Waterfront Living -- Counting House: What Lies Beneath --- Whether ocean or lake, water can wreak havoc on a house. Here's how to find many water-based problems before you close the deal.

"After signing a contract to buy a home on Tiki Island, Texas, Lori Myers knew she needed to hire an inspector. But because the home is waterfront, with 133 linear feet on a canal leading to the Gulf of Mexico, she also knew she needed more than a general home inspection.

So, Ms. Myers, who is relocating from Bend, Ore., and her husband, Ryan Myers, paid $961 to an inspector to examine not only the interior of the house but also the bulkhead, also known as a seawall, the dock and the pilings supporting a second-story deck in the rear of the home, which was listed for $975,000. She also paid for a premium service -- an infrared scan to check for hidden moisture in the walls.

The inspections uncovered minor issues such as a leak in the pool and some rotting of wood by the front steps, among others, but the couple elected to move ahead with the purchase after the seller offered concessions and a price reduction totaling $25,000.

"The inspection could have found issues that are devastating cost-wise," Ms. Myers, 58, said. "You have no idea what's in your walls, so having these inspections protects your investment. Otherwise, you're going in blindly."

Due to the risks associated with waterfront properties, which can be as minor as corrosion on exterior metal elements or as serious as water intrusion or foundation damage, buyers need to be especially vigilant.

While the specific inspections needed may vary in both scope and cost depending on where the home is located, the type of water it fronts and its exposure to the elements, the risks of purchasing a home without proper inspections are so great that many experts advise buyers not to proceed without them.

Mala Sander, an associate broker for The Corcoran Group in Sag Harbor, N.Y., said that bulkhead repair in the Hamptons can cost $1,200 or more per linear foot so a homeowner with 100 feet of waterfront property might incur a cost of $120,000 to replace a rotting bulkhead.

That's why Ms. Sander advises her clients to hire a structural engineer to inspect not only the interior of the home but also the bulkhead and dock. She also recommends that they engage an environmental inspector to check for mold, common in waterfront homes, as well as a pest inspector to check for termites or other wood-boring insects, and well inspections for homes not connected to city water. While some jurisdictions require a septic inspection when title transfers, they are recommended for any home not on city sewer. She says these inspections can cost a buyer $5,000 or more.

Santiago Arana, co-owner and managing partner of The Agency, based in Beverly Hills, said that due to the additional risk of earthquakes, it's not uncommon to hire 15 different inspectors for a waterfront home in California, at a cost of up to $20,000.

Find an inspector who specializes in waterfront homes. A general home inspector may not have the knowledge and experience needed for a waterfront home. Speak with your real-estate agent and attorney regarding the types of inspections you need in your particular area. In California, for example, Mr. Arana recommends that his clients hire a geo-engineer, a structural engineer and a drainage inspector to assess the structural integrity of the home and the stability of the land it sits on. Similarly, due to the risk of mold from the moist air surrounding a waterfront home, buyers might also want to engage an environmental inspector to test the air quality.

Joey Caballero, owner of 5th Avenue Building Inspections in Boynton Beach, Fla., suggests looking for inspectors certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), who have passed a rigorous exam, have documented experience and subscribe to ASHI's standards of practice and code of ethics. ASHI has a searchable database on its website.

Ask the inspector to go deep. Most inspections of waterfront homes, including the seawall, dock and pilings, are visual inspections, so they may fail to disclose hidden issues. Unless an inspector dives underwater to inspect submerged structures, like the pilings of a dock, there's no way to know their condition. Failing to do those underwater inspections could be risky since Mr. Caballero, the Florida inspector, said replacing dock pilings can run about $1,000 each.

Continue inspections on your own.

Waterfront homes require more frequent maintenance than homes farther inland due to the corrosive nature of the salty air and exposure to the wind.

Whether you inspect your home regularly or have a handyman or property manager do it, it's important to be vigilant to discover problems that need attention. "For most homes in suburbia, the average life expectancy of an air conditioner could be eight to 12 years," Mr. Caballero said. "When you are near the ocean, we often see corroded metal -- handles, nails, condensers -- so they may only last five or six years."" [1]

1. MANSION --- Waterfront Living -- Counting House: What Lies Beneath --- Whether ocean or lake, water can wreak havoc on a house. Here's how to find many water-based problems before you close the deal.
Friedman, Robyn A.
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 29 Apr 2022: M.9.