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What's Inspected

 

Components of our thorough inspection process

The home inspection is a visual examination of the major systems and commponents of a dwelling performed to the Arizona Standards of Professional Practice. The following components make up the reportable items in a home inspection.

Structural System

Foundation;Basement; Crawlspace; Framing; Roof Structure

Exterior

Exterior wall coverings, flashings and trim; doors, decks, balconies, stoops, steps porches, railings;eaves soffits and fascias; vegetation, grading and surface drainage, retaining walls, walkways, patios, and driveways.

Roof System

Roof coverings; drainage systems; flashings; skylights; chimneys; and roof penetrations.

Plumbing System

Interior water supply and distibution systems, fixtures and faucets; drain waste and vent systems. Water heating equipment;; vent systems; flues and chimneys; drainage sumps and related piping.

Electrical System

Service Drop: service entrance conductors, cables and raceways; service equipment and main disconnects; service grounding, conductors, overcurrent protction devices; lighting fixtures, switches and recepticals; ground fault circuit interrupters.

Heating System

Installed heating equipment; vents, flues and chimneys.

Air Conditioning Systems

Central air conditioning; through wall units.

Interior

Walls, ceilings, floors; steps, stairways and railings; coutnertops and cabinets; doors and windows; garage doors and operators

Insulation and Ventilation

Insulation and vapor retarders; ventilation of attics and foundation areas; mechanical ventilation systems.

Fireplaces and Solid Fuel Burning Appliances

Vent systems, flues and chimneys

Additional Inspection Services

Water quality testing: Water testing will inform you about what the contents of the home's water supply consists of. Please note that we offer this service primarily for homes built in more rural areas. Testing Flagstaff City water is an option if you choose, however it is not a commonly chosen option.

Radon gas testing: Radon is an erratically and naturally occurring gas that originates from deep inside our Earth. It is prominently found in forest and mountainous areas like the East coast and other areas throughout the country. Flagstaff happens to be a forest lined mountain, thus we do see some levels of Radon up here.
 
According to a study by a division in the environmental health sciences, a radon level of 4.0 picocuries per litre or lower is considered a "normal range" and should not be considered harmful to humans. Any level higher than 4.0 picocuries per litre may pose either short term or long term health concerns in humans such as lung disease or cancers.
 
In my personal experience in purchasing my home here in Flagstaff, our radon level was at 8.0 picocuries per litre. We had a mitigation device installed, a fan on the side of our home (mostly paid for by the sellers) that blows 24/7. We were informed that radon gas is particularly harmful at very high levels of well over 100 picocuries per litre as such found on the East Coast; however we decided that we wanted to be on the safer side of the allotted range. It is also good to know that radon has more effect on the human body for those with weaker lungs like the elderly or smokers.
 
With all that said, testing for Radon is your choice in the end. No lender or county jurisdiction requires the test; although it is highly recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the surgeon general for a better understanding of the property conditions.
 
We have researched some pricing benchmarks for radon testing in the Flagstaff area and discovered that the median price for Radon testing is about $200. 5 years ago, we paid $150 and the market has been growing, so this value makes sense to us. Should you choose us to conduct the radon test, we will charge $130 for the test since you chose us for your home inspection.
 
We will set up a certified radon detection device in the home for 48 hours and we generate the radon detection report within the same day of device pickup.