Do Home Inspectors Go Into Attics

Attics in homes with a low roof pitch do not have sufficient height for an inspector to move around.

Do home inspectors go into attics.

Or the homeowner might have a bureau placed in front of an attic door. While it might be possible for a slim 20 year old to wiggle between truss cords and ducts in a low attic most home inspectors are neither young or trim. As with any other part of a home inspection attics must be accessible. Home inspectors will check every part of the house that they can get to and the attic has several things they will be looking for.

It s important to know who s living in your home before you sign papers at the closing table. In most cases the answer is yes. One place that we don t often go to that a home inspector will go to is the attic. Your home inspector can identify termite infestations and the existence of other wildlife in your attic.

It can provide clues to serious problems that might not be disclosed or even known by the current owner. For example a past renovation might seal up an attic access panel in the ceiling entirely. A home inspector can t. An attic reflects the history of a home.

Basically the idea is to alert the buyer of any safety issues defects and problems in need of immediate attention. An attic where there s moisture build up is enticing to these pests. Most people don t make a habit of going up into their attic and so they have no idea what is going on up there. If they aren t inspectors are not required to gain entry by heroic means.

If your home inspector can get into the attic without trampling insulation you can often learn a lot about the home and any renovations or repairs. Attic inspections aren t usually foremost on a homebuyer s mind but there are a lot of good reasons for them to get up there or send their home inspector to take a look around. Another thing the home inspector can do is go into the attic and give a thorough visual check without causing damage. So are home inspectors really expected to shimmy inside.

While the inspector performs the attic inspection note the condition of storage areas and attic floors look for damaged floorboards and again look for evidence of water pest and fire damage. Remember one of the biggest complaints against home inspectors is missed roof leaks.