Business Category: Maintenance / Industrial Category: Property & Facilities Management

General Property Inspection Checklist (House)

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Use this checklist when carrying out a visual inspection of the entire property. You can create flowdit reports in different file formats as needed.

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General Property Inspection Checklist (House)
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How to Use This Checklist

  • **Prepare.** Fill in the date, the name of the person conducting the inspection, and the property location at the top of the report.
  • **Start outside with the grounds.** Look at yard drainage, standing water, septic tanks and cesspools, gardens and landscaping, walkways, exterior structures, railings, driveways and porches, and downspouts. Note anything that is not in good condition or that slopes toward the building.
  • **Work around the structure and exterior surfaces.** Check that walls appear straight, that window and door frames are square, that the visible foundation is sound, and that ridge and fascia lines are level. Then review wood-to-soil clearance, siding of each material, paint or stain, climbing plants, and exterior stains.
  • **Inspect windows, doors, and wood trim.** Confirm frames and trim are secure and sealed, that glass, screens, and double glazing are intact, and that drip caps and eave vents are present and clear.
  • **Move on to the roof and attic.** Check shingles, tiles, or flat roof surfaces for damage, warping, missing material, or excess sealant; look at roof penetrations, overhangs, fascias, chimneys, gutters, and downspouts. In the attic, look at structural condition, insulation and moisture barriers, ventilation, and any vents or open splices that should not be there.
  • **Step inside for the interior, kitchen, and bathroom.** Review floors, walls, ceilings, floor coverings, doors, windows, paint, wall coverings, paneling, trim, lights, switches, and outlets in each habitable room, and check heating and cooling throughout.
  • **Finish in the basement, mechanical room, or crawlspace.** Work through plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling, including the fireplace if there is one.
  • **Record findings as you go.** For every item, note the condition. Where a defect, deficiency, or safety concern appears, write detailed notes rather than flagging it with a single answer.
  • **Escalate when needed.** If a condition looks unsafe or requires specialist evaluation, recommend that a qualified professional be consulted before proceeding.

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What a general house property inspection involves

A general house property inspection is a structured visual walkthrough of an entire property, from the grounds and the roof to the basement and the mechanical systems. You are not dismantling anything or testing systems beyond their normal operation — you are observing condition, looking for defects and safety concerns, and recording what you see. The checklist is the tool that keeps that work systematic so nothing on the exterior, in the attic, or in the crawlspace is skipped simply because it is out of sight.

Why thorough coverage matters

Problems in a house rarely announce themselves. Water draining toward the foundation, wood siding in contact with soil, a vent terminating in the attic, or a damaged attic or basement crawlspace can go unnoticed for a long time and become more serious and more expensive to correct. Many of the items on the checklist are exactly the kind that are easy to overlook: no more than two roof layers, no open electrical splices in the attic, weep holes in windows and doors, sealed joints on frames and gutters, a properly lined and cleaned flue. Going through the property in the same order every time is what makes those items visible.

What a good inspection covers

The checklist groups its questions into areas that follow the property in a logical order: * **Grounds** — yard drainage away from the house, standing water, septic tanks or cesspools, gardens and landscaping, trees and walkways, exterior structures such as fences, sheds, decks, retaining walls and detached garages, railings on stairs and terraces, driveways, sidewalks, porches, and downspouts. * **Structure and exterior surfaces** — walls that appear straight rather than bowed or sagging, square window and door frames, a visible foundation that is straight, plumb and free of significant cracks, level ridge and fascia lines, adequate clearance between soil and wood siding, and the condition of siding, masonry veneer, stucco, vinyl or aluminum siding, exterior paint or stain, and climbing plants. * **Windows, doors, and wood trim** — secure frames and trim, sealed frame joints, intact glass and screens, sound muntins and divided-light glazing, storm windows or thermal glazing, drip caps, and clean eave vents that have not been painted over. * **Roof, gutters, and chimneys** — shingle, wood tile and flat roof conditions, attention to the number of roof layers, covers around roof penetrations, excess roof cement or sealant, overhangs and fascias, stains underneath the roof covering, gutters and downspouts free of rot, rust, sagging or blockages, and chimneys that are straight with sound bricks, joints and caps. * **Attic** — structural condition, adequate and properly installed insulation with the moisture barrier as close as possible to the heated area, ventilation paths and vents, and the absence of vents or open electrical splices in the space. * **Interior, kitchen, and bathroom** — floors, walls and ceilings that are straight, plumb and level; floor coverings, paint, wall coverings, paneling and trim; interior and exterior doors and windows that operate and lock; lights, switches and outlets; heating and cooling in each habitable room; signs of adequate wall insulation; and the fireplace if there is one. * **Basement, mechanical room, and crawlspace** — plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling systems.

