Straight from my clipboard
Chicago home inspection checklist: the 16 systems I inspect
This is the actual checklist I follow on every inspection, built on the Illinois Standards of Practice and refined over 13 years and more than 3,000 Chicago inspections. Sixteen systems, in the order I go through them. If you want to know what a home inspector looks for, this is it.
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. What I see early raises questions that later systems answer. A stain in the attic makes sense once you’ve already seen the flashing above it.
Outside the home
I start outside, because the exterior usually 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 retaining walls. 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. I switch each one on and operate it with the home’s normal controls.
- 10 HVAC system
Heating, cooling and ventilation equipment, ductwork and filters. I run heating and cooling on the home’s own thermostat. Cooling gets run when it’s warm enough outside to do it safely.
- 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 there’s water. I also report whether smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors are present, 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 means tested, not glanced at
“Inspected” here means I operate it wherever I safely can, not just take a picture of it. 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 inspection to the Illinois Standards of Practice, so I don’t open walls. But within those rules, if something can be made to do its job, I make it do its job.
Scope, plainly
What’s included in the inspection
When present, visible and readily accessible, every inspection covers:
- Heating, cooling (when it’s warm enough outside to run safely) & 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 look by a generalist. 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 get the most out of the report. When I flag something, the next step is often a specialist who can go deeper than a home inspection is allowed to or set up to.
Your side of the checklist
How to use this as a buyer
- Be there for the walkthrough if you can. When I finish, I walk you through what I found and answer your questions. Seeing it in person is worth more than any document.
- Ask the seller for history. Past repairs, insurance claims, ongoing issues. The inspection is a snapshot of one day. The seller has the whole movie.
- Buying a condo? Get the HOA documents. Common elements are outside a unit inspection. Board minutes, reserves and maintenance schedules tell you 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 closer look.
- Don’t expect a perfect score. Every home has findings, new construction included. The report separates what matters (material defects, safety items, moisture) from an older home just being an older home, so you can act on the first list without 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 normal aging, and when something needs a closer look (a roof, a panel, a foundation crack), it tells you which kind of licensed specialist to call. That matters because your inspection window on a Chicago purchase is short. The same-day report gives you time to get specialists in and make decisions 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 what makes the report worth trusting.
Sixteen systems, one clear report
Want this checklist run on your next home?
Send me the address and I’ll get back to you with an exact quote. The plain-language report comes the same day as the inspection.
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