What Do They Check in a Home Inspection: Plain-Language Guide
From the buyer’s perspective, the question of what do they check in a home inspection is a question about what verification you are paying for. The inspection is the buyer’s most reliable window into the property’s condition before signing a contract. A credentialed inspector following the ASHI or InterNACHI Standard of Practice verifies the function and condition of ten major systems on your behalf, documents the findings with photographs, and produces a written report. This guide is structured as a buyer’s checklist: the verifications you should expect, the limitations you should accept, and the negotiation framework that follows from a useful report.
The buyer’s verification checklist at a glance
The buyer is paying the inspector to verify ten functional categories on a visual, non-invasive basis. Roof, exterior and grading, structure and foundation, plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling, interior and built-ins, insulation and ventilation, and the major appliances included in the sale. The verification is a snapshot of the property’s condition on the day of the appointment, not a guarantee of future performance and not a code-compliance certification.
The buyer should expect the inspector to spend three to four hours on a typical 2,000-square-foot home, photograph each finding, deliver a 30- to 60-page report within 24 hours, and offer a verbal walkthrough at the property. This guide reflects ASHI and InterNACHI guidance current as of 2026; site-specific scope varies with accessibility and contracted add-ons.
What buyers should expect on the roof check
Expect the inspector to evaluate shingle or membrane condition, valley flashing, chimney and wall-step flashing, vent boots at penetrations, gutter slope and securement, soffit and fascia, skylight curbs, and any signs of past repair. The inspector should photograph each finding from at least two angles and provide a general remaining-life range. The report should disclose whether the inspector walked the roof, inspected from a ladder at the eave, or evaluated from the ground with binoculars.
Hail damage on Front Range homes deserves separate attention. Bruise marks, granule displacement clustered on south and west exposures, and indented metal accessories all point to hail history. Confirmed hail damage usually triggers an insurance claim conversation.
What buyers should expect on the exterior and grading check
Expect verification of cladding condition (siding, brick, stucco, stone), trim and fascia, exterior doors and windows from outside, deck and porch structures with railings, walkways, driveways, retaining walls within ten feet of the house, and visible foundation walls. Grading should slope away from the foundation at the perimeter; flat or reverse-graded soil belongs in the report. Sprinkler heads should not spray the foundation directly.
Decks get extra attention to ledger attachment, joist hangers, guardrail height (minimum 36 inches in most jurisdictions for decks more than 30 inches above grade), and any rotted wood at posts and rim board. A deck that fails inspection often becomes the largest single negotiation item.
What buyers should expect on the structure and foundation check
Expect verification of foundation type (slab, crawl, basement), visible cracking patterns, settlement evidence, framing condition where accessible, and any sagging or deflection in joists or beams. Vertical hairline cracks in poured concrete are typically shrinkage and not displacement. Horizontal cracks, step cracks in block walls, and rotational displacement warrant escalation, usually to a structural engineer for the deciding evaluation.
Crawl spaces should be entered when access is safe; if conditions prevent entry, the limitation should be documented in the report. Standing water, raw sewage, structural collapse risk, or wildlife presence are legitimate reasons to decline entry.
What buyers should expect on the plumbing check
Expect verification of visible supply piping material, drain-waste-vent piping, water heater (tank or tankless), main shutoff location, hose bibs, sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets. The inspector should run each fixture under observation: turn on faucets, fill basins, flush toilets, and check for leaks or improper repairs. Older homes with galvanized supply piping get a corrosion-progression note. Polybutylene grey supply pipe (built 1978 to 1995) gets flagged for known failure history.
The water heater age via the data plate, TPR-valve discharge configuration, and combustion-air provisions on gas units should all appear in the report. The companion guide on what home inspectors check covers the same scope at the systems level.
What buyers should expect on the electrical check
Expect verification of the service drop or lateral, meter, main panel and sub-panels, branch wiring where visible, a sampling of receptacles and switches, GFCI and AFCI protection where required, smoke and CO alarm presence, and the bonding and grounding system. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, and certain Challenger panels should be flagged regardless of current condition because of recall history. Open neutrals, reversed polarity, double-tapped breakers, and missing knockouts in the panel are routine findings.
Buyers should expect the inspector to test a representative sample of receptacles (one or two per room) rather than every outlet. Branch-circuit testing is sample-based by industry standard.
What buyers should expect on the HVAC check
Expect verification of the heating system at normal controls, observation of supply and return temperatures at a sample register, examination of visible ductwork and filter condition, flue and combustion-air checks, and equipment data-plate documentation for age and rated capacity. Cooling is operated only when outdoor temperatures allow safe testing (above 60 degrees F). Below that threshold the cooling check is documented as deferred.
Heat exchanger condition is checked visually through accessible panels; full disassembly is outside scope. An HVAC contractor handles deeper diagnostics if the inspector recommends one. The hiring-a-home-inspector hub covers how to schedule add-on services around the standard inspection.
