You can have plumbing problems, even in a new home. How, you ask? Well, even in new plumbing, mistakes can be made. Planning problems may reveal themselves as plumbing failures latter on. Less than top-of-the-line fixtures and materials may be used, to save on construction cost. And accidents happen, even with the best of intentions. Your stylish and beautiful new home may conceal a multitude of problems in the walls and under the floors. These flaws of course are likely to reveal themselves at the most inconvenient of moments.
But inspection is required for new construction, you may cry. Shouldn't that eliminate the possibility of plumbing problems in a new home? Not exactly, and not entirely, as you may find out to your dismay. Code varies, and required inspections depend on locale, but usually there is some inspection of the home before it goes on the market. In a really new home this may be only an air-pressure test, as water service is not turned on in the new home. The problem with that is this test is for a relatively brief time, and it is using air, not water.
In a newly constructed home it is wise to keep a wary eye on the plumbing system, and do not relax your vigilance for at least a month or two. Sealants may fail after some water flows through the system. Leaks may take some time to develop and show themselves, even to a watchful eye. Vibrations and motion of the pipes from normal use may cause failure at points of weakness. Poorly constructed systems or poor-quality materials may hold for a while before they let you down. Even as months pass and your new home continues to be a delight in every way, it is still good to be vigilant about leaks and plumbing failures. Water can cause serious, extensive, and very expensive damage.
If your home is new to you, but not really new, then you may be inheriting plumbing problems from the previous owners. Even if the water is on, which is not usually the case, wandering from room to room turning the taps briefly and flushing the toilets may not reveal problems that can show up with daily usage. Problems with plumbing in new to you but not newly constructed homes likely include drainage problems, root invasion into pipes, and seal and valve failures.
To avoid or at least minimize these problems, one thing you can do is to be wary, even suspicious, and very thorough in your initial inspection of a home on your list of likely prospects. Look hard. Look, in, around, under, and over everything you can get at. Do not be distracted by any smooth-talking salesperson pointing out the amenities. Look at everything from the point of view of the person who will be paying to fix any problems found after the deal is closed.
You would be wise to contact your local plumbing expert and ask them to perform an inspection of your prospective residence. Of course no one can say that there will never be plumbing problems with any home. No homeowner is immune from that concern. But a qualified plumbing expert can point out potential problems, and you will have them as a good resource for help, if ever you do experience plumbing problems in your new home.