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Your Inspection Day — What Happens

You've signed a contract on a house.

The clock is ticking on your seven day option period.

Let's walk through what comes next.

Here's what to expect.

Buying a home is intimidating enough without the inspection itself being a mystery. This page walks you through every part of inspection day so you arrive prepared and leave informed — not anxious.

Before the inspection

Before we arrive

You'll receive a confirmation text and email with your appointment time and a link to your pre-inspection agreement. Sign the agreement online — it takes about 2 minutes. The agreement explains what's included, what's not, and confirms the inspection fee.

What you should bring (if you're attending)

  • Notebook or your phone for notes

  • Tape measure if you want to confirm room dimensions

  • Comfortable shoes — there's walking involved

  • Your questions

What to wear

  • Casual. 

  • Skip the white shoes. You may be walking around the property. 

Should you attend?

Yes if you can. Attending an inspection is one of the most educational few hours of the home-buying process. You'll learn how the major systems in your future home actually work, where the shut-offs are, what to maintain, and what to watch for. Even buyers who can only attend the last 30-45 minutes (for the on-site review) get significant value.

 

If you can't attend in person, we can do the review by phone or video call after the inspection.

During the inspection

A standard residential inspection in Texas takes 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on home size, age, and conditions.

 

Here's the typical sequence:

Hour 1 — Exterior and roof

We start outside. The roof gets walked when safe; a drone gets used when not. We check:

  • Roof covering, flashing, drip edge, penetrations, vents

  • Gutters and downspouts

  • Siding, trim, paint, caulking

  • Windows and exterior doors

  • Foundation, grading, drainage

  • Driveway, walkways, exterior stairs and rails

  • Decks, porches, patios

  • HVAC condenser unit

  • Exterior electrical service entrance

Hour 1.5–2.5 — Interior systems

Moving inside, working room by room:

  • Every accessible outlet tested for proper wiring

  • GFCI and AFCI breakers tested

  • Lights, fans, switches operated

  • Windows opened, locked, checked for seal

  • Doors operated, latched, checked for binding

  • Plumbing fixtures run, drains observed

  • Water pressure and temperature documented

  • Appliances tested (oven, range, dishwasher, microwave, disposal, built-ins)

  • Walls, ceilings, floors checked for damage, movement, moisture

  • Bathroom ventilation tested

Hour 2.5–3.5 — Major systems

The deeper systems work:

  • HVAC operation, temperature differential, refrigerant lines, condensate

  • Furnace or air handler inspection

  • Water heater age, capacity, condition, T&P valve

  • Electrical panel(s) — labeling, double-taps, breaker condition, grounding/bonding

  • Plumbing supply lines, drain lines visible

  • Gas lines and shut-offs

Attic and (if accessible) crawlspace

The places nobody wants to go:

  • Insulation type, depth, coverage

  • Roof structure from below

  • Attic ventilation

  • Visible plumbing, HVAC ducts, electrical

  • Evidence of moisture, pests, prior repairs

Throughout — Thermal imaging and photography

Every finding gets photographed. Thermal imaging is used to identify moisture, missing insulation, electrical hot spots, and HVAC distribution issues — anywhere we suspect there's more than meets the eye.

The on-site review

When the technical inspection is done walk through what we found. This is the most valuable 20-30 minutes of the day.

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​You'll get:

  • A summary of the major findings

  • An honest read on which items are urgent, which are budget items, and which are maintenance

  • Answers to whatever questions you have

 

We don't sugarcoat, and we don't fear-monger. The goal is for you to leave the house knowing exactly where you stand.

After the inspection — the report

The full written report is delivered the same day, usually within a few hours of the inspection ending. You'll receive an email with a link to your interactive report.

The report includes:

  • Every finding, organized by system

  • Photos of each finding

  • Plain-language descriptions

  • Severity rating per finding

  • A summary section, outlining highest-priority items

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If you haven't already read it, How to Read Your Inspection Report  explains exactly how to interpret what you're about to see.

 

Repair request worksheet (included)

Along with the report, your realtor will have access to a tool that helps them build a repair request to send to the seller. They can mark which items you want addressed, generate a clean PDF, and attach it to the repair amendment. 

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The post-report conversation

Read the report on your own first. Then call or text — anytime in the next several weeks — with questions. There's no clock on this. We've had buyers call us six months after closing to ask about a finding before they tackled it. That's included in your inspection fee.

Ancillary services worth considering

Some inspections need add-ons depending on the home. We'll recommend them in advance if applicable, never as a surprise upsell:

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  • WDI (termite) inspection — Essential in Texas; performed by a licensed pest control partner during your inspection window

  • Septic inspection — Essential for homes on a private sewage disposal system. Performed by a state-licensed septic system installer during your inspection window

  • Sewer scope — Camera inspection of the main drain line; highly recommended on homes 30+ years old, homes built on expansive soil (present in many areas along the I-35 corridor),  or with mature trees nearby

  • Foundation elevation survey — Establishes a baseline for the builder's structural warranty on new construction

  • Pool & spa inspection — Adds 30-45 minutes; covers structure, equipment, safety features

  • Irrigation system inspection — Controller, zone coverage, leaks, backflow

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​We'll discuss what's worth adding based on your specific home before the inspection day.

"Is this worth it?"

The average home inspection in this market runs $400-$650 depending on size and add-ons. The average inspection uncovers $3,000-$15,000 in findings the buyer didn't know about going in — anything from a failing water heater to a hidden roof leak to an outdated electrical panel.

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Whether you use those findings to negotiate, walk away, or simply plan ahead, the inspection has done its job. The cost is small relative to the largest purchase most people ever make.

Ready to schedule?

Schedule online

Call or text: (830) 800-0440

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Same-day scheduling when available. Same-day report on every inspection. Serving the I-35 corridor from San Antonio to South Austin.

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⭐ 5.0 on Google — read reviews

 

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Mike McCown · TREC #26408 · InterNACHI CPI · CCPIA Certified

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