What Home Inspectors Can and Cannot Find

Your inspection report is essential — but it has blind spots. Here's what inspectors cover, what they miss, and how to fill the gaps.

A home inspection is the single most important step in your buying process. But it's not a guarantee that every problem has been found. Understanding the limits of a home inspection helps you know where to look deeper — and why the seller's disclosure is such a critical complementary document.

What Inspectors Do Check

A thorough inspection covers the major systems and visible structural components of the home: roof condition (from ground or ladder), foundation (visible portions), electrical panels and accessible wiring, plumbing fixtures and visible pipes, HVAC operation, water heater, attic and crawlspace (if accessible), windows and doors, drainage and grading, and visible signs of water damage, mold, or pest activity.

What Inspectors Cannot Check

Home inspections are "noninvasive" by law and industry standards. This means inspectors cannot:

• Open walls or ceilings. Mold inside walls, hidden water damage, deteriorated framing, and pest damage behind drywall are invisible to an inspector.
• Inspect underground. Sewer lines, underground drainage, buried oil tanks, and soil conditions require specialized equipment.
• Test for environmental hazards. Radon, asbestos content, lead levels, and soil contamination require lab testing.
• Evaluate cosmetically hidden defects. Fresh paint over water stains, new flooring over damaged subfloor, and recently finished basements can conceal significant problems.
• Assess geological conditions. Hillside stability, soil expansion, and earthquake vulnerability require geological specialists.
• Predict future failures. An inspector can note that a roof is aging, but they can't tell you it will fail next winter. They report current condition, not future performance.

How to Fill the Gaps

Specialist Inspections

For specific concerns, hire specialists: sewer camera inspection for old pipes, mold testing when moisture is detected, geological assessment for hillside properties, and structural engineer evaluations when significant foundation issues are noted.

Cross-Reference the Disclosure

The seller's TDS can reveal problems the inspector couldn't see. If the seller discloses "past water damage, repaired" in a room that looks fine to the inspector, that's valuable information. Conversely, if the inspector finds evidence of water damage but the seller disclosed nothing, that's a red flag about the seller's honesty.

Ask the Neighbors

Neighbors often know things about a property that neither the inspector nor the disclosure will tell you — recurring drainage problems, previous flooding, noise issues, or construction history.

Research Permit History

Your city or county building department has records of permits pulled for the property. Compare these against visible renovations. An addition or remodel with no permits suggests unpermitted work — something the seller should have disclosed.