Congrats! Your offer has been accepted, now lets talk inspections…
The questions is, which inspections should you get?
As the buyer, it’s your right to do any inspections you would like during the contingency period. You don’t need permission from the seller or your agent – it’s 100% your choice. Just keep in mind, it is at your cost.
The purchase contract gives you an overview of the inspections you can do, but chances are you’re going to look to your agent for advice. Of course it’s up to you to decide which inspections you’d like to do, but here are the most common inspections for a Conejo Valley Home. (You are not limited to these inspections nor am I advising you to only get these inspections. Prices are approximate based on what my inspectors charge.)
Are you still in the beginning stages of looking for a home, I can help with that, Let’s Connect!
Most Common
General Inspection | $700-$900: This is the “must do” inspection. I’ve never sold a house without one. Think of this as going to your general family doctor. A general inspector will come out to the house for about 3-4 hours and he will test all the systems of the house. He’ll run the a/c, open the electrical panel, check the water heater, etc. At the end, he’ll walk you through any issues and you’ll receive about a 50 page report going through each room and system of the house. Your general inspector may suggest you get more specialized inspections like sewer, roof, and chimney or you may decide to order them on your own. It’s completely up to you.
Tip: You don’t need to be at the inspection the whole 3 hours, but you’ll definitely want to be there at the end so he can walk you through his findings.
Roof | $250: If you’re buying a condo or townhome, most likely the HOA covers the roof. However if you’re buying a single family home, you should definitely get this done. Your general inspector will do a basic visual inspection, but a roof inspector will actually get on the roof. It’s very typical for a roof to minimally need a tune-up to fix broken tiles, but you also want to know how the underlayment beneath the tiles is holding up and the approximate remaining life of the roof.
Termite | $100: Every home in CA has termites, had termites, or will have termites. Don’t get freaked out if your home has them. It can be treated. The inspector will also check for dry rot and rodent issues.
Sewer | $250: This inspection uses a camera on a snake line to check the sewer lines in the front of the house. Basically it’s checking to make sure there’s no root intrusion into the sewer lines and that it’s properly connected to the street with the latest piping material. The general inspector will often recommend this inspection, especially on an older house.
Appraisal | $700: The appraisal is not considered an inspection, but it is one of the upfront fees you’ll pay. The appraiser is basically making sure that the house is worth what you’ve agreed to pay. And if it doesn’t appraise for what you agreed to pay, you can cancel and get your deposit back. (Related: What Happens If My My Home Doesn’t Appraise?)
Specialty Inspections
Chimney | $250: Your general inspector will check the firebox, but a chimney inspector will run a camera though the whole chimney and look from the roof too.
Mold | $249 + $125 per sample: Much like termites, every home either had a water leak, has a water leak, or will have a water leak. Mold is often a byproduct of a leak. It’s common and fixable. Especially under sinks and around showers. Your general inspector will look for evidence of mold. However, you may decide to get a specialist to check as well. The mold inspector will look for trouble areas and if he sees any potential issues, he’ll take samples to have checked.
Geological | $1600: This inspection is typically done on houses that are on or near a slope. It’s fairly involved. He’ll pull all the topography maps and look at the way the sediment moves, the type of rock etc. He’ll also use a laser beam to check if the house is level or if there is any uncommon settling. It’s an expensive inspection so few people do it on a tract home, but for custom homes or homes in the canyon, it’s more common.
