Home Inspection Checklist

How to use this guide

Use this resource to prepare observations and questions, not to approve or reject a property by itself. Record locations, patterns, odors, sounds, dates, and seller disclosures so a qualified professional has useful context.

Start with safety and active water concerns, then review structure, exterior drainage, roof, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, interiors, and installed appliances.

Practical checklist

• Review exterior grading, drainage, cladding, trim, decks, and accessible roof views.
• Look for visible movement, water entry, staining, deterioration, and unsafe access.
• Identify electrical service, panels, outlets, fixtures, and obvious damaged components without touching them.
• Run accessible plumbing fixtures with permission and note drainage, leaks, pressure concerns, and water-heater context.
• Record heating, cooling, ventilation, interior, attic, basement, crawl-space, and installed-appliance observations.

Questions worth asking

• What is excluded from the inspection agreement?
• Which items need a specialist, test, or destructive investigation?
• Which concerns are urgent, material, or normal maintenance?
• What could not be accessed or operated?
• Which documents, permits, warranties, or service records should be requested?

Turn observations into decisions

Separate urgent safety issues from maintenance items and cosmetic defects. Ask for written scope, assumptions, exclusions, and price ranges from the appropriate professional. Your contract, contingency deadlines, local law, and risk tolerance determine what happens next.