New River, Arizona
Home inspection in New River
Water decides more about a New River purchase than almost anything inside the house. In this unincorporated community north of Phoenix, many homes have no city water or sewer line to tie into, residents told reporters in 2018 that working wells had failed, and many households rely on water trucked from an EPCOR station whose haulers may supply only homes built before January 1, 2018. A home inspection in New River therefore starts with the supply, meaning the source, the storage and a water test, before moving to septic referrals, washes, outbuildings and the house itself.
- ASHI Certified Inspector
- From $285 residential
- Report on-site, same day
The New River housing stock
What the local stock means for your inspection
New River began as a late-1800s stagecoach stop, and the Desert Hills area started filling in after 1955, when ranch land was divided into ten-acre lots, so its homes went up parcel by parcel over many decades, not in one planned wave.
- New River, which takes in Desert Hills, remains unincorporated county land; tries at incorporation in 1979, 1995 and 1999 failed, and residents revisited the idea in 2017.
- The community is named for the seasonal New River wash, part of the Agua Fria River system, and borders the Tonto National Forest to the north.
- After Phoenix announced in 2017 that it would stop selling water to New River and Desert Hills haulers, EPCOR opened a filling station in 2018 as the replacement source.
Neighborhoods we inspect in New River
- Desert Hills
- Wranglers Roost
- Desert Hills Estates
- Desert Hills Estates North
- Apache Peak Ranch
And every other neighborhood in New River. If your street is not listed, it is still covered.
On the ground here
What an inspector watches for in New River
These are the items that come up most in New River's housing stock. They are what to expect, not a verdict on any one home.
Hauled water and the tank behind the tap
Hauled water is trucked in and stored on site, and EPCOR's hauler terms make the hauler, not EPCOR, responsible for its quality after pickup. The tank, pump and fill system go to a specialist; AZHI's water test checks what reaches the faucet.
The pre-2018 rule at the hauling station
EPCOR's hauler agreement limits water from its New River and Desert Hills station to residences constructed before January 1, 2018. Newer homes must be supplied from farther away, which changes the cost per load, so confirm the build date and the hauler's source.
When neighbors' wells went dry
Residents told reporters in 2018 that wells which worked a few years earlier had failed as more homes tapped the groundwater. A well specialist judges yield and equipment, AZHI's certified test covers quality, and ADWR must be told of the ownership change.
Split lots that skipped subdivision review
In unincorporated Maricopa County a subdivision starts at six lots, and land split into fewer parcels avoids the review that brings infrastructure and assured water. On such a parcel, access, drainage and the water source deserve extra questions.
Washes of the New River drainage
The community is named for the seasonal New River wash, part of the Agua Fria River system. On parcels crossed by a wash or its side channels, an inspector traces where monsoon runoff meets the house, driveway and septic area, and checks footings for erosion.
Ten-acre-lot houses that kept growing
Desert Hills began as ten-acre lots sold in the 1950s, and a house on an older parcel may carry decades of additions, enclosed porches, detached garages or shops. An inspector notes where workmanship changes, and county permit records show which work was approved.
Most relevant here
What New River buyers ask about most
With wells under strain and hauled water whose quality rests with the hauler, certified water testing leads here alongside the buyer's inspection, and sellers can use a pre-listing inspection to document the house before water and septic questions slow the sale.
- VA/FHA Certified Water TestingOn a well or municipal water, testing tells you what is really coming out of the tap. VA and FHA buyers may need certified testing before closing.
- Buyer's Home InspectionBefore you close, know exactly what you're buying, every major system, walked with you and explained.
- Pre-Listing InspectionFind the problems before a buyer does, so surprises never cost you leverage at the negotiating table.
See every inspection service, available in New River like every AZHI service.
Common questions
Inspecting a home in New River
What order should inspections go in for a New River home on hauled water?
Line everything up on day one. Book the home inspection and a water test together, ask the seller for the septic report the county requires within six months before transfer, and call the hauler to confirm the home's build date qualifies for EPCOR station water. If there is also a well, a separate specialist handles its yield and equipment.
Can a New River home built after 2018 get water from the EPCOR hauling station?
Not under EPCOR's hauler terms. Haulers who use the New River and Desert Hills station agree to deliver its water only to residences constructed before January 1, 2018, so a newer home's water has to come from a more distant fill point, which reporters noted raises the price of each load. Confirm the construction date and ask the hauler where its water comes from.
Does AZHI inspect the well, the storage tank or the septic system?
Not those components. AZHI inspects the house and its plumbing, and the certified water test shows what is actually coming out of the faucet. Well yield and equipment, the storage tank and pump, and the septic tank and field each go to a qualified specialist. If a well is registered with ADWR, the new owner must also update the ownership record.
Is New River part of Phoenix?
No. New River has never incorporated; it is a census-designated place of unincorporated Maricopa County that takes in Desert Hills, and attempts to form a town in 1979, 1995 and 1999 all failed. For a buyer that means county rules: Maricopa County handles building permits and the septic transfer program, and the six-lot subdivision threshold decides whether land was divided with full review.
I have used Bob for my last 2 home inspections and been very pleased with his quality of work. He is what you expect out of a home inspector, which is rare in this market. Friendly, reliable, and thorough. Will continue to use and refer.
Book it
Schedule your New River inspection
Buying or selling in New River? Let us know if the property is on a well, hauled water or a piped supply, plus its build year, so the water test is planned with the inspection.
Residential inspections start at $285. You get a price and the next available dates back.