This section is about the lot surrounding the property. It describes adjacent entryway walkways, patios, driveways, vegetation, grading, surface drainage, and retaining walls that are likely to adversely affect the building.   

These are just general photos of the grounds.

Detached outbuildings are not included in the scope of a standard home inspection; this inspection is limited to the house only. However, a cursory check of any installed and visible plumbing and electrical systems is performed. Any defects with these systems can be found in the Electrical and Plumbing sections of this report.

This section describes the exterior of the structure. It includes the exterior wall coverings, flashing, trim, exterior doors, steps, porches and their associated railings, attached decks, balconies, eaves, soffits, and fascias. The exterior envelope of a house is one of the most important and complicate systems in the structure. Its primary function is to prevent water from entering the house.

The roof is one of the major systems in a house as it is one of the primary ways that water is kept away from the structure. Especially in a climate like the Pacific Northwest, the roof condition of any structure is critical. The roofing material, flashing, and any penetrations will be inspected and any deficiencies will be documented here.

Note: Some roofs are not safe to walk on due to slope, access, materials, or weather conditions. In those cases, Washington State's standards of practice require inspectors to observe the roof as best they can from vantage points on the ground.

These are photos of the roof taken to add context.

Roof flashings are used to keep a roofing system water proof where the roofing material starts, stops, changes direction or is penetrated. During inspection, we look for standard flashing techniques that could be considered normal or standard in our region. Damaged, incomplete or non-standard flashings can be a sign of an older or less reliable roofing system and may require repair. Any non-standard flashings noted during inspection will be reported on below if found.

These are photos of the chimney and any accessible flues.

The Interior Areas section covers areas of the house that are not considered bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, or areas covered elsewhere in the report. Interior areas usually consist of bedrooms, hallways, foyers, living rooms, dining rooms, and other open areas. Within these areas a visual inspection is conducted for visible damage and safety improvements.

These are photos of the interior at the time of the inspection.

During inspection today I operated all plumbing fixtures in bathrooms. I ran a moisture meter around toilets and tile shower enclosures to check for concealed leaks and sounded for loose tile and finishes in shower and tub enclosures. I do not test bathtub overflow drains as this risks damaging finishes around the tub. Monitor tubs while filling and avoid pushing water into the overflow. Even well-installed overflow drains can leak as the gaskets that seal the overflow will dry out over time and may no longer provide a watertight seal. Monitor plumbing after moving into a new home as testing during inspection presents less stress on plumbing than daily use. Please note that vacant homes present additional risk as it can be difficult to distinguish how the plumbing system will respond to daily use. Any defects uncovered during inspection are listed in this report.

These are photos of the bathroom(s) at the time of the inspection. I forgot to take a photo of the First Level Hall Bathroom.

The kitchen is used for food preparation and often for entertainment. Kitchens typically include a stove, dishwasher, sink and other appliances. Any safety concerns, water leaks, or inoperable appliances will be reported. Testing the effectiveness of appliances is not part of this inspection.   

These are photos of the kitchen at the time of the inspection.

Thermal images show the freezer and refrigerator (both in the Kitchen and at the Basement Wet Bar) working during inspection.

Thermal images show the oven was operated and was working at the time of inspection.

Thermal images show the cooktop was tested and working during inspection.

This section is about the lot surrounding the property. It describes adjacent entryway walkways, patios, driveways, vegetation, grading, surface drainage, and retaining walls that are likely to adversely affect the building.   

These are photos of the Laundry / Utility Room at the time of the inspection.

This is a thermal image of the dryer operating.

This section is about the garage in the house. Inspected items include safety features on garage doors and fire barriers between the living spaces of the house and the garage.   

These are photos of the garage at the time of the inspection.

The photo eye sensors are sensors that project an infrared beam across the bottom of the garage door. If something breaks the beam while the door is closing, the door should automatically stop closing and reverse to prevent it from crushing something.

The auto-pressure reverse sensor should trigger when the garage door hits something. This sensor will immediately stop the door and cause it to reverse to prevent the door from crushing something.

This section describes any accessible attic(s.) It describes the levels insulation and ventilation. This is also an area where the structure and electrical wires are often more exposed than in the living space of the house. Any damage, such as organic growth or rodent activity, will be documented below.

This photo shows the location of the attic access hatch.

In our climate, modern building standards recommend insulation with an R-value of between 38 and 60 in the attic. Different materials have different levels of R-values, but in general, around 14 - 18 inches of insulation is recommended in attics.

Attic and roof cavity ventilation is a frequently-misunderstood element of residential construction. All roof cavities are required to have ventilation. This is primarily to reduce moisture levels in the attic, which helps prevent organic growth issues, and keeps the roofing material cooler, which extends its lifespan. The general default standard is 1 to 150 of the attic area and ideally, this comes from at least 60% lower roof cavity ventilation and 40% upper, but this is a wild over-simplifications of the subject. As a good guiding principle the most important elements for healthy attic spaces, which are traditionally insulated and ventilated are:

1. Make sure the ceiling between the living space and the attic is airtight
2. Ventilate consistently across the whole lower part of the roof cavity with low, intake soffit venting
3. Upper roof cavity venting is less important and if over-installed can exacerbate air migration into the attic from the living space.
4. Avoid power ventilators which can depressurize the attic and exacerbate air migration from the house into the attic.

