Veteran Inspection Professionals

How to prepare

So you’re beginning the process of buying or selling a home and want to make sure you cover all of your bases. Whether you’re a first time buyer or seller or a seasoned pro, you want to make sure you’re prepared.

Veteran Inspection Professionals offers a comprehensive checklist for both buyers and sellers that will help you feel secure in your decisions.

Learn more about our inspections

Items included in inspection

Structural Components

Your VIP inspector shall observe structural components including: foundation, floors, walls, columns, ceilings, and roofs.

Your VIP inspector shall also describe the type of: foundation, floor structure, wall structure, columns, ceiling structure, and roof structure.

Additionally, your VIP inspector will:

  • Probe structural components where deterioration is suspected (however, probing is not performed when probing would damage any finished surface)
  • Enter underfloor crawl spaces and attic spaces except when access is obstructed, when entry could damage the property, or when dangerous or adverse situations are suspected.
  • Report the methods used to inspect under-floor crawl spaces and attics.
  • Report signs of water penetration into the building or signs of abnormal or harmful condensation on building components.

Exterior

Your VIP inspector shall observe exterior components including: wall cladding, flashings and trim, entryway doors and a representative number of windows, garage door operators, decks, balconies, stoops, steps, areaways and porches including railings, eaves, soffits and fascias, vegetation, grading, drainage, driveways, patios, walkways and retaining walls with respect to their effect on the condition of the building.

Your VIP inspector shall also; describe wall cladding materials, operate all entryway doors and representative number of windows including garage doors, manually or by using permanently installed controls of any garage door operator, report whether or not any garage door operator will automatically reverse or stop when meeting reasonable resistance during closing.

Your VIP inspector is not required to observe the following, but may upon request:

  • Storm windows, storm doors, screening, shutters, awnings, and similar seasonal accessories
  • Fences
  • Safety glazing
  • Garage door operator remote control transmitters
  • Geological conditions
  • Soil conditions
  • Recreational facilities
  • Outbuildings other than garages and carports

Roofing

Your VIP inspector shall observe the roofing components including: roof coverings, roof drainage systems, flashings, skylights, chimneys and roof penetrations, signs of leaks or abnormal condensation on building components.

Your VIP inspector shall describe the type of roof covering materials and report the methods used to inspect roofing.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to, but may upon request:

Observe attached accessories including but not limited to solar systems, antennae, and lightning arresters.

PLumbing

Your VIP inspector shall observe the plumbing components including:

Interior water supply and distribution system:

  • Piping materials, including supports and insulation
  • Fixtures and faucets
  • Functional flow
  • Leaks
  • Cross-connections

Interior drain, waste and vent system:

  • Traps; drain, waste, and vent piping; piping supports and pipe insulation
  • Leaks
  • Functional drainage

Hot water system:

  • Water heating equipment
  • Normal operating controls
  • Automatic safety controls
  • Chimneys, flues, and vents

Fuel storage and distribution systems including:

  • Interior fuel storage equipment, supply piping, venting and supports
  • Leaks

Sump pumps

Your VIP inspector shall describe water supply and distribution piping materials, drain, waste and vent piping materials, and water heating equipment.

Additionally, Your VIP inspector will operate all plumbing fixtures, including their faucets and all exterior faucets attached to the house.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to, but may upon request:

  • State the effectiveness of anti-siphon devices
  • Determine whether water supply and waste disposal systems are public or private
  • Operate automatic safety controls
  • Operate any valve except water closet flush valves, fixture faucets, and hose faucets
  • Observe: water conditioning systems, fire, and lawn sprinkler systems, on-site water supply quantity and quality, on-site waste disposal systems, foundation irrigation systems, spas (except as to functional flow and functional drainage)

Electrical

Your VIP inspector shall describe: Service amperage and voltage, service entry conductor materials, service type as being overhead or underground, location of main and distribution panels, and report any observed aluminum branch circuit wiring.

Your VIP inspector shall observe the electrical components including: service entrance conductors, service equipment, grounding equipment, main overcurrent device, main and distribution panels, amperage and voltage ratings of the service, branch circuit conductors, their overcurrent devices, and the compatibility of their ampacities and voltages, the operation of a representative number of installed lighting fixtures, switches and receptacles located inside the house, garage, and on its exterior walls, the polarity and grounding of all receptacles within six feet of interior plumbing fixtures and all receptacles in the garage or carport, and on the exterior of inspected structures, the operation of ground fault circuit interrupters.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to, but may upon request:

  • Insert any tool, probe or testing device inside the panels
  • Test or operate any overcurrent device except ground fault interrupters
  • Dismantle any electrical device or control other than to remove covers of the main and auxiliary distribution panels
  • Observe low voltage systems, smoke detectors, telephone, security, cable tv, intercoms, or other ancillary wiring that is not a part of the primary electrical distribution system.

