When you’ve spent years swinging a hammer in residential builds, overseeing commercial projects, and working with some of the sharpest Salt Lake City roofers around, you learn a thing or two about spotting trouble before it empties your wallet. Inspections aren’t about finding problems just for the thrill of it (although spotting a hidden disaster does sometimes feel like winning a very depressing scavenger hunt). They’re about keeping your property — and your budget — intact.
Here are ten tips that might just save you from an expensive mistake, and maybe a few gray hairs.
1. Start from the Top (Literally)
Roofs aren’t decorative hats. They’re the first line of defense against snowstorms, desert winds, and the occasional plague of crickets. Check for missing shingles, cracked flashing, or sagging areas. If you notice what looks like a small issue now, there’s a good chance it’ll be a large, expensive one later.
2. Check for Water Intrusion
Water is sneaky. It doesn’t need a grand entrance; a tiny crack will do. Look for water stains on ceilings and walls, soft drywall, or a suspicious smell of dampness. If the basement smells like a biology experiment gone wrong, that’s a problem, not a quirk.
3. Inspect the Foundation Like You Mean It
Hairline cracks happen. Foot-long fissures you could park a bicycle in are less charming. Walk the perimeter and the interior foundation walls. Tap on questionable spots. If it sounds hollow, or worse, crumbles under pressure, it’s time to call in reinforcements before the house decides to explore new and unexpected angles.
4. Evaluate the Plumbing
Homes and buildings breathe, settle, and move. Pipes don’t always cope well with that. Check under sinks, around water heaters, and behind toilets. Look for corrosion, leaking joints, or plumbing that appears to have been installed by someone who once skimmed an article about it.
5. Windows and Doors: Open, Shut, Repeat
Doors should open without sounding like a shipwreck. Windows shouldn’t require a crowbar to budge. If they stick, jam, or don’t sit right in their frames, that might signal shifting foundations or poor installation. Neither of those are issues you want to inherit.
6. Electrical Systems: Shocking, If Done Wrong
Flip every light switch. Test every outlet. Open the panel and check for labeling, burn marks, or creative wiring that looks like someone let their toddler do it. If the lights flicker or breakers trip when you microwave a cup of coffee, assume the system isn’t just outdated — it’s probably dangerous.
7. Crawl Spaces and Attics: Unpleasant but Necessary
Nobody relishes squeezing into a dusty crawlspace or poking around an attic thick with insulation and regret. Do it anyway. Look for signs of pests, moisture, or structural issues. If you’re greeted by a raccoon with an attitude, that’s another problem, but one you’ll need to solve before calling it home.
8. Exterior Walls and Siding: No Cosmetic Fixes
Paint can hide a multitude of sins. Tap on wood siding to check for rot. Push gently on brick or stucco to see if it’s loose. If a wall sounds hollow or moves under pressure, assume the repairs will cost you more than you want to know.
9. Heating and Cooling Systems: Test Before Regret
From triple-digit summers to frozen winters, you need heating and cooling that can keep up. Fire up the furnace, crank the A/C, and listen. Odd clanks, smells, or a complete refusal to operate are not part of a charming “vintage feel.”
10. Look at the Landscaping (and Drainage)
It’s easy to get distracted by a neatly trimmed lawn. Pay attention to the grading instead. The ground should slope away from the building, not funnel water toward the foundation like some kind of passive-aggressive moat. Poor drainage today leads to wet basements and sagging foundations tomorrow.
Good inspections aren’t about finding an excuse to walk away. They’re about understanding what you’re getting into. No property is perfect, but a property riddled with hidden damage can turn even the most optimistic buyer into a very tired repair project manager.
We believe every building deserves a thorough once-over — not just a casual glance during an open house. Trust your instincts, use your checklist, and when in doubt, get a second pair of trained eyes on the job. Preferably, ones that have spent a few decades in the dust and drywall, and know a disaster when they see one.
There’s real satisfaction in spotting a problem early, fixing it properly, and knowing you’ve made a solid investment — rather than signing up for a slow-motion train wreck.
