WALKED Sample Inspections
Sample town · Sample county · Ohio
Big ones first: cracked brick and broken mortar at the chimney top; open splices in the basement ceiling; galvanized steel water pipe, rusted at the fittings; damaged shingle — lifted and creased; trees growing against the roof edge; and plumbing vent pipe rusted, boot patched with tar. The attic was viewed from the access opening only. DIY is dryer vent hood packed with lint.
Fix these before you close
At the top of the chimney, the mortar has broken out of the top courses and some bricks are cracked.
Water that gets in here works down into the chimney.
Hire a mason or chimney contractor to rebuild the top courses and the crown.
A metal junction box in the basement ceiling has no cover. The splices sit outside the box, with the wire nuts hanging in the open below the joists.
Splices belong inside a covered box so a loose connection can't touch wood or a hand.
Hire a licensed electrician. Put the splices inside a box, install the cover, and secure the cable.
Part of the water supply is galvanized steel. The fittings are rusted and swollen, with copper spliced in at some joints.
Galvanized pipe rusts from the inside, which cuts water flow. The rusted fittings are where leaks start.
Hire a licensed plumber to replace the galvanized supply piping.
One shingle is lifted and creased across the tab, so it no longer lies flat.
A creased tab lets wind and water get under it, and the next storm can tear it off.
Hire a licensed roofer to replace the damaged shingle and check the rest of the slope.
Tree trunks and limbs rest on the roof edge and lie across the shingles.
Limbs scrape off granules, hold debris and moisture on the roof, and give animals a path in.
Hire a tree service to cut the limbs well back from the roof, then have a roofer check the shingles underneath.
The metal plumbing vent pipe is rusted through its surface, and the flashing boot around it is smeared with tar that has cracked.
Rust and failed tar at a roof penetration let water into the attic.
Hire a roofer, with a plumber if the pipe needs a new section, to replace the vent pipe stub and install a new boot.
You can handle these
The outside dryer vent hood is stuffed with lint, and the flap can't open.
A blocked dryer vent is a fire risk and makes the dryer run longer.
DIY: pull the lint out of the hood by hand, then run a dryer-vent brush kit (hardware store) through the duct. Clean the lint screen every load.
The machines
Most of the big gear here is past its first decade. Plates and labels below; each age says where it came from.
Heats the house.
Cools the house.
Hot water for the house. Rusted supply pipe is a separate Hire a Pro.
Feeds every circuit in the house. Open wiring is a separate Hire a Pro.
Shown so you can find the shutoff.
Shown so you can find the meter shutoff.
Nameplate inventory only. Not a warranty claim and not a promise of remaining life.
Gas furnace, direct vent, forced air. Make: Ducane (Allied Air Enterprises). Model: CMPE050U3B. Serial: 4045430•••. Size: 50,000 BTU per hour input (plate).
About 0 to 7 years left on a typical 15 to 25 year range.
Noted. Serial decode dates it to 2008 (unverified decode). About 18 years old.
Central air conditioner, outdoor condensing unit. Make: Trane. Model: 4TTX5036A1000AA (XL15i). Serial: 8294WP•••. Size: model code suggests 3 tons (unverified); plate: MCA 22.0 A (the smallest wire size the circuit needs), max breaker 35 A.
Past the typical 7 to 15 year range.
Noted. Built July 2008 per the data plate. About 18 years old.
Tank water heater, atmospheric vent. Make: Richmond (Rheem Manufacturing Co.). Model: 6G40-36F1. Serial: RMLN0310412•••. Size: 40 gallons; 36,000 BTU per hour input (plate).
Past the typical 6 to 12 year range.
Noted. Built March 2010 per the data plate. About 16 years old. Rusted supply pipe is a separate Hire a Pro.
Main breaker panel, circuit breakers. Make: Square D Homeline. Model: HOMC21UC (door label). Serial: none on the label. Main breaker handle reads 100 amps.
Noted. No manufacture date on the label in these photos, so age is not determined. Open wiring is a separate Hire a Pro.
Covering Material: Asphalt shingles · Roof Age: Not estimated. No photo in this set shows a dated label, permit or receipt, and worn granules alone do not date a roof. Ask the seller for the roofing invoice · Inspection Method: Viewed from the roof edge and the ground
Wall Covering Material: Brick on the front (cover photo); vinyl siding on the walls in the finding photos
Foundation Type: Basement · Floor Structure: Not verified. Floor framing is not in the walk photos, and hidden conditions behind finishes are outside this visual walk · Wall Structure: Concealed by finishes · Ceiling Structure: Concealed by finishes · Roof Structure: Wood rafters and sheathing
Energy Source: Natural gas · Method Or System Type: Gas furnace, direct vent, forced air · Thermostat Location: Not inspected: no photo of the thermostat in this composite sample, so its location is not recorded. · Approximate Age: Data plate dates it to 2008.
