Residential Inspections / What Is A Home Inspection?

• Single Family Homes
• Condominiums & Lofts
• Modular/ Pre-Manufactured Homes
• Duplexes & Three Flats
• Apartment Complexes
• Town Homes & Row Houses
• Residential Multiple Unit Buildings

A Professional Chicago Home Inspectors’ job is to look for problems that arise in the systems and components of different types of residential buildings. A thorough home inspection will identify "Material facts or conditions that affect the value, desirability, habitability, or safety of a dwelling" *; i.e., facts that may impact a buyer’s decisions. The inspection should provide you with a knowledgeable opinion and professional report on the condition of the various systems that make up the dwelling. The report should explain condition and serviceability of components, without recommending specific solutions or actions. The home inspection glossary explains common home inspection terms. Repair estimates and repair solutions are beyond the scope of home inspectors. Those steps should be referred to qualified trades persons, but any adverse conditions found and their relevance, should still be within the body of the inspection report. The general idea is for the home inspector to stay unbiased, providing full disclosure of the inspected property, and leave negotiating issues to the buyer and seller.

In order for home inspectors to prepare a report, a visual inspection must be conducted. It is strongly recommended that you accompany your inspector. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions and become familiar with the systems and components of your prospective home.

Systems and components that are typically viewed during a single family home inspection are:

• Structural Systems - Foundations/ Framing/ Roof Structure/ Home Insulation
• Mechanical Systems - Air Conditioning/ Plumbing/ Electrical/ Heating Systems, Fireplaces
• Roofing Components of a home - Roof Coverings/ Flashings/ Drainage/ Venting/ Sheathing
• Interior Components - Floors/ Walls/ Ceilings/ Windows & Doors/ Bathrooms/ Kitchens
• Exterior - Siding, Trim/ Windows, Doors/ Grading/ Decks, Porches, Patios, Walks, Chimneys

Not all home inspections in the Chicago area are focused on a buildings' systems and components in the same manner as a single family house. Some residential dwellings such as condominiums & townhouses or buildings with two or more units may have systems or components that are a shared concern between multiple property owners. Certain systems, or components of such systems as HVAC, Plumbing or Roofing for example, may be a shared concern and should be addressed with this in mind. (View our Chicago residential condo & town home inspection page). If you are purchasing a two flat, three flat or larger multifamily building, the interiors of each unit should be inspected and treated as an individual residence if access to the living spaces can be acquired.

When your residential inspection is complete and if you have any questions, your inspector should take the time to discuss them with you. Maintenance procedures that may help in prolonging the life expectancy of any component of a major system in your home or building should also be addressed, and your report should be issued in a timely manner (48 hours or less). Home inspectors can determine the age of most major system appliances such as furnaces, air conditioners or water heaters, and should determine if the appliances are operating properly and that they are safe. Yet, it is outside the scope and purpose of a home inspection, or qualifications of a home inspector, to determine the life expectancy remaining of any household appliances.

*Source: The Uniform Home Inspector's Code Book™