice on wet joists, will they dry out and be ok? The house was built in 1993 and there is no damage to the joists they are just wet.

[Mike McCarthy]

Sewer pipe replacement is reasonably easy, though can get a bit costly based on length, depth, and if anything else needs to be removed to get to it.

If you’re willing to hire out the ditch digging, the plumber can probably do the work much cheaper. (Most plumbers don’t want to dig themselves)

The foundation leak is a bit harder. In almost all cases, any cracks need to really be fixed from the outside. Again requiring a lot of digging. With a newer house, the waterproofing also likely failed, so that’s another reason to dig from the outside. Don’t believe anyone who recommends drylok or something similar on the inside.

Otherwise, everything should dry out fine. Drywall, carpet, etc will need to be replaced. Joists will be fine unless they’ve really been underwater for a while (it doesn’t sound like it’s that bad). Worst case, they can be treated with a mildewcide to help ensure no mold growth.