Home Insurance Inspection Checklist

You are shopping for a new home insurance policy when one of the insurance companies you are talking to asks to schedule a home inspection. You are a bit alarmed at this request. Why does your insurer need to see your house? Are you in trouble? Should you stop talking to this particular insurance company and contact someone else who doesn’t want to enter your private dwelling?
​

​Luckily, you don’t have to worry. Home insurance inspections are standard and nothing of concern. Sometimes, insurers will put together home coverage policies for you without seeing an inch of your property. Other times, they’ll want to do an inspection. If the company does want to inspect your home, they only want to do so to make sure that the policy they put together for you adequately insures the property. Since your homeowner’s insurance policy is designed with the worst case scenario in mind—that you will have to rebuild your home from scratch—it is sometimes helpful for insurers to see the home firsthand.
​
What’s Included in a Home Insurance Inspection? Now that we know why home insurance providers will sometimes want to do home inspections, we can focus on what those investigations entail. Below, we’ve compiled a basic checklist of what insurers will be looking at during a home inspection, as well as some of the questions they might ask you along the way.

• The roof: The age and condition of your roof can significantly impact the cost of your insurance policy. Insurance inspectors will check the roof to determine whether or not it is a major area of risk. If your roof is going to need replacement in the next two or three years, your insurance company will take that into account when designing and pricing your policy. 

• The foundation: Cracks in the foundation are among the most well-known and problematic types of damage that a home can incur. These cracks can cause a range of problems, from leaking water to termites to severe structural damage to the home. All of these problems can significantly increase the likelihood of a homeowner making a claim on his or her insurance. As a result, you can bet that home insurance inspectors will take a close look at your foundation to check for cracks.

• The electrical system: Old or outdated electrical systems can cause power surges, personal injury, or fires. Home insurance inspectors will check the age of your electrical system and determine whether or not it is up to code.

• The plumbing system: Old plumbing systems are just as problematic as old electrical layouts. Bad plumbing can lead to leaking pipes and flooding, which can seriously damage a home. As with electrical systems, inspectors will investigate your plumbing and determine the level of risk. 

• Signs of damage: If there are signs of water damage or termite damage in the home, a home insurance inspector will note these problems. Termite problems and routine flooding issues can both increase the likelihood of a client making a claim on his or her insurance policy. These issues heighten your level of risk as a homeowner and will increase the price of your insurance. 

• The furnace: Old or malfunctioning furnaces can leak carbon monoxide, greatly impairing the air quality of your home. Carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to a range of serious health problems, from chronic headaches to brain damage and death. Therefore, home insurance companies take issue with homes that are not equipped with modern furnaces.
  
  
• Gutters: Gutters or downspouts that aren’t adequately diverting water away from the house can contribute to flooding issues or damage to the foundation. Home insurance inspectors will always check the gutters on your home to make sure they are attached correctly and not clogged with debris.
  
  
• Pets: Pets are the cause of roughly 30% of home insurance liability claims. If you have a dog, the home insurance inspector might take an interest in the animal and ask about his or her behavior.

​
This list doesn’t necessarily constitute every single item that a home insurance inspector might look at or ask about while visiting your home. However, these elements will likely be the core components of any insurance-related inspection. Essentially, insurers are looking for areas of concern that might increase the odds of you making a costly claim on your home insurance policy. As displayed with the pet issue, not all of these risks are related to damage repairs or home replacement costs.
​
After your inspection, your insurance company will contact you about alterations to your policy and coverage quote. Your insurers might also raise concerns about your property with you, or even request that you correct several issues before they cover you.