What a home inspector looks for in North Carolina

North Carolina licenses home inspectors and sets a Standards of Practice that says what an inspection must cover. Here is the list, the exclusions, and how to use the report.

Look up an NC home inspector license

The license

Anyone who performs home inspections for pay in North Carolina must hold a license from the NC Home Inspector Licensure Board, part of the Department of Insurance (G.S. 143-151.49). Licensed inspectors must use a written pre-inspection agreement and deliver a written report. The Board's roster marks licenses with disciplinary action; our lookup shows that flag.

What the standards require the inspector to inspect

The Board's Standards of Practice cover the readily accessible, visually observable, installed systems and components of the home. The inspector describes each and reports what is not functioning properly, significantly deficient, unsafe, or near the end of its service life:

  • Structural components: foundation, floor, wall, ceiling and roof structure, as visible from accessible spaces such as the crawl space and attic.
  • Exterior: wall covering, trim, doors and windows, decks, steps, porches, railings, grading and drainage near the house, driveways and walkways.
  • Roofing: covering, drainage, flashings, skylights and chimneys, inspected from the roof where it can be walked safely or otherwise from the ground or ladder.
  • Plumbing: supply and drain piping, fixtures, the water heater, fuel piping and venting, functional flow and drainage.
  • Electrical: service entrance, panels, branch wiring, grounding, a representative number of outlets and switches, GFCI and AFCI protection where visible.
  • Heating and air conditioning: the equipment, its operation under normal controls, venting and distribution.
  • Interiors: walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, railings, doors and windows, and signs of water penetration.
  • Insulation and ventilation in attics and crawl spaces, and the ventilation of kitchens, baths and laundries.
  • Built-in kitchen appliances: basic operation.

What is not part of a standard inspection

  • Anything concealed, buried, or not readily accessible: inside walls, under carpets, behind stored belongings.
  • Code compliance. The inspector reports condition, not whether the house meets the current building code.
  • Wood-destroying insects (a separate WDI report), radon, mold, asbestos, lead, water quality and septic systems, each a separate specialist inspection.
  • Cosmetic items, and estimates of repair cost or remaining life beyond the "near the end of service life" flag.
  • Pools, spas, outbuildings, irrigation and most detached structures unless agreed in writing.

How to use the report

  1. Attend the inspection if you can; the walk-through teaches more than the PDF.
  2. Read the summary of significant deficiencies first, then the body for context. "Significantly deficient" and "unsafe" items are the ones to raise with the seller.
  3. For anything flagged in a licensed trade, get a licensed electrician, plumber or HVAC contractor's written estimate, and check that license before you rely on it.
  4. For structural or water-intrusion findings, consider an engineer's evaluation.
  5. Keep the report; it documents the home's condition on the day you bought it.

Choosing an inspector

Confirm the license on the home inspector lookup, ask for a sample report, and ask how long the inspection takes for a house of your size; a thorough inspection of an average home runs a few hours. Licensed inspectors in your county are listed on the county's home inspectors page, licence-checked listings first.