Who AI assistants recommend for a plumbing inspection
We asked ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI Mode for a plumbing inspection recommendations 229 times. Here is what they needed to see on a plumber's page before naming it for a plumbing inspection.
The short answer
Before naming a plumber for an inspection, assistants first sorted out which kind the customer needed: a general check, a sewer camera inspection or one for a home purchase. Then they looked for what it covers, whether the customer gets a written report and video, and what the fee is.
- What people actually asked
- What your plumbing inspection page has to explain
- What the assistants looked for before recommending anyone
- Your plumbing inspection page checklist
- Questions owners ask
- How we got these numbers
- See it on your own website
What people actually asked
We asked for a plumbing inspection in three different ways. Here is each one, word for word, with how many of the 229 answers it produced between September 4 and October 14, 2026:
- “Looking for someone to do plumbing inspection in 34683 in two weeks. Any recommendations?”80 answers, asked with five different timings: in the next few weeks, in two weeks, next month, sometime this month and before the end of the month
- “Plumbing inspection near me — I'm in 33770. Who do you recommend?”80 answers
- “Who should I call for plumbing inspection in 33713?”69 answers
Together, the 229 answers covered eight towns in Pinellas County: Largo, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Park, Seminole, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. Each town came up in 28 to 29 answers. By assistant: ChatGPT 97, Claude 76 and Google AI Mode 56.
Customers also call it “plumbing diagnostic”, “home plumbing inspection” or “camera plumbing inspection”, so use those words on the page as well.
The question underneath all of them
“What does the plumbing inspection cover and what report will I receive?” A general condition check, a specific investigation and a purchase-related inspection need different scope statements.
What your plumbing inspection page has to explain
The word inspection meant several different jobs in these answers. A general condition check, a camera run through the sewer line, a hunt for a hidden leak and a check before buying a house are separate services. Many assistants asked the customer which one they meant before naming anyone. A page that describes each kind you offer, and says which one fits which need, answers that first question.
Customers also wanted to know what they would walk away with. Answers kept telling them to ask for a written report and the camera footage, especially for a home sale or an insurance claim. A real report with the owner's details removed shows what the customer receives. It should also show what the inspection could not reach and what follow-up work is quoted separately.
Few plumbers that came up advertised inspections on their own. Many bundled them with repairs, and assistants told customers to ask whether a standalone inspection was offered. They also asked whether the fee is flat and whether it is credited toward a repair. The page should state the price and how it relates to any work that follows.
What the assistants looked for before recommending anyone
We read all 229 answers to see what the assistants looked for before naming a company for a plumbing inspection, what they told the customer to ask, and what they said they couldn’t find.
What the assistants told customers to ask
Most common first:
Does the inspection include a sewer camera?
Assistants told customers to ask whether the inspection runs a camera through the sewer line or only checks fixtures by sight. Several said the camera work can cost extra.
73% of the answers (167 of 229) brought this up.
Ask if they offer camera sewer line scoping in addition to a standard visual fixture and pressure check.
Do you inspect plumbing for a home purchase?
Many customers wanted an inspection before buying a house. Assistants told them to ask whether it covers the sewer line or only fixtures and supply lines, and whether a written report comes with it.
58% of the answers (132 of 229) brought this up.
None of these listings clearly advertises a full home-sale plumbing inspection, so ask whether they do one when you call.
Will the customer get a written report and the video?
Most answers told customers to ask for a written report, and many asked for the camera footage too. Assistants said the report matters most for a home sale or an insurance claim.
34% of the answers (79 of 229) brought this up.
Ask for a written report and for the camera footage.
Which kind of inspection does the customer need?
Assistants often asked the customer what the inspection was for before recommending anyone. They separated general checks, sewer camera inspections, leak detection and purchase inspections, and said these are different services.
32% of the answers (74 of 229) brought this up.
Ask whether you need a general plumbing inspection, sewer-camera inspection, or a city permit inspection—those are different services.
Which parts of the plumbing does it check?
Answers listed what a whole-home inspection should look at: water pressure, shutoff valves, the water heater, visible supply and drain lines, toilets and fixtures. Customers wanted that list before booking.
29% of the answers (67 of 229) brought this up.
Ask whether the inspection includes water pressure testing, shutoff valve checks, water heater review, visible supply/drain piping, and sewer camera scope if needed.
What does it cost, and is the fee credited toward a repair?
Many answers told customers to ask whether the inspection is a flat fee and whether it is credited toward any repair. Some asked whether a free inspection carried an obligation.
17% of the answers (38 of 229) brought this up.
Ask whether the inspection is a flat fee or credited toward repairs.
What the assistants couldn’t find
In 30 of the 229 answers, the assistant said it couldn’t find or confirm something it needed about a company. By assistant: Claude in 30 of its 76, ChatGPT in 0 of its 97 and Google AI Mode in 0 of its 56. As we asked it, Claude usually says what it couldn’t confirm; ChatGPT and Google AI Mode seldom do, so these counts mostly show what Claude couldn’t find. Most often:
- A phone number or other way to reach the company: 19 answers
- Reviews it could check: 5 answers
- A license or insurance it could check: 4 answers
- When the company could do the work: 3 answers
Assistants most often could not find a phone number, and many could not confirm that a plumber does inspections at all. A page that names each inspection, its fee and a working number answers both.
