What Does a Home Inspector Look At?

“What does a home inspection consist of?” We get asked this question from every other customer who calls us, and from a consumer’s point of view, it’s a very important one: what exactly is this person I hired over the internet or from my realtor’s referral actually doing? Let me try to clarify.

San Antonio Home Inspectors as well as home inspectors all over the country are trained to inspect the primary structural components of a home such as the foundation, walls, and roof  as well as the auxiliary systems vital to its ability to house people, such as the plumbing, electrical wiring, and air-conditioning system.

What is Included in a Standard Home Inspection

All Home Inspections in the state of Texas, whether they’re in San Antonio, New Braunfels, Houston or El Paso, follow a minimum set of guidelines and standards known as the Standards of Practice, set forth by the Texas Real Estate Commission, also known as TREC. Home Inspectors are legally bound to follow these guidelines as a minimum standard when inspecting any home that is the subject of a real estate transaction (whether being bought or sold). Included in the minimum standards is the inspection of:

• Foundations
• Grading and Drainage
• Roofs and Roof Coverings
• Gutters
• Attics, Ducts, and Insulation
• Interior and Exterior Walls and Coverings
• Interior and Exterior Doors and Windows
• Stairs, Stairways, Guardrails
• Fireplaces and Chimneys
• Porches, Balconies, Decks, and Carports
• Air-Conditioning/Cooling Systems
• Heating Systems
• Electrical Panels, Service Entrance, Circuits, Outlets, Fixtures
• Plumbing Fixtures and Drains
• Water Heaters
• Water Mains and Water Pressure
• Fixed Appliance Function and Bonding
• Garages and Garage Doors

In short, our goal as home inspectors is to provide the client with a 3-hour “Snapshot in Time” of your house.

What Isn’t Included in a Standard Home Inspection?

Some important items that aren’t on that list include the sprinkler or irrigation systems, any pools or spas and their equipment, private septic systems and water wells, as well as detached decks and carports. These items, along with detached buildings such as guest houses/casitas and detached garages, are outside the scope of a standard inspection, and may be inspected at your request on an a la carte basis. Fences are also outside the scope of most inspections, although we like to comment on them if we see significant deterioration of the fence, such as posts leaning out of place or gates that don’t open or close.

Important to note that cosmetic defects are also outside the scope of a standard inspection, and for good reason. With exception to brand-new homes, we feel that it is not our place to tell you what is and what isn’t acceptable on a cosmetic level, in addition to these defects generally being directly visible to the consumer.

Have a question about whether or not an item is included in the inspection? Ask us! Ensure Home Inspections is your San Antonio Home Inspector and ready to answer your questions!