Energy Source: Electric, 208/230 V, 1 phase · Method Or System Type: Central air conditioner, outdoor condensing unit · Approximate Age: Data plate dates it to 2008.
Water Supply Public Or Private: Public: water meter at the main (photo under Data plates and ages) · Supply Piping Materials: Copper and galvanized steel · Drain, waste, vent Piping Materials: Not inspected: no photo of the interior drain, waste and vent piping in this composite sample, so its material is not recorded. Buried drain lines are outside a visual walk. · Main Water Shutoff Location: Valve beside the water meter (photo) · Main Fuel Shutoff Location: At the gas meter (photo). Interior shut-off: not inspected; not in the photo set for this composite sample
Energy Source: Natural gas · Type: Tank water heater, atmospheric vent · Approximate Age: Data plate dates it to 2010.
Service Amperage: 100-amp main breaker (handle reads 100) · Main Disconnect Location: Main breaker in the main panel (handle reads 100 amps) · Subpanel Locations: None seen · Branch Wiring Method: NM cable (plastic-sheathed cable) · Smoke Alarms Presence: Present on the hall ceiling (photo above). Alarms were not tested · CO Alarms Presence: Not inspected: no carbon monoxide (CO) alarm photo in this composite sample, so presence or absence is not recorded. Confirm a working CO alarm on every level before move-in.
Type: Masonry chimney; flue interior not inspected
Attic Inspection Method: Viewed from the attic access · Insulation Type: Loose fill · Approximate Depth Attic: Not inspected: depth was not measured in the photo set for this composite sample · Ventilation Type: Not inspected: attic vents are not in the photo set for this composite sample
Method: Representative doors and windows operated
Door Operation: Not tested. Check that the door reverses when something blocks it
Primary List: Not inspected: kitchen appliances were not in the photo set for this composite sample.
Age, settlement & leftovers
A smoke alarm is mounted on the hall ceiling. It was not push-tested.
Noted. Test it when you move in.
Plenty of original parts in a house this age. Ask the seller for receipts, permits and service records for the roof, furnace, AC and water heater.
Noted. This is a due-diligence ask, not a code finding.
It’s not too late
A camera look is the only way to see roots, breaks or sags in the buried drain line.
Text WALKEDCallThe inside of the flue was not inspected. A chimney sweep can camera it before the first fire.
Text WALKEDCallNot this walk
Roof install date. No permit or date to verify, so roof age is not estimated.
Attic beyond the access opening. Viewed from the opening only. The share of the attic seen was not recorded for this sample, and the eaves were not visible.
Chimney flue interior / Level II. Not a chimney safety inspection.
Heat exchanger interior. Stays closed. Visual furnace only.
Air conditioner output. Plate documented under the machines. Cooling output was not measured.
Water heater pressure-relief pipe. This pipe (the TPR, or temperature and pressure relief, discharge pipe) carries scalding water away if the tank overheats. Where it ends was not traced. A plumber can confirm it is routed safely.
Kitchen and bath outlets. A GFCI (a shock-protection outlet with Test and Reset buttons that cuts power fast if current leaks through water or a person) protects wet areas. These were not tested. Press Test, then Reset, on each one after you move in.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. A smoke alarm is present on the hall ceiling. Alarms were not tested. no carbon monoxide (CO) alarm photo in this composite sample, so presence or absence is not recorded. Confirm a working CO alarm on every level before move-in.
Wall insulation. Finished walls hide it, so the amount of insulation, or whether there is any, is unknown.
Buried water, gas and sewer lines. Not visible. Underground pipes are not dug up on a visual walk. See sewer scope above.
Termites and other wood-eating insects. A full pest inspection was not part of this walk.
Garage door auto-reverse and photo-eye safety. Not tested on this walk. Check that the door reverses when something blocks it.
Behind finishes, furniture and storage. Not moved or opened. Concealed conditions are outside a visual walk.
Thermostat. no photo of the thermostat in this composite sample, so its location is not recorded.
Interior drain, waste and vent piping. no photo of the interior drain, waste and vent piping in this composite sample, so its material is not recorded. Buried drain lines are outside a visual walk.
Kitchen appliances. kitchen appliances were not in the photo set for this composite sample.
Photo appendix
Ohio law · plain English
A visual inspection of readily accessible systems and parts, as they looked on inspection day. Not a code inspection, appraisal, warranty or engineering study.
Not covered: radon, mold lab testing, asbestos, lead paint, water chemistry, wood-destroying insects, buried tanks, wells, septic systems and underground piping.
Inspector attestation
Redacted for privacy
Sample report built from more than one inspection. Real photo, location and owner removed. A visual inspection of readily accessible systems and parts, as they looked on inspection day. Not a code inspection, appraisal, warranty or engineering study. Hidden conditions behind finishes, buried piping, radon, lab testing, wood-destroying insects and water chemistry are outside a visual walk unless ordered separately.