Do you inspect the exterior first?

[Bruce A. King]

Look what you would have missed by not testing plumbing fixtures first. Water is leaking out of the wall to slab joint. Vacant house.

[Rob Jones]

I, personally, always do another once over prior to completing my inspection. I always start with the roof, then the exterior, interior, garage, attic, crawlspace/basement and then another quick check of the exterior in the opposite direction of the first time.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by bking

Look what you would have missed by not testing plumbing fixtures first. Water is leaking out of the wall to slab joint. Vacant house.

Not necessarily true Bruce.

Some of us have been known to go over the house one more time for an overview and then walk the client around the house as well while going over the report findings.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Originally Posted by bkelly2

Not necessarily true Bruce.

Some of us have been known to go over the house one more time for an overview and then walk the client around the house as well while going over the report findings.

Yeppers... that is what I do.

[Wayne B. Wilson]

Yep i do the outside , then the inside then a walk around with the buyer.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

I go around the house specifically to check for this after running all of the fixtures. It is much more common than you might realize. . .

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Always do the final exterior walk around. You now have been in the house for 3-4 hours and know it a lot better so any extensions/overhangs/roofs/etc fit into your mind's plan of the house.

About a 6 weeks ago, did a final walk around to look especially at the rear kitchen extension which I determined from inside did not have a full foundation under it but only had a partial foundation. Finally found a hatch which was hidden behind a garbage box. Had a peek into the space which had a 2-2.5 foot crawlspace and there was a partially buried old furnace oil tank.....potentially big $$$$ to have removed!!

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Bruce, am I correct this was slab-on-grade?
Jeff, same for you, mostly slab-on-grade?

Assuming yes... maybe that's why I haven't yet seen the phenomenon. In the last two or three years, I have only seen one slab-on-grade, and that was two weeks ago.

[Bruce A. King]

Yes, about half here are slabs. We are required in NC to move insulation and inspect in certain parts of a crawlspace but these are always done last for obvious reasons too. Slabs can slope various directions so it is not always visible on the stem wall like that.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Thanks for the info Bruce.

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Mostly slabs here, but I've also seen this at the second floor - not just at the slab level.

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

Thanks Jeff.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by Rob Jones

I, personally, always do another once over prior to completing my inspection. I always start with the roof, then the exterior, interior, garage, attic, crawlspace/basement and then another quick check of the exterior in the opposite direction of the first time.

You always start with the roof? Even before going into the attic to see if the roof can support you? Wow.

I always do the roof last. That way, if I fall off and kill myself, the only thing missing from the inspection is the roof. Everything else is done! LOL

[Rob Jones]

I always start with the roof. I am normally at the inspection a half hour prior to anyone else. Now if I notice that there is any significant sagging etc... I might try and avoid that section before looking in the attic. But yes, I always walk the roof, when possible, first.

Rob Jones

[cjones1]

I always do one more trip around the exterior before I finish the inspection. I've caught some problems that were unseen that way.