Neighbor hood drive/roof tops/same construction
Home Base…kitchen/leave dishwasher running/listening for draining
Dining Room
Family/Den/Living Rooms
Hallway
Bedrooms
Baths
Laundry/If part of living space
Garage to include Water heater and furnace if in garage/laundry if in garage
Exterior/to include compressor if in side yard
Roof to include chimney or prefab applications
Attic/While looking at HVAC if furnace/condensor is in attic
basement/crawlspace if applicable
Clients show up for walk through.
I never do the roof without doing the attic first. I want to know what is going to be supporting my body, and some of the stuff people do to the roof when they are re-roofing is just flat-out scary – aluminum covering an old chimney hole, rotten wood from a leak that’s been going on for years (and they were nice enough to put a big bucket in the attic under the leak and rotten wood), etc.
With said, the last things I do are the Attic, Foundation, Roof. I figure if I fall off the roof and kill myself, well at least they have an inspection that is 95% or so complete. Just need to get a roofer out there to follow up after the funeral.
As a few others said, it will depend and different weather circumstances and size/number of levels in the house.
I do research on the house prior to getting there (look at realtor’s posting of the house, look it up with buildfax etc…to see what I’m getting into)
Typically, I do my inspections in 3 phases, starting EXT then INT and try to always do it the same way as I only take pics onsite and then go back home to write up the report.
When I get to the house, I get set up in the kitchen and chat a bit with the client, make sure all paperwork is signed (if not signed prior to the inspection date) and collect my moneys, turn on the oven, dishwasher etc… Then, going clockwise from the front door, I turn on all lights, fans etc…, unlock all windows/doors, turn on all waters, try to find out where all systems are.
Then, I go outside:
1st phase: Inspection of grading and foundation
2nd phase: everything between foundation and soffit
Then I go into the attic, inspect the structure, HVAC, water heater if up there etc…
3rd phase: Walk on roof if possible
Then I go inside
1st phase: Again, starting from the front door, going clockwise, Inspect all floors, when I get back to the front door, I go onto the 2nd phase etc…
2nd phase: Everything between floor and ceiling
3rd phase:Inspect the ceiling and as I go through each room, I turn all lights/fans off, lock up windows/doors, so that when I get back to the front door, I know everything is either shut off or back the way it was when I first walked into the house.
If the house has 3 stories, I will do all INT 3 phases by level or by room if really big house.
Then I go over all my photos and do the walkthrough with the client.
Happy Thanksgiving Y’All!!!
In this order:**
Interior **first for me.
Kitchen and Bathroom(s) always first. Running plenty of water in every sink,tub,toilet and shower. By doing this first I will likely catch leaks/water issues when I inspect below/around these areas.
Bedrooms and common areas
Attic interior
Basement/Crawlspace
**Water heater/HVAC Systems **- HVAC is turned on at start of inspection.
**Electrical **is inspected throughout the entire process
All exterior elements (roof, garages, etc…)
exterior, roof, upstairs (if present), downstairs, kitchen last of living space, basment, garage, utility room ect
basically inside I go to the furthest point and work my way back to kitchen. usually laundry room is between kitchen and garage, furnace and water heater ususally in laundry or garage area. I do attic last unless theres a crawl , then it comes after attic. I sweat my *** off is attics 8 months a year and the crawls are usually quiet dirty. I try not to muck up the house if i can help it.
Weather Permitting …
Outside
Kitchen
Attic
2nd floor
1st Floor
Garage
Basement or Crawl (most mechanicals there)
**** Turn on AC or Heat as I go
10 min for exterior
10 min for roof
10 min to photograph interior
15 min for attic/garage door
15 min for elec/water htr/AC
5 min to collect payment/verify email
45 min for report
Total: 110 mins or 1.83 hrs for typical 3/2
I try to always do exterior before client/REA arrives. I ring doorbell on way in. I immediately go to kitchen and all baths and turn on faucets about 25%. I turn on all lights/fans. I turn AC to 65 or heat to 75 accordingly. I check slider doors, closet doors and entry locks. If I stumble, I note deficiency in flooring. check AC/heat pump and turn off or reset thermostat. note plumbing, flush toilets and turn off faucets. turn off lights/fans. check air handler. move to attic. check garage door. collect $325. leave marketing material. load ladder. leave. total photos taken - about 40. open up killer Heritage software by Best Inspector.net, pull in pics, detail report, click send. call wife, tell her it is OK to go to grocery.
Basic inspection. I charge extra for fireplaces, crawlspaces, WM, roof cert, radon, funny black stuff and anything else needed.
Spending another hour at the home does not add any value to my inspection. Just means I’m not organized, dawdling or wasting time asking client how her grandmother is doing. It is what it is and no amount of looking at it is going to change it. Once I learned to “report what I see”, my reports, my business income and my life got much better.
Just what I do.
- Grounds
- Exterior siding
- Foundation
- Roof
- Garage
- Basement
- I then start with any rooms in the basement and work my way up inspecting every room in order as I come to them.(this is where a good PDA programs works).
- Thermal image the home for leaks or electrical problems
- Attic