Home Inspection Checklist
A room-by-room checklist for walking through a house you might buy or rent — outside, roof, plumbing, electrics, heating, kitchens, bathrooms and paperwork.
Details
home inspection checklistRed highlights mark what is still blank. Everything stays on this device.
| Property | [address] |
| Checking it because you are | buying |
| Date | September 25, 2026 |
Outside
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof: missing, cracked or curling shingles; any sagging | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Gutters and downspouts clear and draining away from the house | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Ground slopes away from the walls; no standing water | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Foundation and walls: cracks wider than a hairline, bulges | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Siding, brick or render: damage, rot or gaps | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Window and door frames sound; seals intact | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Decks, steps and railings solid | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Trees close to the house or over the roof | ☐ | ☐ |
Roof space and structure
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight showing through the roof; damp; insulation | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Signs of pests: droppings, nests, chewed or damaged wood | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Stains on ceilings or around the chimney | ☐ | ☐ |
Plumbing
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water pressure with two taps running | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Drains empty quickly without gurgling | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Leaks or stains under sinks | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Toilets flush and refill properly and do not rock | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Water heater: age, rust or leaks | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Main water shut-off valve located | ☐ | ☐ |
Electrical
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panel: circuits labeled; no scorch marks | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Outlets work; GFCI protection near water | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Lights and switches work | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Smoke alarms on every level | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Carbon monoxide alarm near bedrooms and fuel-burning appliances | ☐ | ☐ |
Heating and cooling
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating works — ask its age and when it was last serviced | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Air conditioning cools — ask its age and service history | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Fireplace or chimney: when it was last swept or inspected | ☐ | ☐ |
Kitchen and bathrooms
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mold or a damp smell; extractor fans work | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Grout and sealant intact around baths and showers | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Appliances that stay with the house work | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Cabinets and countertops solid | ☐ | ☐ |
Inside
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walls and ceilings: cracks, stains, or fresh paint over patches | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Floors: soft spots, slopes or squeaks | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Windows open, close and lock | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Doors close properly | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Basement or crawl space: damp, white salt marks, standing water | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Mobile signal and internet in the rooms you will use | ☐ | ☐ |
Ask for
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age of the roof, water heater, and heating and cooling system | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Permits and sign-offs for renovations and extensions | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Warranties and service records | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Recent utility bills | ☐ | ☐ | |
| Check | OK | Needs attention | Notes |
| Lead-based paint disclosure for a home built before 1978, and any radon test results | ☐ | ☐ |
What is a Home Inspection Checklist?
A home inspection checklist is a room-by-room list you carry through a house you might buy or rent, so you look at the roof, the plumbing and the electrical panel as well as the kitchen. It matters because a viewing shows a home at its best, and the questions you did not ask before signing become repairs you pay for afterward. Written notes also let you compare several homes once the details blur.
Buyers use it on a first or second viewing to decide whether a house deserves an offer and a professional inspection. Renters use it before signing a lease and again at move-in, when recording existing damage protects the security deposit. It also helps people buying from a distance who send a relative in their place, landlords checking a unit between tenants, and anyone who sees several homes in one weekend and would otherwise forget which one had the wet basement.
What counts as a professional inspection depends on where you are. In the US, many states license home inspectors, and bodies such as ASHI and InterNACHI publish standards of practice that set what an inspection covers. Federal law requires sellers and landlords of most housing built before 1978 to disclose known lead-based paint hazards, and the EPA recommends testing homes for radon. In the UK, buyers choose among RICS Home Survey Levels 1–3; in Australia, a pre-purchase building and pest inspection, the building part commonly following AS 4349.1; in India, check approvals and, for new projects, RERA registration.
Your walk-through is not a professional inspection, and it carries none of the weight an inspector’s report has in a negotiation. You cannot see inside walls, under floors or across a steep roof, and you will not open the electrical panel or probe for termite damage the way a licensed inspector or pest specialist does. The checklist also says nothing about title, zoning or boundaries; those come from the seller’s paperwork, your agent, and your attorney or conveyancer.
