Radon test
Ask about test method, closed-house conditions, duration, device placement, and when the result will be ready.
Michigan buyer guide
Walk in prepared.
Leave with priorities.
A home inspection can produce dozens of observations. Use this guide to ask better questions, record what you see, and separate purchase-changing issues from normal maintenance.
First 15 minutes of preparation
A general inspection is a broad visual review—not a guarantee and not every specialist test.
Before the appointment, read the inspector’s agreement and ask what is included, excluded, inaccessible, or limited. Confirm expected report timing, whether you may attend, how questions should be handled, and whether the inspector recommends separate specialists for this property.
- Share known concerns from the listing, disclosure, or prior walkthrough.
- Ask for a sample report and how urgent findings are labeled.
- Confirm credentials, standards of practice, insurance, and any conflicts of interest.
- Do not use the inspection as a final repair quote or code-compliance certificate.
Printable field record
Bring one calm list.
Capture what matters.
0 items marked
This record helps you listen and organize. It does not define an inspector’s scope, replace the signed inspection agreement or report, or determine whether a home is safe.
Ask before assuming
Should this property get
a specialty inspection?
The answer depends on the home, location, visible conditions, utilities, and the signed scope. Ask early enough that your purchase timeline still allows follow-up.
Sewer scope
Consider for older homes, mature trees, slow drains, prior backups, or when the lateral condition is unknown.
Private well and septic
Confirm water-quality, flow, septic evaluation, tank and field condition, and which qualified specialist performs each check.
Chimney or fireplace
A standard visual inspection may not answer flue, liner, draft, or concealed masonry questions.
Mold, asbestos, lead, pests
Ask what the inspector can observe and when sampling or a separate qualified specialist is appropriate.
Structural or trade specialist
Use an engineer, electrician, plumber, roofer, HVAC technician, or other specialist when the general inspection identifies a material concern.
Michigan distinction
Seller disclosure and inspection answer different questions.
Michigan’s seller disclosure form asks the seller to report known conditions and includes topics such as water systems, septic systems, roofs, structural items, environmental hazards, and other known problems. An independent inspection is a separate visual evaluation of the property’s condition. Read both; neither should silently replace the other.
When the report arrives
Do not negotiate from
the item count.
Thirty observations can be less important than one active water or safety issue. Group findings by consequence, uncertainty, urgency, and likely cost—then ask for clarification where the report is not specific.
- 1Safety or active hazard
Electrical shock, fire, combustion, structural instability, unsafe stairs or guards, active sewage, or similar urgent risk.
- 2Water or structural movement
Active leaks, failed drainage, foundation movement, roof intrusion, wet basement, rot, or conditions that worsen quickly.
- 3Major system or near-term failure
Roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical service, sewer, well, septic, or another expensive system needing prompt specialist review.
- 4Maintenance and monitor
Working items with wear, deferred maintenance, limited remaining life, or a condition to track after ownership.
- 5Cosmetic or preference
Finish wear, minor appearance items, or upgrades that do not drive the purchase decision.
What changes the purchase decision?
Which findings are active, unsafe, worsening, expensive, or outside the inspection scope? Which need a specialist before the contingency deadline?
What is the actual scope?
Request written diagnosis, options, exclusions, urgency, and a repair or replacement scope. Avoid pricing a vague report sentence as if it were a complete bid.
What risk can I carry?
Separate immediate work, first-year work, and monitor-only items. Include uncertainty and contingency—not just a best-case repair number.
Turn findings into decisions
From inspection note to
a usable repair plan.
HomeScope does not inspect homes or choose contractors. It helps you turn material findings into a shared scope, a realistic reserve, official permit questions, and comparable written bids.
Continue by decision
Two deeper buyer guides.
No repeated filler.
Before inspection day
Which specialty inspections should I consider?
Match radon, sewer, well, septic, chimney, environmental, structural, and trade questions to the property.
Open the specialty-inspection guide →After the report arrivesWhich findings should I prioritize?
Sort safety, water, structural, major-system, maintenance, and cosmetic findings—then build usable scopes.
Open the repair-priority guide →Reviewed August 11, 2026. Michigan housing guidance describes a professional inspection as an in-depth, unbiased look at a home’s physical condition and major systems. The exact inspection is controlled by the signed agreement, property access, conditions on the day, and the inspector’s standards. HomeScope’s worksheet is educational preparation—not an inspection standard, legal advice, appraisal, environmental test, engineering opinion, or code determination.