Heating

Your VIP inspector shall observe the heating components including: heating equipment, normal operating controls, automatic safety controls, chimneys, flues and vents, solid fuel heating devices, heat distribution systems including fans, pumps, ducts, and piping, with supports, dampers, insulation, air filters, registers, radiators, fan coil units, convectors, the presence of an installed heat source in each room.

Your VIP inspector shall: describe the energy source, describe heating equipment and distribution type, operate the systems using normal operating controls, open readily openable access panels provided by the manufacturer or installer for routine homeowner maintenance.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to, but may upon request:

  • Operate heating systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage.
  • Operate automatic safety controls.
  • Ignite or extinguish solid fuel fires.
  • Observe the interior of flues, fireplace insert flue connections, humidifiers, electronic air filters, the uniformity or adequacy of heat supply to the various rooms

Central Air Conditioning

Your VIP inspector shall observe the central air conditioning components including: cooling and air handling equipment, normal operating controls, fans, pumps, ducts, and piping, with supports, dampers, insulation, air filters, registers, fan-coil units, the presence of an installed cooling source in each room.

Your VIP inspector shall: describe energy sources, describe cooling equipment type, operate the systems using normal operating controls, open readily openable access panels provided by the manufacturer or installer for routine homeowner maintenance.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to, but may upon request:

  • Operate cooling systems when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause equipment damage
  • Observe non-central air conditioners
  • Observe the uniformity or adequacy of cool-air supply to the various rooms

General Limitations & Exclusions

VIP inspections are done in accordance with the State of Arizona regulatory body – the Board of Technical Registrars – Standards. VIP inspections are visual, not technically exhaustive, and will not identify concealed conditions or latent defects.

These Standards are applicable to buildings with four or less dwelling units and their garages or carports.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to report on:

  • The life expectancy of any component or system
  • The causes of the need for a major repair
  • The methods, materials, and costs of corrections
  • The suitability of the property for any specialized use
  • Compliance or non-compliance with applicable regulatory requirements
  • The market value of the property or its marketability
  • The advisability or inadvisability of the purchase of the property
  • Any component or system which was not observed
  • The presence or absence of pests such as wood damaging organisms, rodents, or insects
  • Cosmetic items, underground items, or items not permanently installed

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to:

  • Offer warranties or guarantees of any kind
  • Calculate the strength, adequacy, or efficiency of any system or component
  • Enter any area or perform any procedure which may damage the property or its components or be dangerous to the inspector or other persons
  • Operate any system or component which is shut down or otherwise inoperable
  • Operate any system or component which does not respond to normal operating controls
  • Disturb insulation, move personal items, furniture, equipment, plant life, soil, snow, ice, or debris which obstructs access or visibility
  • Determine the presence or absence of any suspected hazardous substance including but not limited to toxins, fungus, molds, mold spores, carcinogens, noise, contaminants in soil, water, and air
  • Determine the effectiveness of any system installed to control or remove suspected hazardous substances
  • Predict future conditions, including but not limited to failure of components
  • Project operating costs of components
  • Evaluate acoustical characteristics of any system or component

Limitations and exclusions specific to individual systems are listed in each system’s section.

Insulation & Ventilation

Your VIP inspector shall observe the insulation and ventilation components including:
Insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces, ventilation of attics and foundation areas, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry venting systems.

Your VIP inspector shall describe:
Insulation and vapor retarders in unfinished spaces, absence of same in unfinished space at conditioned surfaces.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to report on, but may upon request:

  • Concealed insulation and vapor retarders
  • Venting equipment which is integral with household appliances.

Interior

Your VIP inspector shall observe the interior components including: walls, ceiling and floors, steps, stairways, balconies and railings, counters and a representative number of cabinets, a representative number of doors and windows, separation walls, ceilings, and doors between a dwelling unit and an attached garage or another dwelling unit.

Your VIP inspector shall: operate a representative number of primary windows and interior doors; report signs of water penetration into the building or signs of abnormal or harmful condensation on building components.

Your VIP inspector is NOT required to observe, but may upon request:

  • Paint, wallpaper and other finish treatments on the interior walls, ceilings, and floors
  • Carpeting
  • Draperies, blinds or other window treatments
  • Household appliances
  • Recreational facilities or another dwelling unit

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