Home inspection checklist for buyers

What should a buyer's home inspection checklist include?

A buyer's home inspection checklist has three parts: what the inspector covers, what a standard inspection skips, and what you do with the report. Read your report against the list below, order tests for the gaps, and get the big lines priced before your inspection deadline.

Key takeaways

• Use the checklist below: it covers nine systems.
• Read the not-inspected list in your report, and send safety lines to a specialist.
• Price the lines you will ask for before your deadline.

What do home inspectors look for?

A home inspection is a visual check of the parts of the house the inspector can reach. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) standards set out what gets looked at and what the report has to call out.

Print this page or copy the list. Tick each system once you've found it in your report, or, if the inspection isn't done yet, once the inspector covers it. Booking is covered in the section after the list. Each line gives what the report must call out, then what the inspector also checks.

• ☐ Roof: must call out signs of active leaks; also checks covering, gutters, downspouts, flashing, skylights, chimney.
• ☐ Exterior: must call out improper spacing between balusters (the upright bars between railing posts) on railings; also checks siding, eaves, exterior doors, a sample of windows, decks, grading and drainage.
• ☐ Foundation and structure: must call out water getting in, signs of foundation movement, wood touching soil; also checks basement and crawl space. Signs of movement include cracks in drywall or brick, out-of-square door frames and unlevel floors.
• ☐ Heating and cooling: must call out any system that did not run; also checks that each system runs with its normal controls.
• ☐ Plumbing: must call out active leaks, damaged or leaking toilets; also checks main water and fuel shut-offs, water heater, faucets, drains, sump pumps.
• ☐ Electrical: must call out outlets with no power or wrong polarity (hot and neutral wires swapped), solid aluminum branch wiring where visible; also checks service, meter, main disconnect, panels, breakers, a sample of switches.
• ☐ Fireplace: must call out no smoke or carbon monoxide detector in the same room; also checks the visible, reachable parts and the damper doors.
• ☐ Attic: must call out a general absence of insulation or ventilation in unfinished spaces; also checks insulation type and depth, ventilation of unfinished spaces, kitchen, bath and laundry exhaust fans.
• ☐ Interior: must call out fogged windows with broken seals, garage door safety sensors that failed; also checks a sample of doors and windows, floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, the garage door opener.

The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) standard adds one more rule. The report must list any system that was present but not inspected, with the reason. That list is your first set of gaps.

Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, so you can price the findings under the systems you ticked.

If you haven't had the inspection yet

Schedule it as soon as you've chosen a home, so there is time to resolve problems, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says. Hire an independent inspector who is accountable to you, because one paid by someone else, or not paid until closing, "might underemphasize problems," and check references, the Better Business Bureau and your licensing authority. Attend if you can, because being there makes the report easier to interpret.

What does a standard inspection leave out?

A standard inspection leaves out pests, mold, radon, lead paint, asbestos and toxic drywall, under InterNACHI's standard. Septic systems, wells, pools, spas and underground utilities are outside the scope too. Neither standard requires the inspector to judge code compliance, predict how long a system will last, or estimate what a repair costs.

Order separate checks for the gaps that matter on this house. A sewer scope is the usual one. Ask your loan officer whether your loan needs any separate inspection.

What should you ask the inspector about your report?

Ask the inspector these at the inspection, or on a call once the report arrives:

• Which findings are safety issues, which are end-of-life replacements, and which are routine upkeep?
• Where are the main water, gas and electrical shut-offs?
• What couldn't you get to, and why?
• Which lines need a specialist, and which trade should I call?

Which report lines should you get priced, and when?

Get report lines priced by risk, as soon as you've read the whole report. Don't stop at the summary. It doesn't cover everything you need to know, as the North Carolina home inspector licensing board's brochure warns. Call the inspector about any line you don't follow. ASHI's standard has the report explain deficiencies that aren't self-evident. For how to get the bids, see getting repair estimates during the inspection period.

Safety comes before price. Any line about gas, carbon monoxide, an electrical hazard, an active leak or the structure goes to a licensed specialist before your deadline. If you smell natural gas, "leave the area now and call 9-1-1," PG&E says.

Then price in this order:

1. Safety lines and anything marked for further evaluation. The specialist's written finding comes first, then a contractor's bid for that scope.
2. Lines your lender may care about. The CFPB notes that "the lender can require that the repairs be made before closing" when major repairs, like a new roof, are needed.
3. Big systems: roof, foundation, heating and cooling, electrical panel, water heater.
4. Small upkeep items. Group them into one line, or leave them off your request.

What if the seller says no?

The seller may or may not agree to pay for repairs, according to the CFPB. Your options:

• Narrow the ask to safety lines and anything your lender requires.
• Take the house as is and budget for the priced list yourself.
• Ask your agent what your contract allows if the priced list is more than you can carry.

What to do when the seller refuses repairs walks through each. If the seller agrees to fix items, many buyers pay the inspector for a re-inspection to confirm the work.

What items will fail a home inspection?

Nothing, in the inspector's eyes: inspectors don't label homes pass or fail, as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) notes. Your loan is where a house can fall short, since the CFPB points out that some loan programs require set standards and an appraisal can come back subject to repairs.

Can I inspect the house myself with this checklist?

No. Use this checklist to follow along, because the North Carolina brochure finds most buyers lack the knowledge, skill and emotional detachment to inspect a home themselves.

How do I know what my list is worth?

The report tells you what's wrong, not what your list is worth. The dollar figures have to come from bids or a priced estimate.

If your report just landed and the deadline is close, upload your inspection report to Kept and build your request on priced lines, not guesses.

Sources

• InterNACHI, Standards of Practice for Performing a General Home Inspection
• ASHI, Standard of Practice for Home Inspections
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "Schedule a home inspection"
• North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board and North Carolina Real Estate Commission, "Questions and Answers on: Home Inspections"
• PG&E, Gas safety
• National Association of Realtors, home inspections resource page