For more information, please see: Link

This section is about the structure and crawl space (if applicable.) It describes the foundation, floor, wall, ceiling and roof structures and the method used to inspect any accessible under floor crawl space areas. I inspect and probe the structural components of the home, including the foundation and framing, where deterioration is suspected or where clear indications of possible deterioration exist. Probing is not done when doing so will damage finished surfaces or when no deterioration is visible or presumed to exist. Inspectors are not required to offer an opinion as to the structural adequacy of any structural systems or components or provide architectural services or an engineering or structural analysis of any kind. Despite all efforts, it is impossible for a home inspection to provide any guaranty that the foundation, and the overall structure and structural elements of the building is sound.   

This area of the report describes the exposed water plumbing materials, main water shutoff location, water pressure, the water heater, and plumbing fixtures in living spaces.

This photo shows the location of the main water shut-off valve.

This image shows a pressure gauge on an exterior hose spigot.

Angle stops are the shut offs located below plumbing fixtures such as sinks and toilets. These are designed so that water can be shut off locally to a fixture without shutting off the water to the entire house so that localized fixtures can be serviced and repaired or replaced. Home inspectors do NOT test angle stops during inspection as there is a risk of leakage which could cause damage to the home.

Please note that when the sewage discharge type is listed here, it is listed based on public records and disclosure. It is always possible that the system is not as it is listed; for example, a property could be listed as a public sewer system when in fact it is on a private septic system. This is unlikely, but is another reason why we recommend further evaluation of all sewage discharge systems.

These are context photos of the water heater.

This shows the data plate on the water heater.

This section is about the electric system in the house. It includes the amperage rating of the service, the location of the main disconnect, the location of any sub panel(s), the presence of solid conductor aluminum branch circuit wiring, and wiring methods. Inspectors are required to inspect the visible portions of the service drop from the utility to the house, the service entrance conductors, cables and raceways, the service equipment and main disconnects, the service grounding, the interior components of the service panels and sub panels, the conductors, the over-current protection devices (fuses or breakers), ground fault circuit interrupters, and a representative number of installed lighting fixtures, switches, and receptacles.   

This is a photo of the electrical service entrance, meter, and any visible service wires.

These are photos of any house grounding wires I observed.

During the inspection, I attempt to visually document electrical system bonding. There is no way in the context of a home inspection to verify the "effectiveness" of system bonding. All metallic systems in the building are required to be "bonded" (connected) to the the building's electrical grounding system. Bonding creates a pathway to shunt static charges (that would otherwise build up on the system) to earth, and to provide a pathway to trip a breaker in the event that these bonded metallic components became energized. There are many things that can lead me to recommend further evaluation of this system by a licensed electrical contractor and they will be documented as repair items in the observations below if discovered.

During the inspection, I attempt to visually document electrical system bonding. There is no way in the context of a home inspection to verify the "effectiveness" of system bonding. All metallic systems in the building are required to be "bonded" (connected) to the the building's electrical grounding system. Bonding creates a pathway to shunt static charges (that would otherwise build up on the system) to earth, and to provide a pathway to trip a breaker in the event that these bonded metallic components became energized.

Photos of the electrical panel are provided for context.

Smoke detectors are a major safety component of a house. According to current building standards, every floor of a house should have at least one smoke detector in a common area outside of sleeping rooms, and all bedrooms should have a smoke detector inside the room.   

The installation of carbon monoxide alarms is recommended for all homes that have fuel burning appliances such as gas or oil furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ovens and cook-tops, gas fireplaces and wood stoves. In addition, Washington State law (WAC 51-51-0315) now requires UL 2034 approved carbon monoxide alarms in ALL homes and condominiums being sold in Washington State. The location should be: at least one alarm outside of all sleeping areas and one on each floor of the house. Best practices are to have these alarms hardwired with a battery back-up - though requirements are for the installation to meet manufacturer's specifications. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sickness, nausea and even death. Alarms have a useful service life of roughly 6 years, so changing them more frequently than smoke alarms is recommended.

These photos show emergency electrical shut-offs for equipment with local shut-offs installed.

This section outlines the gas and/or oil source, and supply lines for appliances.   

This photo shows the gas service entrance, meter, and main gas shut-off valve (circled.)

The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and cooling system (often referred to as HVAC) is the climate control system for the structure. The goal of these systems is to keep the occupants at a comfortable level while maintaining indoor air quality and ventilation. The HVAC system is usually powered by electricity and natural gas, but can also be powered by other sources such as butane, oil, propane, solar panels, or wood.

Washington State's standards of practice require testing the HVAC equipment using standard equipment (the thermostat) if it's safe to do so. For a more thorough investigation of the system please contact a licensed HVAC service person.

Photos of the furnace were provided for context.

This shows the data plate on the furnace.

This photo shows the most recent service records found on the heating equipment during inspection.

This photo shows the location of the furnace filter.

Thermal images show localized heat sources operating.

This is a photo of the heat pump.

This shows the data plate from the exterior compressor.

Thermal images show some functioning ductwork. I use these images just to show the system was generally functioning during inspection. These are representative photos. Not every heat register is photographed, but all visible ones were viewed with a thermal camera while the furnace was running. If any did not appear to be operating, there will be a note in this report.