Sample report
Sample report · Ohio
Report details
Big ones first: open junction box: no cover; and possible mold on the floor sheathing above the block wall. The upper roof was seen from the ground only. DIY is light switch cover plate: missing, splash block: pulled away from the downspout.
Systems at a glance
Basement, poured concrete walls; concrete block wall under one floor section · Asphalt shingles, architectural · NM cable (plastic-sheathed cable). Furnace plate: built 2021.
Before you close
This blue plastic junction box has no cover, and the wire-nut splices sit loose in the open box.
An open box is a shock risk, and nothing keeps a loose splice away from a hand.
Hire a licensed electrician to secure the splices and put a cover on the box.
Dark, blotchy growth that looks like possible mold covers patches of the wood floor sheathing between the joists. It’s heaviest in the bay at the rim board, right above the block wall. The block below looks dry, and I couldn’t see a leak or damp spot from here.
Growth like this means moisture is getting to the wood. It keeps growing while the moisture stays, and it can damage the sheathing.
Hire a mold and moisture pro to check what this is and find where the moisture is coming from.
You can do these
This light switch has no cover plate. The box edge and the switch’s screw sides are open, and the drywall around the box is ragged.
Without the plate, fingers can reach the screw terminals.
DIY: turn off that circuit at the panel and screw on an oversized switch plate that covers the ragged edge.
The splash block is lying loose, well away from the downspout. Water coming out of the downspout has washed a trench into the soil at the foundation.
Each rain keeps dumping water right at the foundation and digging the trench deeper.
DIY: fill the trench with soil and tamp it down so it slopes away from the house, then set the splash block back under the downspout outlet, sloped away from the wall.
The machines
This sample set has a data plate for the furnace only. The air conditioner and water heater plates are not shown here, so they have no ages or life ranges.
Noted. On your own walk-through, snap a photo of each machine’s label and keep it with your house papers.
Gas furnace, forced air. Make: Bryant. Model: 926TB42060V17A-B. Serial: ••••3878. Built: January 2021 (DATE OF MANUFACTURE JAN 2021), printed on the plate. Size: 60,000 BTU per hour input, high fire; 115 V. Fuel: Natural gas (orifice listed on the plate).
Noted. Built 2021 per the data plate. About 5 years old. Heats the house.
The circuit directory is filled in by hand. It lists a pool pump, pool cover, pool light, water heater, utility room outlets, basement outlets, a hot tub and a mini split.
Noted. No manufacture date on the label, so the panel’s age is not determined. Keep the directory up to date as circuits change.
Noted
A crack runs diagonally down from the corner of the basement window, and a second crack runs across another wall.
The edges line up, with no offset I could see.
Noted. Mark both ends of each crack with a pencil and date them. If one gets longer or wider, or lets water in, a structural engineer can evaluate it.
Ask the seller for receipts, permits and service records for the roof, furnace, AC, water heater and any electrical work.
Noted. This is a due-diligence ask, not a code finding.
Systems
Covering Material: Asphalt shingles, architectural · Roof Age: Not estimated: no dated label, permit or receipt was seen, and worn granules alone do not date a roof. Ask the seller for the roofing invoice · Inspection Method: Viewed from the ground; upper slopes not walked
Wall Covering Material: Lap siding and shake-style siding on the upper level; brick on the lower level
Foundation Type: Basement, poured concrete walls; concrete block wall under one floor section · Floor Structure: Not inspected: concealed by finishes · Roof Structure: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Method Or System Type: Gas furnace, forced air, Natural gas (orifice listed on the plate) · Thermostat Location: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Approximate Age: Built 2021 per the data plate
Method Or System Type: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Approximate Age: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Supply Piping Materials: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Drain, waste, vent Piping Materials: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Main Water Shutoff Location: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Main Fuel Shutoff Location: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Type: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Approximate Age: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Branch Wiring Method: NM cable (plastic-sheathed cable) · Service Amperage: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · Smoke Alarms Presence: Not inspected: not part of this sample report. · CO Alarms Presence: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Attic Inspection Method: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Primary List: Not inspected: not part of this sample report.
Next steps
A camera look is the only way to see roots, breaks or sags in the buried drain line.
Radon can’t be seen or smelled. A short test gives you the number.
Ohio required items
Not this walk
Machines and their ages. No data plates are part of this sample, so no ages or life ranges are given.
Inside the furnace. It stays closed on a visual walk. An HVAC tech checks it during a service.
Wall insulation. Finished walls hide it.
Buried water, gas and sewer lines. Underground pipes are not dug up on a visual walk.
Termites and other wood-eating insects. A full pest inspection was not part of this walk.
Behind finishes, furniture and storage. Not moved or opened.
Photo appendix
Repair request
Ohio law
A visual inspection of readily accessible systems and parts, as they looked on inspection day. Not a code inspection, appraisal, warranty or engineering study.
Inspector attestation
Sample report built from more than one inspection. Real photo, location and owner removed.