The searches didn't turn up a company that clearly advertises plumbing inspections, so I can't name one who definitely does them.
Where the assistants sent people
Each answer linked to the pages the assistant relied on. Of the 173 ChatGPT and Claude answers about a plumbing inspection, this is how many linked at least once to each kind of site:
- A contractor’s own website: 99% (171 answers)
- A directory or review site such as Yelp, Angi or the BBB: 60% (103 answers)
- A manufacturer or home-improvement guide: 17% (30 answers)
- An official license lookup: 8% (13 answers)
A contractor’s own website was the page linked most often, so your site is usually what the customer is sent to read.
Google AI Mode works differently. In 79% of its 56 answers, the links opened Google’s own listing for a business rather than a website. There, your Google Business Profile is the page the customer sees, so it needs the same facts as your site.
The checks behind every recommendation, applied to a plumbing inspection
Can the customer reach a person?
Phone numbers were what assistants most often could not find for this job. Several left them out rather than guess, and sent customers to a website or booking page.
19 of the 229 answers about a plumbing inspection, 19 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 147 of the 290 conversations where it came up.
What do recent customers say?
Assistants often could not find independent reviews and used ratings from directory listings instead. They told customers to check BBB and Google listings themselves.
5 of the 229 answers about a plumbing inspection, 5 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 139 of the 569 conversations where it came up.
Is your license current, and can it be checked?
Answers told customers to ask for the plumber's Florida license number and check it on the state DBPR lookup, along with proof of insurance. Several could not confirm any license.
4 of the 229 answers about a plumbing inspection, 4 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 103 of the 142 conversations where it came up.
Source: How we research what AI assistants recommend.
Your plumbing inspection page checklist
Work through this list on your plumbing inspection page. Each item answers something the assistants looked for above.
- Use “plumbing inspection”, “plumbing diagnostic” or “home plumbing inspection” in the page title, the main heading and the first paragraph.
- Say whether a sewer camera is part of each inspection, or a separate service with its own price.
- Say whether you offer a pre-purchase plumbing inspection, what it covers beyond a general home inspection, and how fast the report arrives.
- Say what the report includes, whether the video comes with it, and show a sample with the customer's details removed.
- Describe each kind of inspection you offer and which situations each one is for.
- List the parts of the plumbing the inspection checks, and which areas it cannot reach.
- State the inspection fee and whether it is credited toward repairs the customer approves.
- Put a working phone number and a way to book an inspection on the inspection page itself.
- Link to recent reviews and point to ones from inspection customers.
- Show your plumbing license number with a link to the DBPR lookup, and say what insurance you carry.
Going further: let assistants see real openings
For planned work like a plumbing inspection, a useful opening says whether it is for an assessment or the job itself, and whether the customer’s address is covered.
Merchant Context builds custom integrations with scheduling software so customers and AI assistants can read your current availability. Where your system records the job type, service area, duration and crew capacity, the integration can show those details with each opening, so an assistant can match it to the request instead of guessing.
We scope each connection to the software and data you actually have. A displayed opening is not a confirmed booking: the customer still confirms through your normal booking process, and the information is only useful while it is fresh.
Source: Merchant Context: custom integrations in the AEO service · checked 2026-10-14.
Questions owners ask
What does a plumbing inspection include?
Answers about this job most often mentioned water pressure, shutoff valves, the water heater, visible supply and drain lines, fixtures and leaks, with a sewer camera when needed. They told customers to ask for a written report. The page should list what each inspection covers.
Is a plumbing inspection different from a home inspection?
Assistants treated them as separate. A general home inspector looks at the whole house, while a plumber's inspection goes deeper into pipes, the water heater and often the sewer line. Buyers were told to ask whether the plumber's inspection covers the sewer line.
Do I need a sewer camera inspection?
Assistants often asked what the inspection was for before answering. They suggested a camera inspection for drain and sewer line concerns or before buying a house. They told customers to ask whether it costs extra and whether they get the video.
Which AI assistants did you test?
ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI Mode. Between September 4 and October 14, 2026, they answered 229 questions about a plumbing inspection: ChatGPT 97, Claude 76, Google AI Mode 56.
Will these changes guarantee a recommendation?
No. Nobody can promise that. These changes supply what the assistants were looking for in our research. Whether they move recommendations for your business is something to measure after they go live.
How we got these numbers
The questions, counts and quotes on this page come from the 229 answers ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI Mode gave between September 4 and October 14, 2026. We asked for a plumbing inspection in eight towns in Pinellas County, Florida. We collected them with software rather than the consumer apps, which can answer differently. We counted what each answer mentioned, what it said it couldn’t find and where it linked. Quotes never name a business.
The study figures come from an earlier set of assistant conversations in July and August 2026 across eight trades, coded for the reason each business was included or left out. Counts overlap and are never added together.
See it on your own website
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Source: Merchant Context: the current website offer · checked 2026-10-14.
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