What is actually covered in a home inspection? A home inspection is a visual inspection of your home & major systems. It is meant to give you a comprehensive report at that moment in time of areas that require fixing or further evaluation by a specialist. It is also a helpful tool in negotiations with the seller on who pays for repairs.
What is covered in a typical home inspection is largely dictated by the home inspector’s state standards and/or the 2 main associations that most inspectors belong to:
Each organization (and in some cases state licensing board) has their own Standards of Practice (SOP) that covers what their home inspectors are required and not required to inspect. There are slight nuances between each, but all have very thorough, similar standards for which their home inspectors must adhere to.
Each inspector has a different level of detail and flow for how they inspect a house, and their report will reflect that. Be sure to look at a prospective inspector’s sample home inspection report to ensure that it is an informative, easy to navigate report.
Below is a quick overview of the services typically included in your home inspection, and the major systems analyzed and assessed throughout the process.
This section will generally include:
This section will generally include:
Inspectors aren’t required to climb on the roof to inspect, but many will if it is easily accessible and safe.
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There must be sufficient headroom for inspectors to enter attic spaces or they may not be able to inspect.
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Inspectors are not required to test every outlet, move furniture or appliances, or test ancillary items like burglar alarms, timers, etc.
This section will generally include:
This section will generally include:
This section will generally include:
Inspectors generally aren’t required to operate gas fireplace inserts, light pilot flames or inspect interior of chimney or flues.
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Inspectors are not required to inspect household appliances or move carpets, furniture, etc. to inspect concealed flooring.
While home inspection reports aren’t required to give you guidance on what to do next or who to call for quotes, it’s very helpful when they do. In some instances, your home inspector will be able to give you ballpark figures for how much fixes will cost.
Experienced inspectors are generally comfortable giving you their opinion on average life spans and common remedies, with the knowledge that they aren’t liable should something go wrong.
Their advice and guidance should never be a substitute for an inspection by a qualified, licensed contractor in that category.
If there is any questions as to what’s covered, definitely ask your home inspector before signing the inspection agreement so there are no surprises.
Whether you are buying, selling, or maintaining your home, Dwell Inspect Idaho provides professional and quality service from the moment you call us. Our licensed home inspector will walk through your home with you and teach you as much as you want to learn. We strictly follow the Standards of Practice for home inspectors established by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the leading home inspection association.
After we walk through the home together, we will personally explain the general condition of the home and systems with you and your agent. We will talk through any major issues that need to be addressed sooner rather than later. We will also mention the items that you will want to keep an eye on for deferred maintenance. All of this will be detailed in our easy-to-read Spectora report, that will be delivered SAME-DAY in HTML and/or PDF format. From that report, you’ll be able to see the items we discussed, with images for reference.
