From the inspector’s side of the clipboard
Chicago condo inspection checklist
Two checklists in one. First, the in-unit systems I work through on every condo inspection — built on the Illinois Standards of Practice, refined over 13+ years and thousands of Chicago units. Second, a showing walkthrough you can run yourself in ten minutes, built from the failures I actually find. Print it, carry it, use it.
Part one · my side
The 8 in-unit systems a condo inspection covers
A condo inspection covers your unit and what serves it — examined where visible and accessible, and functionally tested where I can. On inspection day, this is the scope:
- 01 Kitchen
fixtures, cabinets & major appliances, functionally tested
- 02 Bathrooms
every bathroom; fixtures run for flow & drainage
- 03 Laundry
fixtures plus the washer & dryer, run
- 04 Plumbing
supply & drain lines, water heater where in-unit
- 05 Electrical
panel to a representative sample of outlets, switches & GFCIs
- 06 HVAC
heating & cooling examined, then run with the unit’s normal controls
- 07 Interiors
floors, walls, ceilings, windows & doors, moisture & condensation
- 08 Insulation & ventilation
kitchen, bath & laundry exhaust tested
“Inspected” means operated wherever I safely can, not just photographed. I run every fixture and watch it drain, switch the heating and cooling on with the unit’s own controls, run the exhausts to confirm they actually move air, and test the panel plus a representative sample of outlets, switches and GFCIs. It’s a visual, non-invasive examination to the Illinois Standards of Practice — I don’t open walls — but within those rules, everything that can be made to do its job gets asked to do it.
This checklist vs. the house checklist
A condo checklist is the short form for a reason: the building’s roof, exterior, foundation, attic and garage belong to the association, so they’re not on your list. Buying a townhome or single-family home instead? All of that comes back into scope — the full version is my 16-system home inspection checklist.
Part two · your side
The ten-minute showing walkthrough
You don’t need a license to ask a unit basic questions at a showing — you just need to know which questions pay. These checks mirror the red flags I find most as an inspector, in the order the unit will show them to you:
Run the water
Plumbing problems announce themselves — if you ask.
- Run every faucet and watch it drain — slow drains point to older branch lines
- Look under every sink for staining, corrosion at the shut-off valves, and soft cabinet floors
- Find the water heater and read its age off the data plate — and look for rust at the connections
Move some air
Trapped moisture is the leading source of condo damage I find.
- Run the bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans — a fan that spins but pulls no air is the most common failure I see in units
- Switch the heating and the cooling on from the thermostat and wait for each to actually respond
- Sniff for mustiness — a persistent musty smell is a moisture story the finishes are hiding
Test what you can reach
Electrical shortcuts are everywhere in conversions and vintage buildings.
- Press the test button on GFCI outlets at the kitchen, baths and laundry — missing protection is a top finding
- Plug a phone charger into a few outlets around the unit
- Find the panel and note its condition from the outside — leave the cover on; that part is mine
Check the openings
A unit’s weakest weather points are its windows and doors.
- Look for staining or soft trim below window sills and at balcony door thresholds
- Look through double-pane glass at an angle — fogging between panes means failed seals
- Open and close windows and sliders — they should move and lock without a fight
Ask the appliances to work
Condos convey appliances — and a glance proves nothing.
- Start the dishwasher and let it run — filling is easy, fully draining is the test
- Run the garbage disposal — disuse seizes them
- Check the washer supply hoses — aged rubber lines in a stack put three units at risk
A showing walkthrough is a screen, not an inspection. It can surface a reason to walk away early — but passing it proves nothing about the panel’s wiring, the water heater’s relief valve, or where that exhaust duct actually terminates. That’s what inspection day is for.
Equally important
What’s not on this checklist
The building. A condo inspection covers your unit — the structure, high-rise exteriors and roofs, and shared mechanicals are the HOA’s responsibility and outside a unit inspection’s scope. For that half of the story, get everything you can from the association: the condition of common elements, maintenance schedules, ongoing issues, and past board minutes. Your attorney and your agent are the right guides for those documents.
Specialized testing is also its own discipline — radon, mold, termite and environmental work carry their own equipment, licenses and providers. When a finding needs a deeper look, the report says which kind of specialist should take it.
Your side of inspection day
How to use this as a condo buyer
- Run the walkthrough at the showing. It costs ten minutes and can save a wasted offer — or hand you the questions to ask the seller.
- Come to the inspection if you can. An hour on site with me is worth more than any document — you’ll see every finding in person.
- Get the HOA documents in parallel. Common elements are outside a unit inspection — the association’s records tell that half of the story.
- Read the report the same day. Illinois contract timelines are short; you’ll have the report while your window is still open, with time to get specialists in.
- Don’t chase a perfect unit. Every home produces findings. The report separates what matters from what’s simply a building being its age — act on the first list.
Both checklists, one clear report
Want the full version run on your unit?
Send me the unit’s address and I’ll reply with an exact quote — then a licensed, certified inspection and a plain-language report the same day.
Request a quote →Still deciding whether to inspect at all? Do you need a condo inspection? →
Curious what these checks turn up? What I actually find in Chicago condos →