PlumbingBossPro Blog — Tech App

The Plumbing Inspection Checklist in the Tech App, Item by Item

A yearly maintenance visit is only as good as what the plumber checks. One plumber looks at everything. Another flushes the tank and leaves. The customer cannot tell the difference until something fails, and by then the visit they paid for looks worthless. The inspection checklist in the PlumbingBossPro tech app gives every plumber the same list to work through, and it gives the office a record of what was actually checked.

Where the Checklist Lives

The history of each house is covered in Reading Past Notes in the Plumber App Before Knocking on the Door. The checklist is what turns today's visit into the next plumber's history.

The checklist sits on the job in the tech app. The plumber works through it during the visit, ticking each item and adding readings where they apply. When the job is completed, the office sees the whole checklist on the job and can print it as a Plumbing Inspection Report for the homeowner.

The Main Shut-Off and Water Pressure

The checklist starts where trouble starts:

• Main shut-off tested. Does it close? Does it reopen without leaking at the stem? A shut-off that does not work is a problem the homeowner wants to hear about before an emergency, not during one.
• Water pressure. Checked with a gauge on a hose bib or laundry connection. High pressure is hard on fixtures, supply lines and the water heater, and it is easy to show the homeowner on the gauge.

The Water Heater

The water heater gets the longest section, because it is the piece of equipment most likely to fail in a way that ruins a floor:

• Water heater temperature. The setting and what is actually coming out at the tap.
• Flush. Whether the tank was flushed and how much sediment came out.
• Anode rod. Whether it was checked and what shape it was in.
• T&P valve. Whether the relief valve was tested and operated properly, and whether the discharge line looks right.
• Venting. For gas units, a visual check of the vent.

The equipment card already tells the plumber the brand, model, size, fuel and age of the tank, so the checklist builds on what the company knows instead of starting from scratch.

Leaks, Fixtures and Drains

The rest of the house gets a walk-through:

• Visible leaks. Under sinks, around the water heater, at the softener, at exposed lines in the basement or crawlspace.
• Toilets. Running, rocking, leaking at the base or the supply.
• Faucets and supply lines. Drips, worn supply lines, corroded angle stops.
• Drains. Slow drains in sinks, tubs and showers.
• Disposal. Runs, drains, does not leak.
• Hose bibs. Leaking, frozen in the past, missing a vacuum breaker.

Sump Pump and Softener

Two pieces of equipment that homeowners forget until they stop working:

• Sump pump. Does it kick on when the float rises? Is the discharge clear?
• Softener. Running, salt level, and a hardness reading if the plumber tests it.

Not every house has both, and not every item applies to every visit. The plumber checks what is there and leaves the rest.

That flexibility is what keeps the checklist useful instead of annoying. A condo with a small electric tank and no basement gets a short visit. A large house with a well pump, a softener, a sump pit and two water heaters gets a long one. Either way, the plumber works from the same list, and the office can tell at a glance what was and was not part of the visit.

Condition and Recommendations

At the end, the plumber gives the visit an overall condition: Good, Needs attention, or Repair recommended. Then they write recommendations in plain language: “Water pressure high, recommend a pressure reducing valve.” “Anode heavily corroded, recommend replacement.” “Water heater is 14 years old with heavy sediment, recommend planning for replacement.”

The condition is what the homeowner reads first. The recommendations are what turn a maintenance visit into the next job. Both stay on the job for the office, and they show up for the next plumber as part of the history.

Readings and the Report

The checklist also holds readings: water pressure in psi, the water heater setting, hot water at the tap, flow rate, hardness, sediment drained, water heater age, gas pressure and leaks found. Those get their own guide in Recording Water Pressure, Water Heater Temperature, Anode and Relief Valve Readings in the Plumber App. The printed report the office sends is covered in The Printable Plumbing Inspection Report: From the Tech's Checklist to the Homeowner's Hands.

The checklist is one of the things that makes PlumbingBossPro a plumber's app rather than a generic one. For the rest, visit the PlumbingBossPro plumber app page.