How to carry out the inspection

Work through the property systematically and record the condition of every item. Too many checklists are filled in from memory after the fact, which is how defects get missed. Instead, answer each item where you are standing so you can see the evidence in front of you. Where you find a defect, deficiency, or safety concern, document it clearly with detailed notes rather than relying on a single yes or no. And if any condition appears unsafe or requires specialist evaluation, recommend that a qualified professional be consulted before proceeding.

Recording and sharing the results

A completed checklist is only useful if the findings can be read and acted on. Capture the date the inspection was conducted, who prepared it, and the property location, then make sure the notes attached to any defect are specific enough that someone who was not there can understand what was observed. Written recommendations for specialist review should be just as clear. Reports can be produced in a range of file formats depending on how the results need to be shared.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a systematic visual review of a whole house, inside and out. The checklist walks you through fifteen areas of the property — grounds, structure, exterior surfaces, windows and doors, roof, attic, interior, kitchen, bathroom, basement or mechanical room, crawlspace, plumbing, electrical, and heating/cooling — and asks you to record the condition of roughly 113 individual items. It is an observation and documentation exercise, not a technical evaluation.

Most items are answered yes or no, with a third option for items that do not apply to the property you are reviewing. Full credit for a yes usually means the item was observed in good condition, so a no generally signals a defect, deficiency, or safety concern that needs to be documented.

The checklist covers a lot of ground. On the outside you look at yard drainage and standing water, landscaping and walkways, driveways and porches, exterior structures, railings, downspouts, the lines of the walls and foundation, wood-to-soil clearance, siding of various materials, paint or stain, and stains on exterior surfaces. On the roof you check shingles or tiles, flat roof membranes, penetrations, overhangs, and fascias. Inside you review floors, walls, ceilings, doors, windows, paint and wall coverings, lighting, outlets, and insulation. The mechanical areas cover plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling.

No. A visual review has real limits. The checklist tells you to discuss any stucco cracks with a professional inspector, and generally to recommend that a qualified professional be consulted whenever a condition looks unsafe or needs specialist evaluation. Use the notes you record to support that referral rather than to replace it.

Work through the property systematically rather than jumping around, and record the condition of each item as you go. Where you find a defect, deficiency, or safety concern, write it down clearly with detailed notes instead of relying on a simple no. If something looks unsafe or needs specialist evaluation, note that a qualified professional should be consulted before anyone proceeds.

Yes. The checklist begins each report with the date it was conducted, who prepared it, and the location, so every completed pass is tied to a specific property, a specific person, and a specific day.

The checklist asks whether there is proper drainage away from the house, whether water ponds anywhere, whether septic tanks or cesspools are leaking, and whether downspouts carry water away from the building. It also treats mud deposits in flat roof areas and gutters as a sign of improper drainage, so water management is a recurring theme across the property.

The attic section checks that you cannot find plumbing, exhaust, or appliance vents terminating there, and that there are no open electrical splices. It also looks at insulation, moisture barriers, and ventilation. These are conditions an occupant would rarely see, but they matter for moisture, air quality, and fire safety.
Arne Reis
Written by
Arne Reis
Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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