Home Inspection Checklist
It is highly recommended that all home buyers get a home inspection from a reputable company. There are a few companies that I highly recommend, one of them being Innovative Inspections, a San Diego Home Inspector. Your home inspector should check the following list of items:
- Grounds Inspection – grade, drainage, impacting landscape features (e.g., large trees, plant foliage, etc.), retaining walls, stairs, driveways, walkways, fences, gates.
- Roof Inspection – covering, gutters and downspouts, chimneys, flashed penetrations (e.g., vents, skylights, etc.)
- Structural Component Inspection – foundation, support structures, framing, sheathing, seismic (e.g., anchoring, bracing, etc.)
- Insulation and Ventilation Inspection – attics, walls, floors, crawl spaces, ventilation fans (e.g., whole house, bath exhaust, etc.)
- Exterior Inspection – siding, trim, doors, windows, decks, patios.
- Electrical Inspection – service entrance, disconnects, main and sub panels, grounding, bonding, breakers (including arc fault circuit interrupters), switches, outlets (including ground fault circuit interrupters), smoke detectors.
- Plumbing Inspection – water and gas (or oil) supply lines and shut-offs, water pressure, water heaters, safety valves, fixtures, traps, drains, functional flow and drainage.
- HVAC Inspection – controls and thermostats, heating/cooling components (e.g., furnaces, heat pumps, etc.), supply and discharge lines, venting, filters, ductwork, registers, fireplaces and inserts, heat lamps
- Appliance Inspection – clothes washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerator/freezers, dishwashers, disposals, built-in microwaves, ceiling fans.
- General Interior Inspection – ceilings, walls, floors, doors, cabinetry.