The Most Expensive Problems Inspectors Discover

This guide is written with the inspectors listed on this site and reviewed before publication. It covers what to look for, what it typically costs, and when it is worth bringing in a specialist rather than relying on a general inspection.

What a general inspection covers

A standard pre-purchase inspection is a visual, non-invasive assessment of the readily accessible systems of the home: roof, exterior, structure, electrical, heating, cooling, plumbing, insulation and ventilation, and interior finishes.

• Nothing is opened up, moved, or dismantled.
• Anything blocked by storage or finished over is out of scope.
• Specialist testing — sewer, radon, mold, thermal — is a separate service.

Where the money actually is

Across the inspections published on this site, the expensive findings cluster in the same four places: the roof, the grading around the foundation, the electrical service, and anything that was renovated without a permit.