A client handed me an inspection report last year with eleven pages of findings and asked me which ones were deal breakers. Fair question, and the honest answer started one step earlier. Half of what worried her was not actually in the inspector’s scope. He had flagged it and recommended a specialist, which is exactly what a good general inspector does.
If you understand what a general home inspection is built to do, the report stops reading like a list of disasters and starts reading like a map of where to look next.
What a general inspection covers
A general inspection is a visual, non invasive look at the readily accessible parts of the house on the day of the visit. Typically that means:
- Roof covering, flashing, and drainage, viewed from wherever the inspector can safely see it
- Grading, gutters, and how water moves away from the foundation
- Visible foundation, framing, and structural components
- Exterior cladding, windows, doors, decks, and stairs
- Electrical panel, visible wiring, outlets, and fixtures
- Plumbing supply and drain lines that are visible, plus fixtures and water heater
- Heating and cooling equipment operated in normal mode
- Attic insulation and ventilation
- Interior surfaces, and built in appliances where included
The two words doing the heavy lifting are visual and accessible. An inspector does not open walls, move a seller’s stored belongings, dig, or dismantle equipment. If the crawlspace hatch is blocked or the panel cover is painted shut, that area gets noted as not inspected rather than guessed at.
What is normally outside the scope
These items show up on reports as recommendations for further evaluation, not as findings:
- Septic systems and private wells, which get their own inspection and water testing
- Chimney interiors and flues, which call for a chimney sweep or a camera scan
- Sewer laterals, which need a scope run from the house to the main
- Radon, mold, asbestos, and lead, each a separate test by a qualified tester
- Underground storage tanks, buried utilities, and anything else not visible
- Pools, spas, irrigation, and outbuildings, unless specifically contracted
- Code compliance and permit history, which come from the municipality
- Pest and wood destroying insect inspections, in many cases a separate specialist
- Structural engineering conclusions, which come from an engineer
- What anything costs to repair
That last one matters. Inspectors identify conditions. Contractors price repairs. If a finding is going to drive a negotiation, get a bid before the inspection contingency deadline, not after.
A general inspection is not a pass or fail test. It is a scope limited snapshot that tells you where to spend your remaining due diligence time and money.
Where I tell people to spend extra
On older housing stock in this part of the state, I routinely suggest clients consider add on inspections rather than relying on the general report alone. A sewer lateral scope is the one buyers skip most often and regret most often, because a failed lateral is expensive and completely invisible from inside the house. On rural property, well testing and a septic evaluation are not optional in my view. If the general inspector writes the word engineer anywhere in the structural section, hire the engineer.
I am not an inspector, a tester, or an engineer, and I do not interpret findings for you. I will tell you which specialists a report is pointing toward and help you get them scheduled inside your contingency window.
How to actually use the report
- Read the summary, then read the full body. Summaries compress and sometimes drop context.
- Sort findings into three buckets: safety and structure, deferred maintenance, and cosmetic.
- Get real bids on anything in the first bucket you intend to raise.
- Decide what you are asking for before you draft anything, and keep the ask tied to the first bucket.
- Watch the deadline. The contingency has a date and it does not move on its own.
Asking a seller to fix every item on an eleven page report is the fastest way to turn a cooperative seller into a defensive one. Asking for two things that are documented, priced, and material usually gets a real conversation.
New construction gets inspected too
Buyers of brand new homes often assume the municipal inspections cover them. Those inspections confirm specific code items at specific stages. They are not a buyer side review of workmanship. An independent inspection before closing, and again before the builder warranty period ends, catches things that are much easier to get addressed while the builder is still on the hook.
Walking it yourself
Go to the inspection if you can. Three hours walking the house with someone who is pointing at the water heater and explaining what the drip leg does is worth more than the PDF. You will own this building. Learn where the shutoffs are while a professional is standing next to them.
If you are heading into an inspection and want help sorting what is structural from what is cosmetic, lining up the right specialists before your deadline, or figuring out what is reasonable to raise with a seller, call me. I will walk the house with you and we will build the ask around what the report actually supports.
