How We Find Water You Can't See
Water that gets into a wall cools the surface as it evaporates. A thermal camera picks up that difference, so a damp patch of drywall shows up as a cool shape on the screen well before it stains. It works best on a warm day with the AC running, when the inside and outside of the wall are at different temperatures.
In Brevard, that describes most of the year.
A thermal image only tells us where to look. Every cool spot gets checked with a calibrated moisture meter, and nothing goes in the report as a moisture problem on the strength of the camera alone. Plenty of cool spots turn out to be a missing patch of insulation or an air conditioning vent.
Then there is the plain looking. Stained ceiling tiles. Swollen baseboards. A soft spot in the floor in front of the toilet. Rust at the bottom of a door frame. A single freshly painted square on an otherwise untouched ceiling, which is worth a question to the seller.
A stain says there was water. A meter reading says whether there still is. The report tells you which one you are looking at, because an old leak that was fixed and an active one lead to very different conversations.
Where Water Gets Into Brevard Houses
After enough inspections the same places come up again and again. These are the ones we check on every house.
- The AC condensate line and drain pan, in the attic, a closet or the garage
- Roof flashings at vents, valleys, chimneys and walls
- Window and slider corners, where stucco over block cracks first
- Water heaters past ten years old, and their drip pans
- Shower pans and tub surrounds, read from the other side of the wall
- Supply lines and shutoffs under every sink and behind the toilets
- Gray polybutylene supply pipe, where it is visible
- Grading and gutters that send rain back toward the slab
The air conditioning deserves the most attention. An air handler produces water all summer, and when the condensate line clogs or the pan rusts through, that water goes straight into the ceiling below. The roof comes next. We walk it when it is safe and fly the drone when it is not, then go into the attic and look at the underside of the decking, where an old leak leaves a dark ring even after the shingles have been patched. If a ceiling stain is your only worry, a roof inspection on its own starts at $100.
Drains Under the Slab
A leaking drain under a slab foundation rarely shows up in the living room. On houses built with cast iron, which covers much of Brevard's 1950s through 1970s housing, the line is now old enough to crack, scale and sag. A sewer scope inspection puts a camera through the main line for $195 when you add it to a full inspection, and you get the video.
What About Mold?
We do not test for mold. Mold assessment is a separate Florida license, and a home inspector license does not cover it. What we do is report visible water damage and elevated moisture readings, with the location and a photo. When the readings or the damage justify it, the report says to bring in a licensed mold assessor. Fix the water first. Mold does not grow without it.
Water Damage and Your Insurance
Florida carriers ask about water because it drives so many claims. The 4-point inspection they require on homes 30 years and older records the plumbing type, the water heater's age and condition, and any active leak. A house with polybutylene supply lines, installed in many Florida homes from about 1978 to 1995, is one many insurers will not write until the pipe is replaced. It is better to learn that during your inspection period than from an underwriter a week before closing.
If you are buying, remember that Florida sellers have had to disclose known defects that materially affect a home's value since the state Supreme Court decided Johnson v. Davis in 1985. A past leak with a fresh ceiling patch over it is exactly the kind of thing to ask about in writing.
What a Water Damage Inspection Costs
Thermal imaging, moisture metering and drone roof video come with every full home inspection, so there is no separate charge for them. Pricing goes by square footage: $299 under 1,200 square feet, $360 for 1,500 to 2,000, and $395 for 2,000 to 2,500. A wind mitigation report worth $125 is included free. The 4-point is $75 added to a full inspection, and military and first responders get $25 off. The instant quote on our rates page gives your exact number in about a minute.