Plumber in South Park San Diego

South Park sits against the southeast corner of Balboa Park, and it began filling in from 1906, when the Bartlett Estate Company started building out the old South Park Addition. To sell lots in what was then a remote corner of the city, the company put in water, sewer, electricity and a streetcar line. The neighborhood is known for Craftsman and Spanish Colonial Revival houses built between 1905 and 1930, and in October 2017 the City’s Historical Resources Board voted to designate the South Park Historic District.

We work on those houses every way a homeowner needs: water heaters, leaks, fixtures, repipes, gas lines, and water and sewer lines. If you’ve just bought here, or you’re about to, start with the checklist below.

Five Questions to Ask Before You Buy an Older South Park House

A general home inspection looks at plumbing, but it moves fast. These questions tell you if the first few years will bring a short repair list or a bigger job.

• What are the water supply pipes made of? Look where the line comes out of the ground near the front hose bib, and at the pipes on top of the water heater. Dull gray threaded pipe is galvanized steel. It rusts from the inside, which shows up as weak pressure upstairs and brown water first thing in the morning. Copper or plastic PEX means someone has already repiped at least part of the house. Our repipe installation page explains what replacing it involves.
• When was the sewer lateral last replaced? That’s the pipe from the house to the City’s main under the street. Ask the seller for records, and ask your inspector whether a sewer camera inspection is part of the report. If it isn’t, it’s a good add-on for a house this age.
• How old is the water heater, and is it strapped? California law requires tank-type water heaters to be braced or strapped against earthquakes. The age is usually printed on the label in the serial number. A heater past 10 years is something to budget for, not something to panic about. See water heater installation for what a replacement includes.
• Can you find the main water shutoff, and does it turn? In older houses it’s often an old valve that hasn’t been touched in years. Find it before move-in day, not during a leak.
• Do the toilets, showerheads and faucets meet the City’s standard? The City of San Diego requires older fixtures to be replaced with water-conserving ones when a property changes hands. Our City Heights page covers who handles that, the seller or the buyer, and how escrow can deal with it.

None of these needs a plumber to answer. If an answer comes back bad, that’s when a quote helps you negotiate.

If the House Is Inside the Historic District

The district runs roughly from 28th Street to 31st Street and from Elm Street down to A Street, and it takes in about 300 contributing buildings. For any property inside an adopted historic district, the City reviews alterations against the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for historic properties before the work is done. That review can apply even to changes that wouldn’t normally need a permit, and it carries its own hourly fee.

For plumbing, the jobs to think about are the ones that change what you see from outside: a tankless water heater hung on an exterior wall, a new vent through the roof, or a water heater moved into a new closet built onto the house. Swapping a heater in the same spot, repairing a leak, or replacing a toilet doesn’t change the exterior. If you’re unsure, the City’s Historical Resources staff will meet with you for up to half an hour at no charge to talk through what you’re planning. Do that before you book the work.

Is South Park Part of Golden Hill or North Park?

The City counts South Park as part of the Greater Golden Hill community planning area, about 746 acres east of downtown, along with the Golden Hill neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights and Choate’s Addition. North Park is the next community to the north. Both are in Council District 3, and both get their water and sewer service from the City of San Diego, so permits for plumbing work here go through the City.

Getting Us Out to Your House

Courtesy Plumbing Inc. is a residential plumbing company, licensed by the California State License Board under #910268. We don’t clear drains; Drain Mob, our partner, takes those calls. For everything else, reach us through the Contact Us page or call (858) 567-0544, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.