Home Inspection Guide

What a Home Inspection Covers

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination of a home’s major systems and components. An inspector spends 2-4 hours crawling through your future home checking roughly 1,600 items across structure, roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, insulation, and exterior. They’re looking for defects, safety hazards, and deferred maintenance — anything that’s broken, dangerous, or about to fail.

Cost: $300-$600 for a typical single-family home. Larger homes (3,000+ sq ft) run $500-$800. Older homes take longer and often cost more. This is the best $400 you’ll spend during a home purchase. A good inspector regularly saves buyers $5,000-$15,000 in unexpected repairs they can either negotiate off the price or walk away from.

What Inspectors Actually Check

• Foundation and structure: Cracks (horizontal cracks in block foundations are serious — vertical hairline cracks usually aren’t), settlement, water intrusion signs, beam/joist condition. Structural issues are the most expensive problems to fix: foundation repair averages $4,500-$12,000.
• Roof: Shingle condition, flashing, gutters, estimated remaining life. A roof replacement runs $8,000-$15,000 for asphalt shingles, $20,000-$40,000 for tile or metal. If the roof has 3-5 years left, you need to factor that into your offer price.
• Electrical: Panel capacity (100-amp panels are the minimum for modern homes), wiring type (knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring are red flags for insurance), GFCI outlets in wet areas, grounding. Rewiring a house costs $8,000-$15,000.
• Plumbing: Pipe material (polybutylene pipes from the 1980s-90s are lawsuit magnets), water heater age/condition, water pressure, drain function. Water heaters last 8-12 years; replacement is $1,200-$2,500.
• HVAC: Furnace/AC age, condition, filter state. Average furnace lasts 15-20 years ($3,500-$7,500 to replace), AC units last 15-20 years ($4,000-$8,000 to replace). An HVAC system with 2-3 years of life left is a significant negotiating point.
• Exterior: Siding condition, grading/drainage (ground should slope away from foundation), window condition, deck/porch structural integrity.
• Interior: Walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows. They’re looking for water stains (ceiling stains = roof or plumbing leak), cracks that indicate structural movement, and functional issues.

What Inspectors Don’t Check

Standard inspections are visual only. They cannot see inside walls, under foundations, or behind finishes. This means they explicitly do NOT cover:

• Sewer line condition — get a separate sewer scope ($200-$350). This is essential for homes built before 1980. Clay sewer lines crack, tree roots invade, and a sewer line replacement costs $5,000-$15,000. Best money you’ll spend.
• Radon — separate test ($150-$250). Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. If levels exceed 4.0 pCi/L, mitigation costs $800-$1,200. Test every home, every time.
• Mold testing — inspectors note visible mold, but lab testing is separate ($300-$600).
• Pest/termite — separate WDI (Wood Destroying Insect) inspection ($75-$150). Many states require this for VA and FHA loans.
• Lead paint — relevant for pre-1978 homes. Testing costs $300-$500 for a full assessment.
• Asbestos — inspectors note suspect materials but don’t test. Lab testing costs $25-$75 per sample.

Red Flags That Should Scare You

Some inspection findings are cosmetic. Others should make you seriously reconsider the purchase:

• Horizontal foundation cracks — indicate lateral pressure and potential structural failure. Repair: $5,000-$15,000+.
• Active water in the basement or crawlspace — not just stains, but standing water or active seepage. This is a chronic problem, not a one-time event.
• Double-tapped breakers or Federal Pacific panels — FPE panels are a known fire hazard. Panel replacement: $1,500-$3,000.
• Significant roof sagging — indicates structural failure in rafters/trusses. This isn’t a repair; it might be a partial rebuild.
• Evidence of unpermitted work — additions without permits can be forced to be removed by the municipality, or they may not be covered by insurance.
• Extensive mold or water damage patterns — one stain is a leak. Multiple stains in multiple rooms suggest a systemic moisture problem.

Should You Waive the Inspection?

In hot markets, buyers waive inspections to make their offers more competitive. This is a terrible idea on homes older than 10 years. On new construction (under 5 years), the risk is lower but still real — builders cut corners too.

If you’re competing against cash offers and feel pressure to waive: negotiate an “informational inspection” instead. You still get the inspection, but you agree not to ask the seller for repairs. You keep the right to walk away if something catastrophic turns up. Most listing agents will accept this because it protects the seller from repair requests while keeping the deal moving.

How to Read an Inspection Report

A typical report is 30-60 pages with photos. Don’t panic at the length. Focus on:

• Safety hazards: Anything that could hurt someone — missing GFCI outlets, improper wiring, gas leaks, structural concerns. These are non-negotiable fixes.
• Major defects: Systems near end of life, active leaks, foundation issues. These are negotiating points for price reduction or repair credits.
• Maintenance items: Caulking, grading adjustments, gutter cleaning. These are normal homeownership tasks, not deal-breakers.

A good strategy: ask the inspector to highlight their top 5 concerns at the end of the walkthrough. This filters the noise and gives you the critical items to discuss with your agent.

What Comes After the Inspection

A home inspection is your last line of defense before buying. If the inspection reveals issues, you’ll need to negotiate — our home buying guide covers this process in detail. You’ll also need homeowner’s insurance before closing, and some inspection findings can affect your premiums. Make sure to factor in potential renovation costs when calculating your total budget with our mortgage calculator.

Choosing the Right Inspector

Not all inspectors are equal. Look for: ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) or InterNACHI certification, state licensing (required in 39 states), at least 3 years full-time experience, and E&O (Errors & Omissions) insurance. Ask how many inspections they’ve done — you want someone with 500+ under their belt.

Don’t use the inspector your agent recommends unless you’ve independently verified them. Some agents steer buyers toward inspectors who are known to be “easy” — who gloss over issues to keep deals alive. Your inspector works for you, not the transaction.

Always attend the inspection in person. The report is useful, but walking through the home with the inspector and asking questions in real-time is worth far more than reading 50 pages later.