Home inspection checklist, from the grounds to the attic
A whole-home inspection covers a lot of ground. Work the same sections in the same order on every house, take a photo of everything you rate, and the report almost writes itself.
Printable home inspection checklist: PDFWordExcel
The checklist
Eleven sections, outside first. Print it, or tick each point in the Excel sheet as you go.
General: front of the home · property type · year built · occupied or vacant · weather · who was there
Exterior and grounds: grading slopes away from the foundation · driveway and walkways · siding and exterior walls · decks, porches and steps secure · railings secure · exterior windows and doors · trees and plants clear of the house
Roof: covering and its condition · approximate age · flashing · gutters and downspouts · chimney · signs of leaks
Foundation and structure: foundation type · visible cracks · signs of water getting in · framing
Electrical: service size · main panel, brand and type · double-tapped breakers · GFCI protection in wet areas · smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Plumbing: water supply · supply piping · water pressure · visible leaks · drains · water heater type and age · relief valve and discharge pipe
Heating and cooling: heating and cooling systems and whether they run · filter · approximate age
Interior: walls and ceilings · floors · windows and doors open, close and lock · stairs and handrails · moisture or staining
Kitchen and bathrooms: appliances run · cabinets and counters · fixtures without leaks · toilets secure · exhaust fans work
Attic and insulation: insulation type and depth · ventilation · signs of pests
Summary: overall condition · major defects · safety concerns · recommended repairs
Work in a fixed order
Outside first, top to bottom: grounds, roof, foundation. Then the systems, then room by room, then the attic. A fixed order means nothing gets skipped when a house is cluttered or the client is talking to you the whole time, and two inspectors on your team produce reports that read the same way.
Rate, photograph, note
For each point, give a rating or an answer, take a photo of what you rated, and add a note only when something needs explaining. A rating with no photo is hard to defend later; a photo with no note is hard to read. Keep notes short and specific: where it is, what you saw, and why it matters.
Safety items go first in the summary
Missing smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, no GFCI protection where there is water, double-tapped breakers, a water heater with no relief valve discharge pipe, loose railings: put anything that can hurt someone at the top of the summary, separate from cosmetic items, so it can't get lost in a long list.
Say what you couldn't inspect
A locked room, a roof too steep to walk, an attic with no access, a system that was switched off: write it down, with the reason. It tells the client what is still unknown and keeps the report honest about its limits. Many states license home inspectors and set standards of practice; follow yours.
Common mistakes
- Ratings with no photo behind them.
- Safety issues buried among cosmetic ones.
- Notes like "needs attention" that don't say where or what.
- Writing the report days later from memory.
Doing it in FieldPix
This checklist is built into FieldPix as Home Inspection. Load it on the job in one tap: ratings, yes-or-no and text answers, with a photo asked for wherever it matters. Every photo carries the time, date and location burned into the image, and one tap turns the job into a PDF report with your logo. You can also talk through the house as you go and let FieldPix write the notes by area.
