This inspection was prepared for the seller. Pre-listing inspections receive the same comprehensive inspection and report as a buyer's inspection. This report is confidential, and I cannot discuss it with third parties without the seller's written consent.

This home was occupied at the time of the inspection. Inspections of occupied homes present some challenges as occupant belongings can obstruct visual inspections and access to parts of the building. I do my best during the inspection to work around belongings to discover as much as possible about the house without moving or damaging personal property, however, the presence of personal items does limit the inspection.

This section covers the lot around the property: walkways, patios, driveways, vegetation, grading, surface drainage, and retaining walls that could affect the building.

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

While performance of lot drainage and water handling systems may appear serviceable at the time of inspection, predicting drainage performance as conditions constantly change is impossible. Furthermore, items such as leakage in downspout/gutter systems are very difficult to detect during dry weather. Inspection of foundation performance and water handling systems, therefore, is limited to visible conditions and evidence of past problems.

This section covers the siding, flashing, trim, windows, exterior doors, steps, porches, decks, balconies, eaves, soffits, and fascias. The main job of the exterior is to keep water out.

Please note that the deck framing inspection was limited. I could not see framing and deck structural components in many places because the underside of the deck was not accessible.

Please note that the deck ledger board (how the deck attaches to the house) inspection was limited. I could not see the full ledger board because the underside of the deck was not accessible.

This section covers the roofing material, flashing, and roof penetrations.

Some roofs are not safe to walk on due to slope, access, materials, or weather. In those cases I observe the roof as best I can from the ground or other vantage points.

A drone was used to inspect the roof. The roof was not mounted due to the height and pitch making mounting of the roof dangerous. Using a drone does not provide as complete of an inspection as I could not touch the shingles or see things as clearly, but it is much better than the alternative of using binoculars from the ground. If a more thorough roof inspection is desired, I recommend contacting a roofing contractor who will have the proper safety equipment to mount a roof like this one.

I did not walk on the concrete tile roof. Walking on concrete tiles risks damaging the tiles as they are brittle and subject to physical damage.

These are photos of the roof taken to add context.

Concrete tile roofs have a long life expectancy of 100+ years. It is hard to determine the age of this type of system, but this one appeared to be in good shape overall. It looked to be professionally installed, and no cracked or loose tiles were observed. I suspect it was about 10 years old. The sheathing in the attic was OBS on top of skip sheathing; skip sheathing is exclusively used for shake roofs. I think this house originally had a shake roof, which usually last 25 to 30 years. That would mean the original roof would likely have been replaced sometime around 2010.

Roof flashings are used to keep a roofing system waterproof where the roofing material starts, stops, changes direction or is penetrated. During inspection, I 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.

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

Some flooring was not accessible/visible due to stored personal items.

Some areas were not accessible/visible due to stored personal items.

Any installed window coverings (blinds/drapes) were not systematically tested. Their operation is outside of the scope of a home inspection.

I operated all plumbing fixtures in the bathrooms, checked tile shower enclosures with a moisture meter for concealed leaks, and sounded for loose tile 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; the gaskets dry out over time and can leak.

Testing during an inspection puts less stress on plumbing than daily use, especially in a vacant home, so monitor the plumbing after moving in.

These are photos of the bathroom(s) at the time of the inspection.

I ran water at each sink to check the faucet, drain, and stopper, and looked at the visible plumbing below for leaks. Personal property stored in the cabinets often blocks access and visibility.

This section covers the kitchen sink, cabinets, countertops, ventilation, and appliances. Safety concerns, water leaks, and inoperable appliances are reported.

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

I opened a representative number of cabinet doors and drawers and checked that the countertops were secure. Personal property stored in the cabinets often blocks access and visibility.

Microwave leak and/or efficiency testing is beyond the scope of this inspection.

There was an old abandoned Johnson Tee style air gap on the exterior of the house, see photo(s). This could be removed if desired, but is not harming anything.

Thermal images show the freezer and refrigerator were working during the 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 the inspection.

This section covers the laundry area: visible plumbing, venting, and any installed appliances.

These are photos of the laundry / utility room at the time of the inspection.

This is a thermal image of the dryer operating at the time of the inspection.

Personal property stored in cabinets limited access/visibility for inspection.

This section covers the garage, including garage door safety features and the fire barrier between the garage and the living space.

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

I checked the wall and door between the garage and the living space for a proper fire barrier. Stored personal property often blocks access to and visibility of the garage walls and floor.

Thermal images show the garage freezer / refrigerator was working during 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 while closing. It should trigger with 10 pounds of force or less. This sensor will immediately stop the door and cause it to reverse to prevent the door from crushing something.