What to put in a Home Inspection Checklist
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Property address | For example: 1187 Maple Avenue, Columbus, OH 43214 |
| Checking it because you are | Free text |
| Checked by optional | For example: Jordan and Sam Miller |
| Your own items optional | One per line |
How to write a Home Inspection Checklist
Record the address and your role
Write the full address, including any unit number, and whether you are checking as a buyer or a renter. The role changes what matters. A buyer inherits the roof, the water heater and the foundation, so their age and condition are future costs. A renter mostly needs heat, hot water, working locks and alarms, and a record of existing damage before the lease starts.
Walk the outside before going in
Start at the street and circle the whole house. Look along the roof line for sagging and missing shingles, check gutters and downspouts, and see whether the ground slopes water away from the foundation. Note cracks in the foundation and brickwork, rot in window frames and decks, and trees overhanging the roof. Ask how old the roof is; an old roof is a cost even without a defect.
Test what you can inside
Run faucets and flush toilets, then watch how the drains empty and how strong the water pressure is. Look under sinks and on ceilings below bathrooms for water stains, and smell basements and closets for damp and mold. Check that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are fitted. Find the electrical panel, water heater and heating and cooling system, and photograph their labels, which often show the age.
Add questions this house raises
Use your own items for what is particular to this property: fresh paint on one ceiling, a dehumidifier running in the basement, a new deck, a converted garage, a septic system or a private well. Each is a question for the seller or agent. Fresh paint over one patch of ceiling may be cosmetic or may hide a leak; the answer, and any repair invoice, tells you which.
Name the checker and request paperwork
Write who did the walk-through and the date, and keep your photos with the sheet. Then ask for the documents behind your notes: permits for renovations, warranties for the roof and appliances, recent utility bills, and service records for the heating and cooling system. If you hire an inspector, give them your checklist, so they look hardest at what worried you.
Common mistakes
- Treating your own walk-through as a substitute for a professional inspection, which leaves hidden defects in wiring, framing or the roof to be found after closing, when the repairs are yours to pay for.
- Missing fresh paint on one patch of ceiling or wall, which can cover a leak that returns with the next heavy rain.
- Ignoring the age of the roof, water heater and heating system because they work today, which leaves a replacement bill you never priced into your offer.
- Accepting that a renovation “was all done properly” without seeing the permit, which can leave you owning unpermitted work that complicates insurance, resale or later alterations.
- Moving into a rental without recording existing damage in writing and photos, which lets old stains and scratches be charged against your deposit when you leave.
Frequently asked questions
What is on a home inspection checklist?
The outside first: roof condition, gutters, drainage away from the house, foundation and brickwork, windows and decks. Then the systems: electrical panel, plumbing, water heater, and heating and cooling, including their age. Then each room: water stains, damp and mold, cracks, sticking doors and windows, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Finish with paperwork: permits, warranties, utility bills and service records.
What do home inspectors look for?
A US inspector works to a published standard of practice, such as those from ASHI or InterNACHI, which lists the visible systems covered: roof, exterior, structure, electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, insulation and interiors. The report records defects and items near the end of their life. Radon, mold, pests and sewer lines are often extra services or separate specialists, so ask what is included before you book.
What are the biggest red flags in a home inspection?
Water is behind many of them: stains on ceilings, a damp basement, soft floors around toilets, or ground sloping toward the foundation. Beyond that, watch for wide or stepped cracks in foundation walls, a sagging roof line, scorched or outdated wiring in the electrical panel, and signs of pests. Any one of these calls for a specialist’s opinion and a repair quote before you commit.
Can I do my own home inspection?
You can walk through with a checklist, and it is worth doing, but it does not replace a professional inspection when you buy. Inspectors have the training, tools and access to find what a viewing hides, and their report gives you something specific to negotiate with. The UK equivalent is an RICS survey; Australia has building and pest inspections; in India, have a structural engineer look at an older building.
What should I ask the seller during a viewing?
Ask the seller or their agent how old the roof, water heater and heating and cooling system are, and whether they have been serviced. Ask about water in the basement, past leaks, insurance claims, and which renovations had permits. Ask for recent utility bills. In the US, sellers of most homes built before 1978 must disclose known lead-based paint hazards, so ask for that disclosure if you have not seen it.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.