Roofing, chimneys, roof structure and attic
- Roof coverings
- Flashings
- Skylights, chimneys and roof penetrations
- Gutters and downspouts
- Roof structure and attic
- Attic ventilation fans
- Insulation in the attic
For buyers · printable
Home inspection checklist for buyers
This is not a generic internet checklist. It is the ten systems of Lou Rubino's own inspection report, in the order he writes them, with what to have ready before the visit and what to ask the seller afterwards. Print it, bring it, tick it off as he goes.
Before the inspection
The six answers that get you a firm quote, and the two things that most often cost a second visit.
- The address, the approximate square footage and the year built
- How many kitchens and how many heating systems the house has
- Whether it is a single family, a two family, a co-op or a condo
- Confirm with the seller or agent that the utilities will be on — gas, water and electricity. Systems that cannot be run cannot be tested
- Ask that attic hatches, crawlspace openings and the electrical panel are not blocked by stored belongings
- Plan to be there. Lou inspects the property with you and explains findings on the spot — it teaches you more than the report
What the inspection covers, system by system
Taken from the sections of the published sample report. Every one of these has its own page in the report you receive.
Exterior
- Wall cladding, flashing and trim
- Grading and surface drainage
- Walkways, patios and driveways
- Decks, balconies, stoops, steps and porches
- Vegetation affecting the structure
Garage
- Vehicle door and operator
- Occupant door, house to garage
- Ceiling, walls and firewall separation
Kitchen, appliances and laundry
- Range, oven and cooktop
- Range hood and ventilation
- Dishwasher
- Countertops, cabinets and sink
- Refrigerator, microwave and disposer
- Laundry and dryer exhaust
Interior rooms
- Ceilings, walls and floors
- Windows
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Stairs, steps and railings
Bathrooms
- Each bathroom, fixture by fixture
- Exhaust ventilation
- Tub and shower surrounds, grout and sealant
Structural components
- Foundation, basement and structure
- Columns, beams and bearing walls
- Signs of water penetration
- Finished basement areas
Plumbing system
- Interior supply and distribution
- Water heater
- Drain, waste and vent systems
- Fuel storage and distribution
- Sump pump
Electrical system
- Service entrance, panel and overcurrent devices
- Grounding and bonding
- Receptacles, switches and fixtures
- GFCI and AFCI protection
- Knob and tube or aluminium branch wiring
Heating and central air conditioning
- Heating equipment
- Heat exchanger
- Venting, flues and chimneys
- Cooling equipment
- Condensate handling
Questions to ask the seller
The things an inspection reports on but cannot always date or explain. Ask before the inspection where you can; the answers shape what Lou looks hardest at.
- Slab, crawlspace or basement — and on a post-war slab house, whether the original in-slab heating loop is live or was abandoned for baseboard (why that matters)
- If the house is south of Merrick Road: the flood zone, whether it was repaired or raised after 2012, and whether an elevation certificate exists (the flood-zone mechanics)
- In Suffolk or northern Westchester: cesspool or septic, roughly how old, where it sits, and whether anything was built over it; whether the water is a private well (what a standard inspection can establish)
- The age of the roof, the boiler or furnace, and the water heater
- Whether a finished attic, a second kitchen or a converted unit was done with permits — the report describes what is there, and a mismatch with the certificate of occupancy is a question for your attorney
- Whether the chimney was converted, re-lined or abandoned when the heating system changed
What the report will and will not do
So the checklist is read the way New York intends it.
- It is a visual assessment of what is readily accessible on the day, under 19 NYCRR Part 197. It is not an appraisal and not a guarantee against future failure
- It cannot determine code compliance. New York bars an inspector from that; the report describes condition
- Readily accessible panel covers come off, and the report says how the roof was observed — walked, from a ladder or from the ground
- Anything not observed is listed with the reason. That page is often the most useful one you get
- Radon, mold and asbestos are separate tests, arranged alongside the inspection, never part of it
- It arrives the same day as a rule, organised by system, with the findings marked on the photographs (see a real one)
Under contract and on a clock?
Tell Lou about the house and get a number for that house.