Browse all services

Start with the actual inspection contingency

Copy the exact fireplace note from the house report. An inspector who did not light a fire may have reported only what was visible from the room. Ask what a separate chimney visit will cover, whether the interior flue surfaces will be examined on camera, and when findings will be available. A repair estimate due after the contingency expires serves a different purpose from a condition report available before your decision.

Count openings at the house, not in the listing

A fireplace in the living room and a second one behind closed patio doors may sit under one roof stack. Write them as two entries, with the room name and any appliance visible in it. Give the inspector the seller's account of changes as background. Keep an undocumented gas conversion or a fireplace hidden behind cabinetry on the open-question list. A single photograph of a masonry stack cannot identify every connected appliance.

Make access part of the booking

Ask the seller which attic hatch can be opened and whether someone can provide access to a locked room. The CSIA inspection checklist asks the inspector to record areas that could not be examined. If the report cannot answer a question because access was unavailable, ask for the exact area, its significance and what additional access would resolve it. Davie's Building Division can help with available permit records if a previous alteration is at issue. A record and an inspection serve different decisions.