A professional home inspection benefits everyone buying or selling a home.
For the Home Buyer
Our home inspection is an analysis of potential fire hazards, home safety and health risks to you and your family. The inspection will provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge about your new home and an understanding of its components and systems as well as home maintenance tips and information to help you protect your investment. Feel confident about your home purchase.
For the Home Seller
Our home inspection offers you a great marketing tool, giving you a competitive advantage over other homes on the market—helping you sell your home faster at the highest possible price. It provides for full disclosure and gives the buyer greater peace of mind. It may also give you an opportunity to make repairs to your home in advance, helping expedite the sale of your home. Pre-sale inspections are a wise decision for all home owners.
Sample Inspection Report
Click here to see a sample inspection report, highlighting Firm Foundation’s attention to detail and high quality, accurate reporting of your home’s condition.
Learn of major or minor deficiencies in the home.
Learn possible upcoming expenses (such as an old roof or furnace that may need replacement soon).
Learn home preservation and maintenance tips.
Learn how to operate the various systems in the home.
Learn the current condition of the home.
Receive a detailed and professional report, complete with pictures (printed, and/or uploaded to the internet as a computer file for easy access and distribution).
The Roof
- The roof covering
- The gutters
- The downspouts
- The vents, flashings, skylights, chimney and other roof penetrations.
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The general structure of the roof from the readily accessible panels, doors or stairs.
The Basement, Foundation & Crawlspace
- Foundation walls.
- Floor Structure.
- Support Beams, Posts.
Heating
- The heating system.
- Distribution system.
- Energy source and heating method.
- Operating condition of the system (including a CO test).
The Electrical
- The service line.
- Service entrance cables, drip loop, clearances.
- The meter box.
- The main disconnect.
- Service amperage.
- Panels, breakers and fuses.
- The grounding.
- The bonding.
- Switches, receptacles, light fixtures, and ground circuit interrupters.
- Wiring type.
- GFCI receptacles and breakers.
- Arc fault breakers.
- The service entrance conductors and the condition of their sheathing.
- Presence of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
The Attic, Ventilation & Insulation
- Insulation in unfinished spaces.
- Ventilation of attic spaces.
- Mechanical ventilation systems.
- Bathroom and kitchen venting.
The Exterior
- The flashing and trim.
- Exterior doors.
- Windows, storms, screens.
- Decks.
- Stoops, steps, stairs.
- Porches, railings.
- Eaves, soffits, fascias.
- Siding and trim.
- Grading.
- Driveways, walkways and patios.
- Vegetation, surface drainage and retaining walls when these are likely to adversely affect the building.
The Plumbing
- Water heating system.
- Toilets, tubs, showers, sinks, exterior faucets.
- Water pressure and drainage at fixtures.
- Drain, waste and vent systems.
- Visible fuel storage systems.
- Drainage sump pumps and/or Sanitary pumps.
- Water supply, drain, waste and main fuel shut-off valves, as well as the location of the water main and main fuel shut-off valves.
- Deficiencies in installation and identification of hot and cold faucets.
- Gas meter.
- Gas Lines.
Cooling
- The central cooling equipment.
- Energy source and cooling method.
- Operating condition of the system (not testable during cooler/cold months).
The Fireplace
- Hearth and mantle.
- Damper.
- Blower.
- Fuel type.
- Flue.
The Doors, Windows & Interior
- Doors and windows.
- Walls, ceilings, steps, stairways, and railings.
- Garage doors and garage door openers.
- Overhead door safety reverse system.
- Cabinets and counter tops.
Additional Recommended Testing
Radon Testing
The EPA agrees – testing for radon is important.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency agrees that you should have your home tested for radon. Click here to read their Citizen’s Guide to Radon.
Mold Testing
Home buyers are encouraged to visit the EPA website for information regarding any concerns they might have with mold.
If a significant mold issue is known to exist in a house, then it would be most prudent to contact a mold remediation company directly. Firm Foundation Home Inspection is NOT a mold remediation company, but we can do air quality sample tests for mold. Our air quality testing is usually done when the home buyer wants peace of mind when no mold problem is disclosed or evident in a house.