What buyers should expect on the interior and built-in check
Expect verification of walls, ceilings, floors, windows from inside, interior doors, stairs and railings, a representative sample of receptacles and switches, and built-in appliances operated on a normal cycle. The check looks at function rather than at cosmetic quality. A scratched cabinet door is not a defect; a non-operating range burner is.
Stairs and railings get extra attention because fall hazards are Safety findings. Handrails on stairs of more than three risers, guardrails on landings more than 30 inches above the floor below, and consistent riser heights are all checked. The companion piece on what they look for in a home inspection covers the walkthrough-sequence angle.
What stays outside the buyer’s verification scope
Outside scope unless contracted separately: environmental hazards (radon, mold, asbestos, lead), geotechnical soils, code-compliance certification, swimming pools and spas in some jurisdictions, low-voltage and alarm systems, cosmetic finish judgments, and any concealed condition behind a finished surface. The standard inspection is non-invasive. The buyer pays for verification of what is readily visible and safely accessible.
Front Range buyers add a radon measurement near-universally because Colorado sits in EPA Zone 1. Pre-1978 homes often add a lead-paint test. A sewer scope is increasingly common on homes older than 25 years or with mature trees over the lateral.
How to use the verification report
The buyer should read the one-page summary first, then read the full narrative for context on each finding. The summary is the consolidated negotiation list; the narrative is the reasoning. Decide which Safety and material Repair items belong on the inspection-objection list and which the buyer accepts as deferred maintenance. The objection is a financial conversation, not a punch list.
Schedule any specialist evaluations (structural engineer, HVAC contractor, electrician, roofer) inside the inspection-objection window so the specialist’s findings can roll into the negotiation rather than survive as post-closing surprises.
Common buyer mistakes that erode the verification’s value
Three patterns erode the verification value buyers paid for. Skipping the appointment leaves the buyer reading the report cold without context. Treating every monitor and deferred-maintenance item as a negotiation issue annoys the seller and reduces the buyer’s leverage on Safety findings. Failing to schedule specialist follow-ups inside the objection window leaves significant findings unresolved at closing.
The verification is the buyer’s protection. Use it deliberately and the inspection delivers strong return on the $375 to $550 fee.
How to choose an inspector before the appointment
Choose the inspector before signing the purchase contract if possible, so scheduling lines up with the inspection-objection window. Ask each candidate firm for the inspector’s full name, the ASHI or InterNACHI member number, proof of errors-and-omissions insurance, and a sample report. Verify the credential at the trade-association directory rather than trusting the firm’s website. Ask how many inspections the inspector has personally performed and how many in your specific zip code. Local experience translates directly to what gets flagged.
Spend 10 minutes on the phone with the inspector before booking. Communication style on the call predicts communication style during the appointment and in the report. A good phone conversation forecasts a good inspection experience.
Documenting what was verified for future reference
Save the inspection report indefinitely. It is the baseline record of the property’s condition at purchase, and it remains useful for insurance claims, warranty disputes, future sale disclosures, and major-system replacement planning. Some buyers create a property folder that combines the inspection report, specialist follow-up reports, repair invoices, and warranty documentation. The folder is the institutional memory of the home for as long as the buyer owns it.
When the buyer eventually sells, the original inspection report can support seller disclosures (if used carefully) and demonstrate that issues have been addressed. Buyers transitioning to seller after five or ten years of ownership benefit from the documented baseline.
What changes for new construction inspections
New construction inspections cover the same ten functional categories but emphasize builder workmanship, code-compliance gaps the municipal inspector may have missed, and the 11-month warranty inspection that catches issues before the builder’s one-year warranty expires. Buyers of new construction often do three inspections: pre-drywall (framing, mechanicals, electrical rough-in), final (before closing), and 11-month (warranty claim window). Each inspection costs $375 to $500.
The buyer’s verification logic is the same on new construction as on resale: a credentialed inspector following the SoP verifies systems on the buyer’s behalf and produces a report. The findings list differs because new homes accumulate workmanship issues rather than wear-and-tear issues, but the inspector’s role is identical.
How buyers can use the verification across the closing timeline
The inspection sits in the middle of the closing timeline. Use it deliberately at each downstream stage: the inspection-objection negotiation, the appraisal review (the appraiser may note items the inspector flagged), the homeowner-insurance application (carriers may ask about roof age, panel type, and other inspection-flagged items), the final walkthrough (verify agreed-upon repairs were completed), and the post-close repair schedule for deferred-maintenance items. Each stage references the inspection report. A well-organized buyer keeps the report accessible from contract signing through the first year of ownership.
References
- ASHI Standard of Practice — American Society of Home Inspectors
- InterNACHI Residential Standards of Practice — International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
- HUD homebuyer inspection guidance — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- EPA radon program overview — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency