From the inspector’s side of the clipboard
Chicago home inspection checklist: the 16 systems I inspect
This isn’t a generic printable — it’s the working checklist I follow on every inspection, built on the Illinois Standards of Practice and refined over 13+ years and thousands of Chicago properties. Sixteen systems, in the order I actually walk them. If you want to know what a home inspector looks for, this is the answer.
The order matters
The 16-system checklist
I work outside-in and top-down: exterior and roof first, then the structure, then the mechanicals, then every living space. Each earlier system sets up questions the later ones answer — a stain in the attic makes sense once you’ve already seen the flashing above it.
Outside the home
I start outside — the exterior tells you what the inside is about to confirm.
- 01 Exterior
Everything outside the house and the lot around it: siding, windows and doors, decks and porches, roofline trim, grading, drainage and fencing. I test the outdoor outlets, faucets and doors too.
- 02 Garage
Framing, surfaces, floor drainage, and the fire separation between the garage and the living space. I test the overhead door, outlets, lighting and any heating or cooling.
- 03 Roof
Covering, gutters and downspouts, flashings, skylights, chimneys and every roof penetration, checked wherever it’s safe to get to.
- 04 Chimneys & fireplaces
Chimneys, flues and vents, fireboxes, dampers, hearths, clean-outs and the fuel shut-offs that serve them.
Structure & envelope
The shell: what holds the house up and keeps the weather out.
- 05 Attic
The roof framing from the inside, plus insulation, vapor barriers and ventilation. I look for moisture or condensation and check any chimneys or vents passing through.
- 06 Foundation & structure
The bones of the house: foundation, structure and crawlspace. I look for wood in contact with soil, moisture, and any sign of movement or deterioration.
- 07 Basement
Floors, walls and ceilings, closets and stairs, drainage and moisture, plus insulation and ventilation where the space calls for it.
- 08 Crawlspace
Surfaces, drainage, moisture and condensation, and insulation or ventilation where it’s required, wherever I can safely get in.
- 09 Insulation & ventilation
Insulation and vapor barriers in unfinished spaces, plus attic, foundation and room ventilation. I run the bath, kitchen and laundry exhausts to confirm they actually move air.
Mechanical systems
The systems you pay to run — each one switched on and operated with the home’s normal controls.
- 10 HVAC system
Heating, cooling and ventilation equipment, ductwork and filters. I switch everything on and run it using the home’s normal controls.
- 11 Plumbing
Supply lines, drains and vents, the water heater, fuel lines and sump pumps. I run the fixtures to check flow and drainage.
- 12 Electrical
From the service line coming in to the panels, breakers, grounding and wiring. I test a representative sample of outlets, switches and GFCIs.
Living spaces
Room by room, with extra attention anywhere water lives — and I report the presence or absence of smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, as Illinois law requires.
- 13 Interiors
Floors, walls, ceilings and trim, closets, stairs and railings. I check for moisture and test a sampling of fixtures, doors and windows.
- 14 Bathrooms
Surfaces, counters and cabinets, and any sign of moisture. I test the sinks, tubs, showers, exhaust fans, doors, windows and GFCI outlets.
- 15 Kitchen
Surfaces, counters and cabinets, and any sign of moisture. I test the sink, outlets, exhaust, doors, windows and the major appliances.
- 16 Laundry
Surfaces, counters and cabinets, and any sign of moisture. I test the sink, outlets, exhaust, doors, windows and the washer and dryer.
Checked doesn’t mean glanced at
“Inspected” on this checklist means operated wherever I safely can, not just photographed. I walk the large majority of roofs I inspect. I run every plumbing fixture and watch it drain. I switch on the heating and cooling with the home’s own thermostat, run the bath and kitchen exhausts to confirm they actually move air, and test 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.
Scope, plainly
What’s included in the inspection
When present, visible and readily accessible, every inspection covers:
- Heating, cooling (when above 65°F) & ventilation
- Plumbing, with fixtures tested for operation, flow & drainage
- Electrical: outlets, lights & switches (representative sample)
- Structure & foundation, crawlspace & attic
- Insulation & ventilation
- Exterior siding, trim, flashing & grading
- Roof, gutters & downspouts (walked when safe & accessible)
- Walkways, driveway, porches, decks, patios & balconies
- Attached & detached garages
- Appliances & mechanicals, functionally tested
- Interior doors, windows, cabinets & blinds (sample)
Equally important
What a home inspection doesn’t cover
A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination — a generalist’s discipline. These need their own specialists, equipment, or licenses:
- Radon, mold, asbestos, lead, carbon monoxide & environmental hazards
- Pests, termites & wood-destroying organisms
- Pools, spas, saunas & recreational facilities
- Well, septic & water filtration systems
- Security, intercom, sound & low-voltage systems
- Irrigation, solar & green-building systems
- Code compliance (not a code inspection)
- Repair cost estimates & contractor referrals
That list isn’t fine print — it’s how you use the report well. When I flag something, the next step is often a specialist who can go deeper than a home inspection legally and practically can.
Your side of the checklist
How to use this as a buyer
- 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 and can ask questions on the spot.
- Ask the seller for history. Past repairs, insurance claims, ongoing issues. The inspection is a snapshot of one day; the seller has the film.
- Buying a condo? Get the HOA documents. Common elements are outside a unit inspection — board minutes, reserves and maintenance schedules tell that half of the story.
- Read the report the same day. You’ll have it while your attorney-review or inspection window is still open — use that time to get specialists in if anything needs a deeper look.
- Don’t chase a perfect score. Every home — new construction included — produces findings. The report separates what matters (material defects, safety items, moisture) from what’s simply an older home being an older home, so you can act on the first list instead of drowning in the second.
Then what?
After the checklist: what the report gives you
Every item above feeds a written report you’ll have the same day, in plain language, with photos and priorities. It separates material defects and safety items from routine aging, and where something needs a deeper look — a roof, a panel, a foundation crack — it says which kind of licensed specialist should evaluate it. That matters because in a Chicago purchase your inspection window is short: the same-day report is designed so you can get specialists in and decisions made while your options are still open. What I won’t do is tell you what to offer or how to negotiate — Illinois law keeps home inspectors out of real estate advice, and that independence is exactly what makes the report worth relying on.
Sixteen systems, one clear report
Want this checklist run on your next home?
Send me the address and I’ll reply with an exact quote — then a licensed, certified inspection and a plain-language report the same day.
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