Home inspection
Home inspection checklist: before, during and after
Most inspection problems are timing problems: an inspector booked too late, a crawlspace no one could open, a specialist who could not come before the deadline. This checklist keeps the logistics from costing you leverage.
Reviewed November 2026 · Written for Buy Home Tips from the sources listed below
The inspection is one of the most useful steps in buying a home, and one of the most time-pressured. Use this checklist to make sure the inspection happens early, covers what it should and turns into a clear decision before your deadline.
Before: book and prepare
- Book the day your offer is accepted. HUD's inspection notice points out that requesting an inspection early lets you make your contract contingent on the results.
- Choose specialists at the same time. Radon, sewer scope, pests, septic, roof, chimney or structural engineer visits depend on the home and area.
- Confirm access. Utilities on, pilot lights lit, attic hatch and crawlspace reachable, pets secured. A blocked crawlspace can mean an incomplete report.
- Collect documents. Seller disclosures, the listing, and for homes built before 1978, the lead paint disclosure and pamphlet.
- Check your contract. Note the inspection deadline, how notices must be delivered and whether days are calendar or business days.
Specialists to consider
| Home or situation | Add-on to consider |
|---|---|
| Any home | Radon test, since EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all houses |
| Built before 1978 | Lead-based paint inspection or risk assessment |
| Older sewer line or large trees | Sewer camera inspection |
| Well or septic | Water quality test and septic inspection |
| Wood structure in a termite area | Wood-destroying insect inspection |
| Near water or in a flood zone | Flood map check and flood insurance quote |
During: be there and ask
- Arrive near the end at least, so the inspector can walk you through findings.
- Ask: which issues are safety items, which are major costs, and which are routine?
- Ask the inspector to show you the main water shutoff, gas shutoff and electrical panel.
- Photograph labels on the water heater, furnace and air conditioner.
- Do not negotiate with the seller or listing agent on the spot.
After: report to decision
- Read the full report within a day. Summaries leave out context.
- Sort findings into safety, major cost and maintenance.
- Get quotes for major items from licensed contractors. A written estimate makes a request more credible.
- Decide whether to accept, ask for repairs, ask for a credit or price reduction, or cancel.
- Send it in writing before the deadline, using the contract's notice method.
If the news is bad
Sometimes the right answer is to walk away. If the findings change the home's value or safety beyond what a credit can fix, cancel within the contingency period using the contract's process. The cost of the inspection is small compared with buying a problem.
Keep the report after closing
The inspection report becomes your first maintenance plan. Keep it with your closing documents, and move the maintenance items into a list for your first year of ownership. The ages and conditions the inspector recorded for the roof, water heater and heating system tell you which replacements to start saving for.
Mini calculator: count the days on a contract clock
Enter the start date and the number of days in the clause to see the deadline. Check whether your contract counts calendar days or business days.
A planning aid. Your contract and local practice decide how days are counted and when the clock starts.
The checklist
- Day 1: book the general inspector and any specialists.
- Day 1: confirm with the listing agent that utilities are on and access is clear.
- Inspection day: bring the disclosures, a notebook and questions.
- Ask the inspector to show you the main shutoffs and the panel.
- Within 24 hours: read the report and sort items by safety, cost and maintenance.
- Get contractor quotes for major items.
- Send a written request, credit or cancellation before the deadline.
Questions buyers ask
When should I schedule a home inspection?
As soon as your offer is accepted, or even when you write the offer. Inspectors and specialists may need several days, and the report and follow-up quotes must fit inside your contingency period.
What should I bring to a home inspection?
A copy of the seller's disclosures, your tour notes and questions, a phone for photos and, for older homes, the lead paint disclosure.
How long does a home inspection take?
It depends on the size, age and condition of the home. Ask your inspector for an estimate when you book so you can plan to attend the end.
What should I do after the home inspection?
Read the full report, sort the findings, get quotes for major items and decide whether to accept the home, request repairs or credits, or cancel within your contingency period.
Sources checked for this page
- HUD: For Your Protection, Get a Home Inspection
- EPA: radon
- 40 CFR 745.110: opportunity to conduct an evaluation
- FEMA: Flood Map Service Center
Checked November 2026. Programs and limits change; confirm with the source before you rely on a figure.