While on the surface this appears to be a relatively simple question, the full answer would be quite voluminous. The categories that are listed below cover all of the major portions of a typical home inspection, but many of the numerous sub-portions are not discussed on this page in an effort to prevent writing an entire book!
Great Lakes Chapter (GLC) home inspectors perform their inspections in strict accordance with the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Standards of Practice. The requirements set forth in that document assure you, the person in need of a home inspection, that your inspector will provide you with a thorough report covering all of the major systems contained within a house.
The systems that will be inspected at some point during the course of your home inspection are listed below in no particular order:
Structural System – foundation, framing
Exterior – siding, trim areas, doors, decks, balconies, porches, steps, etc.
Roof – roof covering, roof drainage system, skylight, chimneys, roof penetrations
Plumbing System – supply piping, faucets, fixtures, waste & vent piping, water heater
Electrical System – supply wiring, main panel box, service grounding, lights, outlets
Heating System – furnace or boiler, exhaust piping, chimneys, heat ducts or piping
Air Conditioning – whole house (central) or wall mounted A/C units
Interior – walls, ceilings, floors, steps/stairs, doors, windows, garage doors, cabinets
Insulation & Ventilation – insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished areas (attics & crawl spaces), ventilation of attic and crawl space areas, mechanical vent systems
Fireplace – system components, vent systems, flues, chimneys
Many steps are taken during the course of the home inspection process to gather the information you desire. GLC home inspectors are not interested in providing you with information that you do not understand or a report that you cannot read. GLC inspectors strive to always provide you with an objective, 3 rd party evaluation of the true conditions present at the property you hire us to inspect. Usually, your decisions and opinions are driven by emotional feelings towards a particular property. Since GLC inspectors do not have any emotional ties to a particular house, we are free to thoroughly scrutinize a house, and then render an honest opinion on the true conditions observed at the time we perform an inspection.