Roofing and attic
This part of the inspection looks at roof coverings, flashings, drainage, penetrations, visible attic conditions, ventilation clues, and the moisture paths that often turn exterior wear into interior damage.
Agents Guide
Move through the house the same way the inspection moves through the house.
The Agents Guide is for people who think in inspection sequence. Instead of asking which material is good or bad first, it follows the major areas of the property so agents and fast-moving clients can keep the fieldwork flow in their heads.
Use the internal jumps below when you want the inspection-area version of the site. If you really need component-by-component comparisons instead, the Buyer’s Guide is linked as the alternate track rather than competing at the top.
Agents Guide map
Jump to the part of the inspection you need right now.
These links keep you inside the inspection-flow track so you can move from one area of the house to the next without losing the sequence.
Structure and underfloor areas
Foundations, crawl spaces, framing, floor systems, and underfloor utilities can reveal movement, rot, drainage problems, moisture history, and installation shortcuts that the finished rooms do not show.
Core systems
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and major installed equipment are reviewed for visible defects, aging components, safety concerns, operation clues, and the kinds of material-specific issues that often justify repair or specialist follow-up.
Plumbing inspection area
Plumbing inspection work usually splits into supply piping, drain lines, and water-heater safety details.
In the field, plumbing is not one finding. Inspectors are reading supply materials, leak evidence, drain performance clues, buried sewer risk, and the water-heater installation details that turn small oversights into safety issues or repair budgets.
Stay inside the Agents Guide here by using the links below to move through the plumbing inspection area itself.
- Visible pipe materials, active leakage, corrosion, missing supports, and poor prior repairs.
- Drain performance clues, moisture history, sewer-risk indicators, and when a sewer scope conversation makes sense.
- Water-heater venting, TPR discharge, drain pans, seismic restraint, expansion control, and nearby fuel or clearance concerns.
- Evidence that the plumbing findings are isolated maintenance items or part of a wider moisture and installation story.
Water-heater inspection area
Water-heater findings often connect plumbing safety, leak protection, and fuel safety at the same time.
This is where inspectors often see whether the installation was handled thoughtfully or patched together. Venting, discharge piping, seismic restraint, drain protection, expansion control, and garage clearances all matter quickly.
- Improper or missing TPR discharge piping, venting issues, and unsafe clearances.
- Missing drain pans, weak drainage paths, poor seismic restraint, or absent expansion control.
- Nearby supply-pipe materials and shutoff conditions that help explain the quality of the plumbing work around the tank.
HVAC and airflow
HVAC findings do not begin and end with the equipment cabinet.
Inspectors are also reading airflow, visible duct routing, insulation, venting, condensate handling, filtration, and the comfort clues that show up when the distribution system is not doing its job well.
- Visible duct damage, disconnected runs, crushed flex, poor support, and missing insulation.
- Airflow patterns, comfort complaints, and condensation clues that point beyond the furnace or condenser.
- How HVAC findings overlap with attic heat, crawl-space conditions, and insulation quality.
Insulation and attic performance
Insulation changes comfort, roof stress, and moisture behavior more than most buyers realize.
Inspectors watch for thin or inconsistent insulation, ventilation issues, staining, heat buildup, and air leakage patterns that help explain why the roof or HVAC system may be under more stress than it should be.
- Low or uneven insulation levels, exposed bypasses, and missing coverage at critical transitions.
- Ventilation clues and moisture patterns that can shorten roof life or create performance problems.
- Connections between attic findings, HVAC workload, and interior comfort complaints.
Exterior and moisture management
Siding, trim, windows, doors, grading, decks, and drainage all matter because small water-entry points are often how larger structural and interior repairs begin.
Interior condition and safety
Inside the home, the inspection focuses on damage patterns, leakage evidence, safety concerns, ventilation clues, appliance-installation details, and workmanship shortcuts worth noting before closing.
Specialty add-ons when needed
Radon, sewer, mold, meth, solar, and other add-ons come into the conversation when the property, the site conditions, or the initial findings justify another layer of due diligence.
Switch guide tracks
Need the component-by-component reference instead?
The Agents Guide stays organized around the inspected areas of the property. If you want the house-material and component-reference track instead, use the button below to move into the Buyer’s Guide hub.