Chicago condo inspections · West Loop
West Loop condo inspections
The West Loop is new high-rises next to converted warehouses and loft condos. The newest buildings and the oldest ones fail in different places.
From my West Loop reports
What I find, building by building
I’ve done hundreds of condo inspections across Chicago, a lot of them right here in West Loop.
Newer high-rises
In the newest towers I find HVAC units with no electrical shut-off, rusting supply valves inside the HVAC cabinet, and units handed over with basics missing, like closet shelving. Check what’s actually installed against what was promised.
Lofts and mid-rise conversions
Mechanical closets often have no floor drain, and furnace drip trays usually have no automatic water shut-off, so a leak runs until someone notices. I also find furnace flues touching drywall, which is a fire hazard, and bedrooms without smoke detectors.
Some findings show up in almost every Chicago condo, whatever the building: outlets that aren’t tamper-resistant, ranges without an anti-tip bracket, compression-style shut-offs under the sinks, and furnace condensate lines missing a trap. They’re cheap to fix, and I list every one so nothing surprises you after closing.
Your unit, and the building around it
What a condo inspection covers
Everything in and serving your unit: plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, appliances, and every room’s surfaces and fixtures. On a low-rise building I also walk the accessible exterior. The roof, structure and shared mechanicals belong to the association and fall outside a unit inspection. Where I can’t reach something, the report says so and tells you what to ask for.
Worth asking the association: In a loft conversion, ask what the building did about fire separation and sprinklers when it was converted.
Who you’re hiring
One inspector, start to finish
I spent 15 years renovating houses, then 13 inspecting them. I do every inspection myself and write every report, the same day. Buyers rate me 4.9 out of 5 across more than 150 Redfin reviews. Condos from $325, with an exact price once you send me the address.
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