While a four-point inspection generally doesn’t take more than 30 minutes, it is very important to ensure your home is ready. Shelving, furniture, and personal belongings, for example, can seriously inhibit the components we must access. If we cannot access any required component, you will be required to move anything blocking the access. We ask that you prepare the access ahead of time.

Please read this carefully! These are the things we need from you:

  • Access to your yard. We must obtain photos of the home from all angles at the exterior. Belongings around the home which obstruct our access and photos may delay your inspection. 
  • Clear and direct access to the electric panel. We must fully remove the front cover of the electric panel and be able to do so in a safe manner. Personal belongings in the way of access to the electric panel can create an unsafe condition and a significant delay to your inspection. Sometimes we may need to turn off one or more breakers in order to remove the panel cover. We will communicate this with you if it is required. Please let us know if there is sensitive electronic equipment or medical equipment in your home. We will do our best to minimize any disruption. 
  • Access to the attic. We may be required to enter the attic space. If your attic has a pull-down ladder, please ensure it is functional and there is enough clearance to use it. If your attic does not have a pull-down ladder, we will use our own ladder. Please ensure there is enough space for our ladder to be used safely and there are no belongings in the way. For safety and liability reasons, we will only use our own ladder. You do not need to furnish a ladder as we will come fully prepared. 
  • Clear access to the water heater. We will need to obtain photographs of the water heater. Please ensure it is fully viewable and accessible.
  • Unobstructed view of your HVAC components. The inside air handler and outside condenser units must be accessible. We need to obtain photos of the equipment and the manufacturer’s label. 
  • A clear and unobstructed view of plumbing components. This includes under kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and wet bar sinks as well as clear access to exposed plumbing valves at the toilets and washing machine hookups. Please remove any personal items under sinks so we can provide clear photos of the components. 
  • Pets should be put away or closely controlled. We love dogs and cats but it is important to ensure your pet is put up in another room or their kennel. As we move through the systems in your home and complete our inspection, it is important that pets are kept away while we are working in your electric panel and climbing ladders.

For safety and liability reasons, we are limited on what items we will move if belongings are in the way. If any area or component is considered inaccessible and reasonable access isn’t available, we will not be able to provide a complete report and your inspection will have to be rescheduled for another time and you will incur an additional charge.

And finally, we wear masks at every inspection. It’s not political. As we work through your home, and possibly your attic space, dust, fiberglass, or other insulation can easily break away as we complete your inspection.

We do not require nor do we ask our clients to wear a mask while we perform your inspection.

Thank you for taking the time to prepare your home for us. We promise the process will be as quick and efficient as possible if these guidelines are followed. We look forward to being your home inspectors!