Plumbing in Flowery Branch, Buford & Braselton: A Homeowner's Guide

New-construction warranty issues, high water pressure, septic in Braselton and Hoschton, and lake access homes along the fast-growing I-985 corridor.

The stretch from Flowery Branch down I-985 to Buford and east along Highway 211 to Braselton and Hoschton is the fastest-growing part of our service area. Most of the housing is less than 25 years old, which brings a different set of plumbing questions than the older homes around Gainesville. Here is what we see most.

New-construction homes: the first five years

Builder plumbing is usually sound, but corners get cut on the parts you cannot see. Common early issues:

•  Water pressure too high. Many subdivisions on municipal water run 90+ psi at the street. Without a working pressure-reducing valve (PRV) you get banging pipes, dripping relief valves and short-lived appliances. A PRV should keep the house at 55–70 psi; they wear out in 7–12 years.

•  Missing or improperly set expansion tank on the water heater, which shows up as a water heater relief valve that drips.

•  Builder-grade water heaters that reach end of life around year 8–12.

•  Toilets that run or fill slowly; usually a cheap fill valve.

If your home is still under the builder's warranty, document the issue and call them first; if it is out of warranty, we are happy to help.

City water, but maybe still septic

Buford and Sugar Hill are largely on Gwinnett County water and sewer. Flowery Branch has city water and growing sewer coverage, but many neighborhoods and nearly all of the lake lots are on septic. Braselton and Hoschton straddle four counties (Hall, Jackson, Gwinnett and Barrow), and septic is common once you leave the town centers. If you have a septic tank, our Hall County Septic Guide applies, and the permit office is your county's environmental health department.

Lake access homes

Flowery Branch and Buford both have extensive Lake Lanier shoreline. Lake homes have their own guide: The Lake Lanier Home Plumbing Guide.

Basement bathrooms and finished basements

A lot of homes in this corridor have unfinished basements that owners finish later. Adding a bathroom below the sewer line requires a sewage ejector pump, and getting the rough-in right the first time saves tearing up a slab later. We do these regularly; see remodeling & repiping.

Commercial corridor

Restaurants along Buford Highway and Friendship Road, the Mall of Georgia area, and the Braselton medical and winery district rely on grease trap maintenance, backflow testing and fast repairs. See our commercial plumbing page.

In Flowery Branch, Buford, Sugar Hill, Braselton or Hoschton? Call 770-718-1063 or book online.

See all service areas or return to the North Georgia Plumbing Guide.