Own Luxury Homes®

What Does a Home Inspection Cover? 2026 Guide

Standard inspection: foundation/structure; roof; attic; electrical; plumbing (visible); HVAC; exterior; interior. Cost: $400–600. NOT covered: termites (WDO $75–150); mold sampling ($300–600); sewer scope ($200–400; add on 20+ yr homes); radon ($150–300); lead paint. 9% of 2026 deals fall through at inspection (up from 5%); top causes: foundation, roof, mold. Attend the full inspection (2.5–3.5 hrs). Prioritize: safety (always address); major systems (negotiate credit); cosmetic (do not request). Foundation crack: get structural engineer ($400–600) before proceeding. Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™ — inspection strategy.

What Does a Home Inspection Cover? Everything the Inspector Checks — and What They Don’t

The direct answer: A standard home inspection covers the visible and accessible components of a home: structure, foundation, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows and doors, attic, insulation, and interior/exterior surfaces. It does NOT cover: pests/termites (separate WDO inspection), mold testing (separate), sewer line condition (separate scope), radon, or lead paint. Cost: $400–600 for a typical home. Always worth it.

9% of 2026 deals fall through at inspection

9% of pending home sales fell through in 2026 (up from ~5% historically; HomeLight); primary causes: foundation and structural problems, roof damage, mold or moisture; the inspection contingency — typically 7–10 days — is the buyer’s primary protection against these discoveries; once the contingency expires, the buyer loses their exit right

3 hours on a typical single-family home

A thorough home inspection takes 2.5–3.5 hours; buyers should attend the entire inspection — walking through with the inspector delivers far more insight than reading the report afterward; the inspector will explain what they find in real time and help you understand severity

Pre-listing inspection: the seller’s competitive tool in 2026

Sellers who get a pre-listing inspection before going to market can address issues before buyers discover them; fixing known problems before listing costs less than a post-inspection price reduction when the buyer has full leverage; a clean inspection report is a genuine marketing differentiator

Specialist inspections often worth adding: sewer scope, radon, mold

For homes built before 1980: lead paint test ($300–500); for homes on private wells: water quality test ($100–300); for any home: sewer scope ($200–400; catches root intrusion and pipe failures); for basements or lower-level areas: radon test ($150–300); add specialist inspections based on the property’s age and characteristics

The Complete Coverage Table: What’s In and What’s Out

System	What Inspector Checks	Common Findings	Extra Specialist Needed?
Foundation + Structure	Visible foundation, structural walls, load-bearing elements, signs of settling	Hairline cracks (often cosmetic) vs horizontal/stair-step cracks (structural)	Structural engineer if significant cracks found
Roof	Surface condition, flashing, gutters, downspouts, chimney exterior	Missing/damaged shingles, improper flashing, age, granule loss	Roofing contractor for repair estimates on older roofs
Attic	Insulation depth and type, ventilation, moisture evidence, roof deck condition	Inadequate insulation, blocked vents, evidence of past or active leaks	Mold test if moisture or staining found
Electrical	Panel, breakers, visible wiring, outlets, GFCI in wet areas, smoke/CO detectors	Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, double-tapped breakers, missing GFCI, aluminum wiring	Licensed electrician for corrections; specialist required for aluminum wiring
Plumbing	Visible supply and drain lines, water heater, fixtures, water pressure, shutoff valves	Polybutylene or galvanized pipe, slow drains, water heater age, active leaks under sinks	Sewer scope ($200–400) strongly recommended on any home 20+ years old
HVAC	Furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, ductwork, filters, thermostat operation	Age beyond useful life (furnace 15–20 yrs; AC 12–15 yrs), dirty coils, cracked heat exchanger	HVAC technician service/assessment if unit is 15+ years old
Exterior	Siding, windows, doors, grading (drainage), deck/patio/porch	Moisture damage to wood, failed window seals (fogging), negative grading, deck rot	None typically unless significant rot or structural deck issues
Interior	Ceilings, walls, floors, interior windows and doors, evidence of water intrusion or settlement	Water staining (ask: old or active?), floor bounce, stuck doors indicating settling	Mold test if water staining present
NOT covered by standard inspection: termites/pests (separate WDO $75–150), mold sampling ($300–600), sewer scope ($200–400), radon ($150–300), lead paint ($300–500), underground oil tanks, pool/spa, Chinese drywall. For older homes, add specialist inspections proactively.

How to Use the Inspection Report

Prioritizing Findings: Safety, Systems, Cosmetic

Every inspection report will list many items. Not all are equal. Safety items (live electrical hazards, CO exposure risk, structural failure risk): always address. Non-negotiable. Major system findings (HVAC failure, roof at end of life, plumbing pipe type requiring replacement): negotiate a repair credit or price reduction to reflect cost. Deferred maintenance (gutters need cleaning, caulking needed at windows): informational; budget for it but don’t request. Cosmetic items (paint peeling, screen door bent, minor trim damage): never request on these; sellers can reasonably decline and it signals inexperience. In 2026: inspection leverage is real. Sellers with stale listings will negotiate on major findings. Sellers of well-priced, competitive homes have less reason to. Know your market before deciding how hard to push.

“The inspection finding I see buyers most confused by: "The inspector found a crack in the foundation. Is this a deal-killer?" Not necessarily. A hairline crack in a poured concrete foundation from normal settling: very common; usually cosmetic; monitor it. A horizontal crack in a concrete block or brick foundation wall: potentially serious; lateral soil pressure indicator. A stair-step crack in brick or block: can indicate differential settlement. My recommendation on any foundation crack the inspector flags as concerning: spend $400–600 on a structural engineer before proceeding. The engineer will tell you: cosmetic (proceed), repairable (negotiate a credit), or structural (this is what your inspection contingency was designed for). Do not guess on foundations.”

— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes®

What does a home inspection cover?

Standard coverage: foundation and structure (visible); roof; attic (insulation, ventilation, moisture); electrical (panel, wiring, outlets, GFCI); plumbing (visible supply/drain, water heater); HVAC (furnace, AC, ductwork); exterior (siding, windows, doors, grading, deck); interior (ceilings, walls, floors, water intrusion evidence). NOT covered: termites/pests, mold sampling, sewer scope, radon, lead paint, pool, underground oil tanks. Cost: $400–600. Duration: 2.5–3.5 hours. Attend the entire inspection. In 2026: 9% of deals fall through at inspection (up from 5%); foundation, roof, and mold are the top deal-killers. Add sewer scope on any home 20+ years old; add structural engineer if foundation concerns found.

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"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."

— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)