This section covers the accessible attic: framing, insulation, ventilation, and exposed wiring. Damage such as organic growth or rodent activity is noted below.

Full attic access/visibility was not possible due to limited clearance in the attic and surfaces blocked by insulation.

These are photos of the attic at the time of the inspection to provide context.

In our climate, modern building standards recommend insulation with an R-value of between 38 and 60 in the attic. Different materials have different R-values, but in general, around 12 to 14 inches of insulation is the minimum recommended in attics.

The R-value of blown fiberglass is around 2.5 per inch of depth.

The R-value of fiberglass batts is around 3.2 per inch.

Attic and roof cavity ventilation is a frequently-misunderstood element of residential construction. Most traditionally insulated 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 significant oversimplification 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 here.

This section covers the foundation, framing, and any accessible crawl space. I probe structural components where deterioration is suspected, but not where probing would damage finished surfaces.

Structural problems usually develop slowly over time, so I look for evidence of structural movement. An inspection is a snapshot of one day, which makes it difficult to tell whether movement is old and stable or still ongoing.

Full crawl space access/visibility not possible due to limited clearance, surfaces blocked by insulation, and duct work.

These are photos of the crawl space at the time of the inspection to provide context.

Signs of seismic protection were noted during inspection. This inspection is not a cohesive analysis of seismic engineering, but I do look for signs of seismic protection.

Crawl spaces ventilation is designed to keep humidity levels as low as possible. Crawl spaces are a common location for rot and mold issues, and having airflow through the space helps keep moisture levels low.

The sub-floor in this crawl space was covered with insulation in most, if not all, areas. This obstructs visual inspection as most of the framing was not able to be inspected. I did pull back insulation in places to spot check the floor frame. No defects were found.

In our climate, modern building standards recommend insulation with an R-value of at least 25 under the floor. Different materials have different R-values, but in general, that's around 8 inches of insulation.

The R-value of fiberglass batts is around 3.2 per inch.

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.

Please note that many supply pipes were concealed behind walls and were not visible during the inspection. Determination of the supply piping materials used here is an educated guess based on the materials that were visible coming out of the wall and below fixtures.

Note that the waste piping system was mostly concealed behind finishes and not visible to inspection.

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 possible.

These are context photos of the water heater.

This shows approximate water temperature at the time of inspection. The recommended water temperature is 120 degrees Fahrenheit at the tap.

This section covers the electrical service, panels, wiring, GFCI protection, and a representative number of lights, switches, and receptacles.

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

During a home or property inspection, every effort is made to inspect the visible components of the electrical system whole house grounding. The whole house grounding system is primarily for safely discharging electrical surges from lightning strikes, which are rare in our area. There is no way in the context of a home inspection to verify the "effectiveness" of the grounding system as much of the system is not visible and there are not practical tests one can perform. Washington State Law requires inspectors to look for a whole house grounding system, but it plays a smaller role in day-to-day occupant safety than the grounding of the branch wiring. This is not the same thing as the grounding of wiring in the house, which is a significant safety issue to prevent shock/electrocution hazards for occupants.

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 (metal water pipes and metal gas pipes) in the building are required to be "bonded" (connected) to 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.

I do not press the test button on smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. The button only confirms the detector has power, not that it can sense smoke or carbon monoxide, so it can give a false sense of security. Detectors are also sometimes connected to a home security system, and testing them can trigger an alarm response.

Smoke detectors belong in every bedroom and in a common area on every floor. Washington State requires carbon monoxide alarms outside each sleeping area, in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms, and on each level of the home (WAC 51-51-0315). For an owner-occupied single-family home, state law requires them to be installed when the home is sold (RCW 19.27.530).

There is a common misconception that carbon monoxide (CO) detectors should be installed close to the floor because CO is heavier than air. In practice, carbon monoxide mixes readily with the surrounding air and does not typically settle near the floor. CO detectors may be installed at various heights depending on the type of detector and manufacturer requirements. Proper location within the home—particularly near sleeping areas and on each level—is more important than mounting height. Always follow the detector manufacturer’s installation instructions.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can cause sickness, nausea and even death. 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) requires UL 2034 approved carbon monoxide alarms in all homes and condominiums being sold in Washington State. According to the law, at least one alarm should be installed outside of all sleeping areas (within 15 feet) and at least one on each floor of a residence.

Low voltage wiring systems are outside the scope of a home inspection, and were not tested. These include systems like speaker systems, security systems, telephone wires, ethernet wires, cable wires, etc.

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 section covers the heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment. I test it using its normal controls (the thermostat) when it is safe to do so. For a more thorough evaluation, I recommend contacting a licensed HVAC contractor.

Photos of the furnace were provided for context.